The world over came together to aid the cause of The Greatest Concert On Earth yesterday. 1 billion souls and 100 artists in 10 major cities united in solidarity towards the 1 big cause of trying to make African poverty history. Credit goes to Bob Geldof, the most influential mastermind of the Live Aid movement who have managed to bring together hundreds of widely-loved artists to contribute to this worthy mission. Even Mr Bill Gates, the 'greatest philantrophist' of our times made an appearance worthy of a rock star at Hyde Park.
Pressure is on the G8 leaders to answer to the call of world population to proactively eradicate the misery faced by African children. We demand that Africa be given debt forgiveness, trade concessions and on top of that, multi-billion monetary aid that will initiate civilisational progress for the African people.
But as the event played out to the greatest crowd ever in history, I couldn't help thinking about the latest development of surging global oil prices in recent months which has already peaked at USD60 per barrel last week. Long term prospects definitely do not augur well as world-wide demand continues to mount excessive pressure on the already jittery oil supply.
The world today is not what it used to be 50 years ago. Decades of accelerated growth led by unfatigable capitalism worldwide gave rise to the ingenious and varied ways of utilizing oil and gas resources. The creative spirit of the human intellect brought about a technological realm for the global citizen far removed from Earth's own natural offering. But all this comes with a price. A very very heavy price. The world is at a breakneck speed of breaking itself without any possible sign of stopping. The severity and imminence of peak oil is beginning to be felt.
Live Aid.
Would this be the great opportunity for the West, especially the Americans, to further liberalize Africa and orientate it towards their capitalist markets?
No matter how altruistic the intentions of popular opinion are at the moment, as evident from the Live Aid concerts, we are just humans afterall. The basic instinct to survive is strong. To survive is to inevitably compete when resources are scarce. The West is under tremendous pressure. Financial systems are dependent on expansion of wealth which in turn is dependent on expansion of oil supplies. The opposite scenario would be catastrophic. Unless new energy sources are found, economies will crumble, lured by its own false ambitions and betrayed by its own false assumptions.
Couldn't we safely say then, by answering to the demands of the Live Aid supporters, the G8 leaders have the perfect precursor to put right politically chaotic Africa and justify the need to explore the possibilities of rich oil and gas fields in the continent? No other countries in the world needs this more than the United States.
It's ironic. World opinion now is that Africa needs help. However, Africa has been living the way it has for eons. Sure, poverty is prevalent if we compare to our standards of living today in modern countries. But Africa is a survivor. Has always been ever since the first cradle of civilizations appeard in its valleys. Poverty is tough but Africans have a strong spirit. They were able to sustain themselves with basic natural means even before the western world showed them that they are poor. But if the impeding peak oil crisis materializes without a solution in sight, the Western world, already entrenched in an intricate web of survival dependencies, may just need to take a survival cue from Africa then.
Related links:PS: Darn, I missed Live Aid last night. Totally forgotten about it and watched War of the Worlds with my friend instead. Sigh, hope there will be a rerun on Astro.
|
do not be captivated by anyone or anything
| ||
|
||
