Hard Times In The Lands Of Plenty

That natural resources can be a curse as well as a blessing is almost a truism in political analysis. In many late-developing countries, the "resource curse" theory predicts, the exploitation of valuable resources will not result in stable, prosperous states but rather in their opposite. Petroleum deposits, for example, may generate so much income that rulers will have little need to establish efficient, tax-extracting bureaucracies, leading to shallow, poorly functioning administrations that remain at the mercy of the world market for oil. Alternatively, resources may be geographically concentrated, thereby intensifying regional, ethnic, or other divisive tensions. In Hard Times in the Land of Plenty, Benjamin Smith deciphers the paradox of the resource curse and questions its inevitability through an innovative comparison of the experiences of Iran and Indonesia. These two populous, oil-rich countries saw profoundly different changes in their fortunes in the period 1960–1980. Focusing on the roles of state actors and organized opposition in using oil revenues, Smith finds that the effects of oil wealth on politics and on regime durability vary according to the circumstances under which oil exports became a major part of a country's economy. The presence of natural resources is, he argues, a political opportunity rather than simply a structural variable. Drawing on extensive primary research in Iran and Indonesia and quantitative research on nineteen other oil-rich developing countries, Smith challenges us to reconsider resource wealth in late-developing countries, not as a simple curse or blessing, but instead as a tremendously flexible source of both political resources and potential complications.

Introduction : A Petrostate Typology -- Applying the Typology : Petrostates at War --Resource Arms Racing : Oil Wealth and Military Power -- Proxies and Altriusm : The Light and Dark of Oil Wealth -- Institutions, Intelligence, and Personalization : The Resource Curse and Foreign Policy -- Crude Power : The Oil Weapon in Practice -- Under the Umbrella : Soft Oil Power and Hegemonic Protection C -- Conclusion : Peak Petrostate? -- Appendix A: Methods and Measurements -- Appendix B: Oil and Conflict -- Appendix C: Military Spending and Arms Sales -- Appendix D: Soft Power, Sanctions, and Oil.

SchraederAlfred StepanMark TesslerFrédéric VolpiLucan WayFrederic WehreySean L. Yom

A firsthand graphic account of the deplorable conditions in the Kentucky and West Virginia mines, covering the general economic problem and possible rehabilitation for the 200,000 miners who will be permanently out of work.

In this fictional story, you will see how the Emellian bird family and Zion Worm learn how to battle through tough times. They find praying and depending on God is the key to survival. All of the living beings in the valley are used to abundance and plenty of everything they could want or need. However, they didnt take the time to thank the provider. So, God decides to take them through hard times. They find it to be more than they can bear. Nanny Bell the eldest bird, uses her wisdom to help as best she can. Sally Sue the youngest, deals with pain and hunger, all the while trying to hold on. However, she does something her family never suspects she would do during this time of hardship. Zion Worm is an innocent passer seeking refuge. He enters into a dangerous situation. The question to ask is, will God save the birds or the worm? bertharamsey374@yahoo.com