It's the Crude, Dude: Greed, Gas, War, and the American Way [Hardcover]

Linda Mcquaig (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0312360061 | ISBN-13: 978-0312360061 | Publication Date: September 19, 2006 | Edition: 1st

George W. Bush says he invaded Iraq to bring democracy to the Middle East. Some people believe that. But if you have nagging doubts, you'll be intrigued by the story unraveled in It's the Crude, Dude.

 

With all the drama of a thriller, Canadian bestselling author Linda McQuaig probes the mystery of what really lay behind the U.S. invasion of Iraq. She points to Washington's desire to gain control of the most spectacular untapped oil bonanza on Earth--even as rapidly dwindling worldwide oil reserserves threaten to turn competition for crude into the major international battleground of the future.

 

That battle has actually been raging for decades. Once tightly controlled by Big Oil, most of the world's oil reserves have been taken over by nationalistic regimes in the Middle East. Ever since those regimes imposed an oil embargo on the United States in the mid-1970s, Washington has been determined to regain control over oil--by force if necessary. With China's recent emergence as a voracious oil consumer, there soon won't be enough oil left to fuel two superpowers.

 

Against this backdrop--and the equally urgent problem of global warming--It's the Crude, Dude reminds us of the enormous consequences of our failure to curb our addiction to oil.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Proudly touted on the cover as "Canada's Michael Moore," Toronto Star columnist McQuaig displays strengths and weaknesses similar to the controversial filmmaker in this exposé of the U.S. government's collusion with Big Oil. Detailing oil-dependency-promoting legislation, McQuaig is by equal measures convincing and condescending, taking well-researched arguments and dulling their impact with unnecessary punchlines: as part of the White House's 2003 tax-cut package, an SUV up to $100,000 can be written off "on the grounds that it was a work-related vehicle ... useful for toting around-who knows?-heavy equipment, dental tools, golf clubs or perhaps just bags of money." Potshots aside, there's enough solid information here to merit a read, even if McQuaig's target audience may find some of it familiar. Though it lacks the restraint and nuance of Al Gore's similarly-themed An Inconvenient Truth, this book's strengths lie in its historical consideration, tracing the current moment back to the nineteenth-century origins of the oil industry. Though it might shout too loudly in places, McQuaig's book makes plenty of sound points.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

"With a keen eye and grim wit, McQuaiq's perceptive inquiry into the world's energy system strips away layer after layer of deceit, cynicism, racism, sordid manipulation, violence and aggression, in the dedicated effort to extract every possible ounce of profit and power in a race to the edge of disaster, perhaps beyond. It is an urgent wake-up call that should -- that must -- be read and acted upon, without delay."
--Noam Chomsky
"McQuaig gives the reader an entertaining, highly educational and deliciously written crash course on the history of the oil industry."
--"The Gazette "(Montreal)
"Linda McQuaig might well be described as Canada's Michael Moore."
--"National Post"
"McQuaig hits the nail on the head when she tackles the question of why the United States is so concerned about oil."
--"The Globe and Mail"
"Rivals Naomi Klein's No Logo and Naomi Wolf's Fire With Fire for changing the way we live now."
--Heather Mallick, "The Globe and Mail"

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 369 pages
• Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books; 1st edition (September 19, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312360061
• ISBN-13: 978-0312360061
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,344,217 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars the importance of oil, November 13, 2006

By 

Michael Dunipace (Duluth, GA, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: It's the Crude, Dude: Greed, Gas, War, and the American Way (Hardcover)

This is a very well documented (a reference in the back of the book for almost every page) overview of the American involvement in the Middle East for the last century or so. There is much to be learned here from historical relationships with Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, Libya and other oil-producing nations.

The book discusses the roles of 1) The big fossil-fuel extracting companies, beginning with the formation of John D. Rockefeller's Standard Oil of New Jersey. 2) The big energy consuming companies, such as the electricity producing utilities and automobile manufacturers. 3)The US
government itself, both legislatively and administratively.

At first I was suspicious that the book might turn out to be a kind of cover for the author's political agenda, if any. But as I read on I soon
learned that this did not seem to be the case, given the number and thoroughness of the extensive references which reveal the economic and political dynamics of Big Oil throughout the years.

Informative without being pedantic; explanatory without being bogged down in too much detail. A good read if you are interested in the
very topical subject of Iraq and how the US came to be involved there.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent intro to history of oil and US policy, October 5, 2006

By 

soyboy42 "vegan dude" (Blue Bell, PA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: It's the Crude, Dude: Greed, Gas, War, and the American Way (Hardcover)

This book provides an excellent introduction to the often touchy topic of US foreign policy as it relates to oil. Although many are still in denial that the current US war in Iraq could possibly have anything to do with oil, it's hard to deny at least some connection after reading this book.

The author chronicles the often checkered history of the oil industry from it's humble beginnings in the 19th centrury to present day. As the tale unfolds, we see the biggest American oil companies ruthlessly grabbing for control of the world's oil supply and it's pricing structure. Attempts by Middle Eastern leaders to assert their countries' rights to more of the oil profits through nationalization are thwarted by US- and British-supported boycotts and coups, as with the ouster of democratically elected Prime Minister Mohammed Mossadegh of Iran in the 1950s.

To counter the power of the cartel of American oil companies, OPEC is formed, and the oil-producing countries begin to assert more control over supply and price. In 1973, when they cut off supplies to the US in protest of Israel's presence in the occupied territories of Palestine, OPEC becomes a vilified household name in America, and the US government and oil companies become even more determined to regain control over the world's oil supply.

But the decades-long involvement by the US and it's oil companies in the economics and politics of the Middle East eventually takes it's toll, and anti-American hatred grows (for example, the overthrow of the American-supported Iranian shah and the taking of American hostages in 1979), fueling Islamic fundamentalism in Saudi Arabia and elsewhere and culminating with the attacks of 9/11.

McQuaig also goes into some of the history of the auto industry as it relates to oil consumption, miles-per-gallon regulations, and the rise of the supreme gas-guzzler, the SUV, which has ultimately increased our dependence on the foreign oil we should be trying to wean ourselves from. The need for increased subsidizing of alternative energy sources is also discussed.

I feel this book is an excellent introduction to this topic, going into enough detail to keep it interesting, but not so much detail that the reader gets bogged down. The book was entertaining, and I will likely read it again, or refer back to it as I investigate this topic further.

Great book, Linda!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Eye-opening Oilventure, March 5, 2007

By 

Ink & Penner "geMack" (Illinois) - See all my reviews

This review is from: It's the Crude, Dude: Greed, Gas, War, and the American Way (Hardcover)

This is a fascinating look at oil --its place in the global economy and in the American psyche. There's more information in this book than this reader ever thought there was to know about historical "greed, gas, war, and the American way."

Magnetic. Revealing. Interesting. -Sometimes even agitating and perplexing. It's a compact, easy-to-understand effort, where each page invites the reader to go on to the next one. --It's The Crude Dude is a must-read for energy-savers, historians, CEO's, students of the topic, government officials, casual readers, and serious researchers, young and old -in short: all of us. Author McQuaig covers everything: the media, the Iraq war, nation-relations, US presidents, global warming, mid-East governments, big Oil Companies, little oil companies, Congress, environmental concerns, SUVs...and ties it all together in an eye-opening work that masterfully explains how oil has come to be the most powerful economic commodity in US/global economy.

The author questions the casual thinking that buying/using cheap gasoline is an American right. Further, complete with footnotes, detailed explanations, and other amplification, the author believably postulates that "control of Iraq oil" was a main consideration for starting our Mid-East occupation in 2003...and for formulating plans for just such an Iraq invasion years and years before it actually happened. Now, there's a brave and daring consideration we've not heard much about before this.

-And the explanation of her hypothesis is convincing.

History reads are often dull, lifeless; but author McQuaig fires up this history lesson with compelling information that reads like riveting drama, starting out even before Rockefeller and the (USA's) Iraq Petroleum Company began controlling oil, oil production, and oil companies world-wide. It's more than I ever cared to know about Rockefeller's oil interests and his greed; but, nevertheless, the information was absorbing. How she weaves the historical interests of Iran; Hugo Chavez; OPEC; Standard Oil; Shell Oil, Canada, auto manufacturers; Saddam Hussein; Washington, DC; the mid-East, et. al. into the oily mix makes it an engaging account of world "greed, gas and war."

--But what was the point of book-ending her work with a relatively childish lament, using "M.F." as the hook in one line each at the very beginning and at the very end of the book? Strange. What was she thinking?!

Good read. Five stars. -For importance. -For relevance. -For an uncanny ability to hold reader interest in an incredibly complex topic. -Never mind the mental lapse in thoughtful editing.