Energy Politics

After yesterday, any movie was going to be an improvement. But as a follow-up, this one is only slightly better.

You know when Hollywood wants to tell an important story (ie Oscar bait) they have to tell it by covering human suffering and indifference and irrational hatred and injustice and… whoa, better stop, otherwise I might get hired as a presenter at the next award show.

So this lead us to “Syriana,” a 2005 political thriller involving the U.S government’s and U.S. energy companies’ dealings in the Middle East. George Clooney, in an Oscar-winning role, plays a CIA field agent who does his best to play terrorists off against each other and have them killed by selling them faulty weapons. Matt Damon is the energy analyst who knows that Peak Oil has already happened (not believes, KNOWS) and that companies and governments are squabbling over the last remaining drops of crude. Plus there are subplots about an Arab prince and the threats on his life, the attempts of super independent to have due diligence of a merger with companies who have access to key Afghani reserves, a lawyer for the government who opposes the merger, and some other stuff as well.

Well gang, no movie ever won an Oscar for showing international dealings being accomplished by having private dinners, auditing committees and price negotiations, so that means backstabbings, political chicanery, secret deals with terrorists and assassinations are the order of the day.

The story is convoluted but that’s the point, you’re supposed to be immersed in all the criss-crossing plot patterns involving poor, neglected Middle Easterners being exploited by U.S. oil interests, peaceloving princes who would rather spend their money on local social programs instead of buying junk for the U.S. like planes and indoor ski slopes being taken out by the U.S. Army who would rather deal with the a–hole they know rather than the philanthropist they don’t, families being broken up, the wrong people getting richer and lots of death and destruction.

But really, you’re just being force fed so much propaganda that the producers hope some of it sticks. Now, far be it for me to argue that the CIA isn’t capable of orchestrating foul play from behind the scenes. But the movie has such a pessimistic outlook on business dealings that one has to imagine it came from a Charles Dickens novel. How did this happen? Well, the simple answer is, telling a story about hard work, determination and success doesn’t win Oscars. Life sucks and we’re all screwed on the other hand… cha-ching!

Okay, gross oversimplification, but one turn deserves another. So what else can you say about a movie that’s messages are: “We’re running out of oil, oil companies are indifferent to suffering, the government likes killing people and George Clooney should be treated seriously as an actor.” All vile things to take into account.

Closing thoughts: Hollywood conspiracy movies are great to watch if you hate the human race, and after writing this and “Traffic,” screenwriter Stephen Gaghan should immediately write a screen play exposing the violence, racism and government corruption involved in the candy industry.

–Stephen Payne, Editor, Oil and Gas Investor This Week; www.OilandGasInvestor.com; spayne@hartenergy.com

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