An Oily Quirk

In my travels, I have spent plenty of time in the Northeast Corridor of the United States: New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Washington, D.C., etc.; however, I seemed to have missed out on the adventures of the South, albeit I have visited Florida once. So for my Spring Vacation, I have decided to visit a sort of strange State, one many of us would probably never visit in our lives: Louisianna.

In visiting this strange place and its two only urban centers - Baton Rouge and New Orleans - I have come to a theory to explain the present-day Ubermensch that is all around us, but is ignored either due to its omnipresence or its omnipotence or the most obvious quality - a quality that unites the places it conquers - insignificance.

For the sake of ease, we will hold a comparison between three different sorts of places, each represented by three places: Saudi Arabia, Nigeria, and of couse, Louisianna. In our comparison, I will undertake a Neizsche lens and, in doing so, I will use the word "Ubermensch" and "Untermenschen" meaning over-man and under-man, respectively. Though the translation of these words is unarguable, their meanings are what make them so controversial.

Some refer to the Untermeschen as a dominant race and the Untermenschen as its weaker counterpart. It is by this theory that Hitler set-up his third reich; however, like many others, I beg to differ. I argue, as per Neizsche's   'Will to Power," that the over-man is not dominant as portrayed by the Nazi Aryan, rather he/she (if it is a person, at all) is the set of taboos set by a society to control that society.

For example, before the Death of God in the 19th Century, the Unbermensch was God. During Cold War America (and even arguable today), Ubermenschen was the Capitalist Machine. And so, the Ubermensch in the cited socities above is a manifestation of the Oil industry, or maybe even the Industry itself.

In this entire world - the entire 21st century world - there remains just one area where a Monarch still rules: the Arabian Penninsula. Saudi Arabia has a King, as does Bahrain. And the United States, doubtfully in her ignorance, sends troops to fight off dictators. Dictators? Why not the Monarchs? Aren't we (as in all the World's population outside the Penninsula) believers in the virtue of Democracy...or, hell, in anything but Monarch? How could we let such a Humanity Crisis take place under our nose? Well, because we are afraid of the New Hell: a world without Oil.

These kings hide behind the wall of Oil. They disguise their faces with it, seeming to everyone else as the true Ubermensch, but, of course, are not.

This is very much like the current situation in Nigeria. Who is King? The Government? No, get this. The prominent oiler in Nigeria is Shell Corp. and what they've decided to do is buy sentinels - State police and soldiers AND "private organizations" as in Gangs - to provide protection. This may seem normal, but the idea here is that the Government sells itself to protect these foreign gas companies, who could care less for the natives, from their very own People who are trying to push the Companies out from their Country because to stop the "stealing" Nigerian Oil. It is very clear who the Ubermensch is. But, what can the Government do? Of course, it is not ready to break the Taboo that is Shell.

The scary part of this truth is how close it comes back. Its happening in our very Country. In this very stange State, it is very clear who is Boss. And, no, it is NOT the government. Yes, this is Louisianna.

Last week was the Louisianna State Earth Day Fair. I've been to a fair share of this types of events and - for the most part - they are all sponsored for the most part by the local Governments, but this is not the case in Louisianna. No, it is not.

I was talking to my sister. I say, "Wow, did ExxonMobil sponsor this entire event?"

My sister's response: "Of couse not. Baton Rougue helped out. Plus, there are other companies who made some contributions."

And so I thought to myself...what has become of this place? Consider my native New Jersey. There the State Fair has been cancelled because the State could not sponsor it. That's right the STATE. NJ organized it and made most of the financial contributions, with a few sponsors. But in LA it seems as though Exxon has taken over the reigns. As a side note: The EARTH DAY FAIR was sponsored by it...oh, the irony.

This oil company has even turned out to be a Taboo...oh, don't speak against it. Consider this. At the fair, I was helping a high school sophmore (who, by the way, did not know what deterioration or waning means) with her Science Fair Project presentation speech. After I finished wih her, obviously, the lead ExxonMobil "mentor" had to look at it...my sister. She did not approve. Why? The last few sentences were, verbatim: "Stop Natural Gas. Save our Watershed."

Now I've realized why these companies can feel free to do whatever they want here. Why no one will dare to touch them. First, they are not a democracy, obviously, so they're policies are based on the "free marketplace" or whatever, not based on what the people want...so the millions of Louisianians who suffer refinery-induced cancers have no say. Moreover, because ExxonMobil sponsors all these events, there honestly is no voice for these concerns.

The people who are really being affecting by this bullshit Industry have no voice, either, simply because they don't have the resources or because they are made so insignificant, to a point of forced compliance. Public Education in Baton Rogue is so bad, Sophmores do not know where to put their commas and do not realize going to college is essential for a successful career (yes, I've spoken to students who fit into both of these examples.) ExxonMobil says its giving back to the community, but in all reality its taking it over.