Is China Winning the Energy Access Wars?

[CorpGovActivist]

Interesting article from a Canadian perspective: http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=viewArticle&code=CHI20070108&articleId=4379

Additional background info regarding the 20th century history of the UK's ties to Iraqi oil:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Mandate_of_Mesopotamia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iraq_Petroleum_Company

Will the State of the Union announce an Apollo Space Program for Energy Independence?

Don't count on it.

- Dave

[yurbud]

1. If China is winning, they are doing it a hell of a lot cheaper than we are losing

[CorpGovActivist]

2. Advantages: Geographical and Philosophical

Geography helps: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geography_of_China#Border_countries

So does shared philosophy/"soft power": http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-aligned_movement

- Dave

[yurbud]

8. soft power is the real power, but hard to explain in seven second sound bite

[Spazito]

3. The perspective iterated by the author of this article...

is one shared by many outside of the US. The damage the bush cabal has done to the US in terms of it's power and influence internationally is not temporary. The belief, earned or not, that the US was one of the "good guys" no longer exists and, even with the Democrats now in control of Congress, all actions taken by the US government will now, and for the foreseeable future, be viewed with intense suspicion at the very least, imo.

[CorpGovActivist]

4. The Concept of "Soft Power" - Professor Nye

I had the incredibly good fortune to take a course from Dr. Joseph S. Nye, Jr.

One of the concepts he hammered into us was the importance of "soft power": http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=%22soft+power%22+nye

When "lesser" cultures no longer aspire to be like the "greater" culture that would seek to organize and lead them, the "greater" culture faces a real crisis.

Notable examples include:

* the Athenian city-state's dominance in Ancient Greece

* the Pax Romana

* the collapse of the British Empire

Soft power deals with such matters as: would an 18 year old in {fill in the blank with country} rather own a pair of American-style blue jeans, or an outfit associated with his/her own culture? Would that same 18 year old prefer to be seen in public with a Coke, or with a beverage associated with his/her own culture?

It also deals with perceptions of benevolence: does that 18 year old believe that America is benevolent and just in its dealings with his/her culture?

One important barometer that would be interesting to measure: how many non-aligned nations are investing state resources in educating their elite/promising students in English, versus Mandarin?

- Dave

[Spazito]

9. I find this statement from your post particularly powerful in

light of the global geopolitical dynamics currently in play:

"When "lesser" cultures no longer aspire to be like the "greater" culture that would seek to organize and lead them, the "greater" culture faces a real crisis."

In watching what is happening in Central and South America, it would certainly seem that this is now the case and, to take it a bit further, it may well be not only a repudiation of American culture and mores but the realization that becoming the polar opposite in specific areas such as resource control, business practices, etc, will allow those countries to become more powerful in their own right.

Edited to add:

Here is a column about bush's influence on Canada due to the current minority Conservative government that may interest you given the theme of the discussion:

Bush's Canadian 'Clone' in Jeopardy

http://www.consortiumnews.com/2007/011707a.html

Canada's reputation has been tarnished by it's recent actions and it's ties to the bush administration and only time will tell whether it, too, is permenant, sadly.

[CorpGovActivist]

10. Or, Why Hugo Chavez's Chinese Energy Gambit Matters

Hugo Chavez has adroitly aligned himself with the Chinese, and vice versa: http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=chavez+china

Many of the non-aligned nations look at China as the premiere country that has emerged from the shadow of Western imperialism, reclaimed control over its own natural resources, and restored the lustre of its cultural soft power (e.g., the upcoming Olympics, the growing Chinese movie industry, its cuisine's ubiquity, etc.). That shared experience - the period of exploitation by Western powers - gives these countries a shared vocabulary that transcends religious and cultural differences.

As more nations in Central and South America cozy up to China, I always look for one key aspect in these treaties and trade agreements: namely, the educational exchanges.

When Beijing's state-run media welcomes Latin American students (read: future leaders), at the same time that American airwaves are filled with anti-immigrant rhetoric, I worry that the message those college students take away is that America is fearful of their ascendancy, while China is willing to share its own experiences as a path to success and prosperity.

In short, if/when we reach the tipping point of more Latin American expat students choosing Beijing over Boston for their studies abroad, we'll have reached a key inflection point in our "soft power" projection:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beijing_University

"The Times World University Rankings in 2006 rated Peking University as the best university in Asia, and ranked 14th in the world."

- Dave

[sam sarrha]

5. Duh... wasn't it an Chinese fella that wrote the Art of War.. ?? and a stupid white guy that didnt

[Strelnikov_]

6. "If The Enemy Is Destroying Themselves, Don't Get In The Way"

China is playing the long con. They know that petroleum and natural gas energy infrastructure is too fragile to hold militarily, short of depopulation. Eventually the refrain of 'Fuck you, we sell to China' will be heard throughout the Middle East.

And how about Russia, playing both sides as Putin whispers sweet nothings into the Chimps ear as they gaze into each others eyes, while supplying the alleged 'enemy', Iran, with arms. The status quo maintains, they sell their petroleum and natural gas and get rich. Part of the Middle East resource is lost to open war, they get really really rich.

[CorpGovActivist]

7. The Chinese Long View: Beyond Fossil Fuels

I think you're right about them playing the long con, and can't help but wonder what the state of their research into this sort of tech really is: http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&q=%22synthetic+chlorophyll%22+protein

How well do you think we've infiltrated their science ministries? How accurate is our intel into their "state of the art" and experimental tech?

- Dave