The history of Man is the story of Oil.

The Prize(1992)

8 part documentary based on Daniel Bergen’s bestseller “The PRIZE: Epic Quest for Oil, Money and Power”

"The kingdom of Heaven is based on righteousness,
The kingdom of the world is based on oil.”

This is a mind-blowing 8-hour long documentary detailing from beginning the time when petroleum was drilled on a scale in America in the mid 19th century. Just the gold rush, oil was drilled haphazardly without much planning. With more and more new towns being opened as an oil town, so did shady characters.

Interestingly, oil was used for lighting lamps with kerosene. John D. Rockefeller emerged as a ruthless businessman who tried to undercut his competitors by controlling all aspects of oil production, the barrelling, transportation, distribution, by devious methods.

An investigative journalist Ida Tarbell exposed his ways. The courts punished him for anti-trust violations, but he found solace in philanthropy and church matters.

Rockefeller, through his subsidiaries, continued to prosper, nevertheless.

Shell Oil was a British company that had their fields in Russia. Dutch Oil was maltreating the natives in Indonesia for their oil. Shell and Dutch Oil combine forces to challenge Standard Oil, owned by Rockefeller family. The owner of Shell Oil, a British Jew, showed more interest in politics and sold his share to Royal Dutch company.

Oil firmly put in place in the civilisation of mankind when automobiles rolled in. World War 1 was won by the allies with the help of petroleum power.

After the war, cars became an important part of life. Oil shortage was seen for the first time. The need was there to explore newer frontiers. Iraq was earmarked as a potential oil producer.

Oil again was the deciding factor in World War 2.

After WW2, Americans formed a close liaison with the Arabs to drill, process and even fought their wars. Many small companies mushroomed to oppose the hegemony of big oil companies but lost. The world we are living only got more chaotic as many developed nations wrestle for domination of oil control. The Oil producing countries, OPEC, formed a cartel formed a cartel in the 70s to raise the price turning the world into a spin. Leaders were changed for oil.

In the 80s onwards, people have realised the damaging effect on the environment that many have environmental consciousness.

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