"With words we govern men" – Disraeli

Back in the 1950’s Kermit Roosevelt Jr, Theodore Roosevelt’s grandson, was sent into Iran with a few million dollars and a goal to overthrow a democracy. The democracy that was in place in Iran was overthrown by a country that was the epicenter of democratic thought at the time. This was made to look like it was a people’s revolution and eventually the Shah was put in place to deliver on his promises to the US government and the petroleum market to allow drilling and to overlook environmental laws in place.

Iran has long been the center of US attention and ticking off the White House by not allowing something to be done with regard to petrol in the Middle East usually brings around problems for the country in question. Iran’s development is something that does not fit the agenda of the West. The current Iranian government does not take IMF or World Bank loans, does not allow US corporations to come in and has stiff measures in place to assure that Iranians are sole operators of the oil market in the country, less a few exceptions.

The US involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan is aimed at controlling some of the most important areas through which pressure could be exerted on Tehran in order to bring about a change. When the Iranians took to the streets this year protesting over the election that went on, one of the highlights of the mass protests was a girl getting shot and being filmed dying. That brought about world attention of the events and condemnation of the election process. Judging by the fact that all the pieces were in place and the shot was carefully made, there is a possibility that the CIA was trying to take advantage of the situation. After all, this is most unstable that Iran has been in recent years and the opportunity was there. So, if there was an operation, it was a fluke. The people, although protesting, were not going to start another revolution.

The key to the Middle East, however, does not only lie in controlling Saudi Arabia or Iran, the most important element is in the Persian Gulf itself. The overwhelming amount of oil that gets shipped out goes through the Persian Gulf and the straights of Hormuz. The US Navy command located in Bahrain is very strategically placed so the US has a presence right at the bottle neck. Now that Iraq presents few problems for petrol operations in Kuwait and Afghanistan, it is becoming the center of attention to facilitate stability and building a transit route around Iran, and the US is gaining more and more leverage.

It will always be a struggle to control the precious resources and secure them for sale by a country’s own corporations, be they private or state owned. Understanding the game can land an entrepreneur a nice business opportunity and a securities and futures trader huge gains, average voters then need information that is essential to a making an informed vote. Whether Iran will withstand this onslaught, is questionable.

Tehran has had to clamp down on basic citizens’ right in order to assure that 1950’s style take over does not happen. The hostility it receives from its Middle Eastern neighbors is not very settling, as well. This is an interesting, and as always on such scales, a dangerous game. Iran is in a losing position right now. Will it cede its interests? Will it bend under pressure? Or will it go “all in” and use their military? Hopefully it does not come to that, but it’s up to the diplomats to avoid such situations. What they are doing right now, it seems, it slowly choking Iran in order to eventually have it give in to others’ interests.

Personally, I have waited for a long time for a Russian politician to come forward and concentrate more on domestic issues rather than foreign. Last year’s Presidential address to the parliament focused on the US Missile Defenses in Europe and other foreign policy issues regarding Russia. While that was being done, the economy was taking a beating and it looked like the problem was being swept under the carpet. This year’s address deserves respect and a sigh of relief that Russia has modernization and more attention to domestic issues to look forward to.

Praise

The most important element of President Medvedev’s second address to the parliament was that he is essentially the first Russian official that has urged the country, on such a large scale, to modernize and move in a new direction. As was stated in his address, most of what Russia is now is the former USSR. The military equipment, the energy sector, the infrastructure, and let’s face it – most of the government’s economic policies. What is uplifting about Medvedev’s speech is that he urges the country to shift the economy from being raw materials-based to more technology-driven.

Among other things, inefficiencies in the energy producing sector have been addressed. This is an important step in developing the energy-producing industry into a more eco-friendly solution. It has been proven over and over in the recent years that investors are looking for more socially responsible projects and companies to invest in. Moving Russia in the direction of environmental awareness and responsibility is sure to attract investment and facilitate progress.

Another important point that President Medvedev hinted at is greater collaboration with foreign companies in order to assure greater diversification of Russia’s economy. A country with quality human resources, Russia has performed poorly in the recent years in the area of R&D, and the fact that this problem has been addressed may be an indicator that the process of setting up businesses and companies that perform research and development will be eased and tax burdens will be lessened in order to facilitate the growth of such industries.

There are many other things that President Medvedev addressed. His speech was 100 minutes long. These are just some of the things that truly indicate a shift in Russia’s political agenda. It can almost be a rule of thumb that when the Russian President addresses an issue – it will be analyzed through and through so that some sort of improvements and progress is achieved.

Criticism

One of the first things that stands out when reading or listening to the second address to the nation’s parliament by President Medvedev is that he himself takes most of the credit. It is not overnight that the transition from Soviet-type leadership to a representative government has been achieved. However, in the nearly 20 years of Russia’s new history, this lesson could have been learned by now. Today, most people of developing or developed countries want to see their government as being a representation of the people. Russia has a parliament that seeks to be a representation of the people in the government. Medvedev should have positioned the speech in such a manner, so that the ideas came from everyone in the government, not just him (which in itself is most definitely doubtful).

Upon beginning to read or listen to the speech, one begins to grow hopeful of the promises to be delivered that look to vastly improve the life of the average Russian citizens. Nevertheless, the government is still heavily involved in the economy. Every statistic points to the fact that government-run organizations produce inefficiencies and are less productive than their private counterparts. The easing of government involvement in the economy should not be sporadic and should not be done virtually overnight. The process needs to be slow and controlled in order to ensure a smooth transition. When you get into a Jacuzzi or a hot tub, you generally ease yourself in, you don’t just dive in. Although both are achievable, one is more pleasant than the other.

These are general criticisms that are more expressions of hope of events to come. Although Medvedev is striving to show that he is an able President and a leader that is able to provide concrete suggestions for improvement and reform, he needs to give credit to all of those involved. Presenting a speech in a manner more focused on his personal input makes people think that he is the sole leader and the main problem solver. If Russia is to become a truly recognized representative state – the same speech should have been presented as everyone’s achievement and everyone’s responsibility.

Conclusion

Medvedev presents great suggestions. Their implementation is what will solidify his position as a President that proposed the first modernizations to Russia in the 21st Century and laid the foundation for future leaders to build upon. Moving the economy in a new direction, away from being raw-material based is, in itself, a great achievement. However, this needs to be done with greater freedom of private enterprises to operate. The achievements of Russia need to be credited to everyone in the government, so the people will have a sense that their elected officials represent their interests. This is essential for Russia to move forward politically. If Russia is able to implement the changes and improvements addressed, it will truly have a spot at the top of the political Olympus of the world.

It is not to say that the information is not there. There are many things going on around the world and some of the most important events are highlighted in the headlines and are discussed by news anchors and experts on the evening news. However, other less important events are pushed by the wayside and only a small fraction of the population finds out about this.

For example, when a disaster strikes, the first order of business is to rebuild the executive resorts, villas, hotels and foreign owned business. While hundreds of millions of units of currency are pumped in for that specific task, the general population waits for the relief trucks to arrive with food and other necessary supplies. When the headlines read that a certain organization from a major country is sending aid, barely a few columns on the back pages tell the story about the fact that the main effort of rebuilding the disaster stricken region is aimed at foreign-owned hotels and corporate buildings.

The essence of this article will be to point out the things that are generally left by the wayside in each important region of the world.

Europe

The European Union is a prominent force in the world today. Many of the member states have risen above their differences and have created a confederation that has a large population, huge economic potential, and security. Some of the things that are left unheard are the meddling of Europe in the major regions of the world to assure resource security from Africa and the Pacific Rim. Seemingly small affairs.

However, for those that remember reading something in the tabloids earlier in November about a group of mercenaries convicted of organizing a failed coup against the Equatorial Guinean government being released, the affair was more than just a personal attempt to make a hefty buck. The Spanish and the French intelligence services were involved in helping to organize the coup by helping with planning and transportation. These EU member states don’t have the necessary amounts of oil and gas on their territories or along their shoreline.

Their interests in the operation were buried deep and never surfaced even when Simon Mann and Mark Thatcher (yes, Margaret Thatcher’s son) were put on trial. National integrity is above all. The news of the coup and the events that followed were buried deep in the news about US and NATO operations in Iraq and Afghanistan and mainly Middle Eastern affairs. Considering that Equatorial Guinea’s known oil and gas deposits are very large, that definitely played a role in the suppression of the coverage.

Pacific Rim

The Pacific Rim is a huge playground for most major powers that are found in the G8. China has interests in the Spratly Islands. However, so do Vietnam and the Philippines. The Spratlys have large untapped reserves of gas and oil and there is a lot of political haggling going on between the sides interested in the disputed territory. There are infrequent exchanges of fire between military vessels of the respective countries and that goes under radar. The events in Pakistan, North Korea, and occasional terrorist attacks overshadow this important struggle that can potentially become a large conflict in the region and that US is actually very interested in.

Central Asia

The struggle for influence between Russia and the West in Central Asia is huge; in fact, I have written about this before when some tabloids actually addressed the Nabucco and South Stream projects. The politics behind this goes unnoticed or dismissed as very small news that is irrelevant. Considering that the outcome of politics in Central Asia is huge and will affect Western interest in the Caspian and therefore oil and gas prices, the news should be delivered on a greater scale and with more attention. For many political players and companies, the fact that this goes in the editor’s “not really news” pile gives some the opportunity to play foul games.

Africa

World interest in Africa has increased dramatically. The potential for the continent to become a large exporter of many raw materials and cheap labor is great. Many investors from all over the world would be glad to invest in this risky, but potentially enriching, land. However, the coverage of the events is so minute that only a select caste of investors with special connections gets a go at this gold mine.

Politicians jump with excitement and publicists bombard newspapers with press releases when something happens in Somalia, South Africa, or Zimbabwe. These are the parts of Africa that are prospering because of the publicity they get, but they are only a small portion of the overall picture. China and the West battle for dominance of the region because they know that there is potential for huge profits. That goes unnoticed and unheard of by the general public. Some things that may surface could well decide the next election and future policy decision of many countries.

Latin America

Latin America is one of the most interesting places in the world today with regard to politics. The United States struggles to convey that it is still relevant in the region and the political situation there is much underreported. South America is a goldmine: vast natural resources, huge potential for manufacturing, farming, and raw material markets to develop and rival that of most of the developing world. Nevertheless, many things go unnoticed on the continent by the decision-making public around the world for that fact that certain events create better ratings – a coup in Honduras, Hugo Chavez’s speeches, Cuban politics, and Columbian and Brazilian drug wars. All of that makes interesting headlines but only scratches the surface of what the public in the G8 countries should know in order to make clear and fair decisions when electing leaders.

Conclusion

The most important pattern that I am trying to show here is that the fourth pillar is the greatest tool for diverting public attention away from what really matters. As readers and interested citizens of the world, we should strive to learn about those events that are pushed to the back pages. That small news may be the straw that breaks the camel’s back and unleashes a new war, or a chain of events that costs some leaders their roles in the government and subsequently credibility. It is understandable that mass media is just like any business. Ratings are the name of the game. However, there is a degree of responsibility. That responsibility is to make clear the events of the world so that the public can reward the leaders and companies that deserve respect, and drive under those that have been unjust and unfair in conducting their affairs.