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The Intelligence Unit's Global Liveability Quiz

One of the best right of center media outlets is The Economist Magazine. 

In addition to the pragmatic and level headed political analysis offered in The Economist, the British news outlet also offers readers access to economic and business research, forecasting and analysis by their Economist Intelligence Unit. 

The same unit that publishes the bi annual Democracy Index, the Intelligence Unit recently published a Global Liveability Quiz that quizzes readers on how well they know the living conditions around the world? 

If you are willing to take the challenge, take the Global Liveability Quiz, and see how well you know the living conditions in the world you live in. You may be surprised by the answers.

It is based on the Economist Intelligence Unit's Global Liveability Survey, a newly published report that assesses 30 indicators across broad categories and scores cities from 1-100. You are entitled to a free summary of the report at the conclusion of the quiz

The Collapse of the Old Oil Order

A recent article by Michael T. Klare on TomDispatch pitches the idea that the recent social and political unrest in Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Libya, Oman, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Tunisia, and Yemen, is the beginning of the end of cheap oil and the collapse of the old oil order.

Michael Klare, who  is a professor of peace and world security studies at Hampshire College, and the author of  Rising Powers, Shrinking Planet, presents a strong argument as to why the days of cheap oil and gasoline will soon be as obsolete as vinyl records and analog TV.

Some of the more noteworthy passages from the article include historical facts on the Iranian coup and how western democratic countries like Great Britain and the United States have often undermined and sabotaged democratic movements in oil producing countries.

Isn’t it interesting how democracy and self determination is ok for the United States and other western countries, but if any popular uprising threatens western oil company profits, democratic movements in oil producing countries like Iran have been stopped and autocratic rulers like the Shah of Iran are put in place by the United States.

For the complete article by Michael Klare please go to TomDispatch or download the iTunes podcast internview with Timothy MacBain.

The Americans are Seen in Times of Oil

As a long time supporter of one of the world's most popular and successful bloggers, whenever a blog posting by Beppe Grillo reflects the thoughts of Il Principe, Opinione will repost the article.

Home to over 40 US military bases, Italians such as Beppe Grillo are all too familiar with the crime, pollution, and other negative aspects that go along with hosting a US military base in their country. The following post by Grillo discusses how whenever oil is concerned, Americans always find a way to justify military action for humanitarian reasons. 

The American ships are positioned at spitting distance from Tripoli, just 50 Kilometres as the crow flies. Officially they have arrived for humanitarian reasons. There are no Indian, Chinese, Iranian ships nor even are there Russian, Korean, Brazilian, Icelandic, or South African ones. Just American ones and a few bits of fleets of minor allies.

When there’s conflict in the world, ready-made assistance that’s immediate and above all armed, arrives from the United States of America. Disinterested and long-term assistance as there was for the war in the Balkans or in Iraq or Afghanistan. They are so comfortable in the countries to which they have exported democracy that they are not leaving any more. They set up bases and the flag as they did in Kosovo and they stay around for decades. They are nice generous people, big lads that are always smiling. In Italy the Yankees gave out gifts of cigarettes and chocolate that we still remember. Certainly they also bombed civilians in the main cities of Italy, from Rome to Milan, but those are incidents along the way that can happen in war. Allies that make mistakes. Our welcome guests (no government has ever denied them permission to stay in our country) in a hundred bases (and sixty nuclear war heads) and offices around Italy, hat have become their aircraft carrier in the Mediterranean.

The Americans really believe in their role as the good giant, as the world’s sheriff, but if the nation in difficulty is the owner of reserves of oil or gas, then they believe that even more. In Darfur or in Tibet, to give an example, where there is no “black gold”, no one has been seen. If friends are visible in times of need, the Americans are seen in times of oil. Just as once upon a time for the “Pavesini” biscuits, you could say that it’s always the moment for the Americans when their interests are at stake. In Libya there’s a bloody dictator with whom the West conducted business until a few weeks ago. Everyone knew who he was, but the smell of money covered any miasma. Now Libya is split in two. It’s not known who will prevail. It’s a civil war, something internal to the country. What’s needed are humanitarian interventions, with UN forces acting as a buffer, welcoming the refugees coming from the war zones. What’s not necessary, and neither is it to be wished for, is the intervention of “Uncle Sam’s” Armed Forces. Whoever were to win, in the end would be the only winner.