Items related to Carbon Democracy: Political Power in the Age of Oil
Synopsis
Oil is a curse, it is often said, that condemns the countries producing it to an existence defined by war, corruption and enormous inequality. Carbon Democracy tells a more complex story, arguing that no nation escapes the political consequences of our collective dependence on oil. It shapes the body politic both in regions such as the Middle East, which rely upon revenues from oil production, and in the places that have the greatest demand for energy.
Timothy Mitchell begins with the history of coal power to tell a radical new story about the rise of democracy. Coal was a source of energy so open to disruption that oligarchies in the West became vulnerable for the first time to mass demands for democracy. In the mid-twentieth century, however, the development of cheap and abundant energy from oil, most notably from the Middle East, offered a means to reduce this vulnerability to democratic pressures. The abundance of oil made it possible for the first time in history to reorganize political life around the management of something now called "the economy" and the promise of its infinite growth. The politics of the West became dependent on an undemocratic Middle East.
In the twenty-first century, the oil-based forms of modern democratic politics have become unsustainable. Foreign intervention and military rule are faltering in the Middle East, while governments everywhere appear incapable of addressing the crises that threaten to end the age of carbon democracy-the disappearance of cheap energy and the carbon-fuelled collapse of the ecological order.
In making the production of energy the central force shaping the democratic age, Carbon Democracy rethinks the history of energy, the politics of nature, the theory of democracy, and the place of the Middle East in our common world.
In this new edition, the author has added a substantial preface which considers how the argument of the book has fared since its first publication.
"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
About the Author
Timothy Mitchell teaches at Columbia University. His books include Colonising Egypt, Rule of Experts, and Carbon Democracy.
From the Back Cover
Oil is a curse, it is often said, that condemns the countries producing it to an existence defined by war, corruption and enormous inequality. Carbon Democracy tells a more complex story, arguing that no nation escapes the political consequences of our collective dependence on oil. It shapes the body politic both in regions such as the Middle East, which rely upon revenues from oil production, and in the places that have the greatest demand for energy.
Timothy Mitchell begins with the history of coal power to tell a radical new story about the rise of democracy. Coal was a source of energy so open to disruption that oligarchies in the West became vulnerable for the first time to mass demands for democracy. In the mid-twentieth century, however, the development of cheap and abundant energy from oil, most notably from the Middle East, offered a means to reduce this vulnerability to democratic pressures. The abundance of oil made it possible for the first time in history to reorganize political life around the management of something now called "the economy" and the promise of its infinite growth. The politics of the West became dependent on an undemocratic Middle East.
In the twenty-first century, the oil-based forms of modern democratic politics have become unsustainable. Foreign intervention and military rule are faltering in the Middle East, while governments everywhere appear incapable of addressing the crises that threaten to end the age of carbon democracy-the disappearance of cheap energy and the carbon-fuelled collapse of the ecological order.
In making the production of energy the central force shaping the democratic age, Carbon Democracy rethinks the history of energy, the politics of nature, the theory of democracy, and the place of the Middle East in our common world.
In this new edition, the author has added a substantial preface which considers how the argument of the book has fared since its first publication.
"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.
Other Popular Editions of the Same Title
Search results for Carbon Democracy: Political Power in the Age of Oil
Stock Image
CARBON DEMOCRACY
Seller: Speedyhen, London, United Kingdom
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Condition: NEW. Seller Inventory # NW9781804292495
Quantity: 3 available
Seller Image
Carbon Democracy : Political Power in the Age of Oil
Seller: GreatBookPricesUK, Woodford Green, United Kingdom
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Condition: New. Seller Inventory # 45526269-n
Quantity: 3 available
Seller Image
Carbon Democracy
Seller: Rarewaves.com UK, London, United Kingdom
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Paperback. Condition: New. With the rise of coal power, the producers who oversaw its development acquired the ability to shut down energy systems, a threat they used to build the first mass democracies. Oil offered the West an alternative, and with it came a new form of politics. Oil created a denatured political life the central object of which-the economy-appeared capable of infinite growth. What followed was a Western democracy dependent on an undemocratic Middle East. We now live with the consequences: an impoverished political practice, incapable of addressing the crises that threaten to end the age of carbon democracy - namely, the disappearance of cheap energy and the carbon-fuelled collapse of the ecological order.For the updated edition of this classic title, Timothy Mitchell has written a new preface, reassessing its arguments in the light of recent political events. Seller Inventory # LU-9781804292495
Quantity: Over 20 available
Stock Image
Carbon Democracy: Political Power in the Age of Oil
Seller: Ria Christie Collections, Uxbridge, United Kingdom
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Condition: New. In. Seller Inventory # ria9781804292495_new
Quantity: 3 available
Stock Image
Carbon Democracy
Seller: PBShop.store UK, Fairford, GLOS, United Kingdom
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
PAP. Condition: New. New Book. Shipped from UK. Established seller since 2000. Seller Inventory # GB-9781804292495
Quantity: 3 available
Seller Image
Carbon Democracy : Political Power in the Age of Oil
Seller: GreatBookPricesUK, Woodford Green, United Kingdom
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Condition: As New. Unread book in perfect condition. Seller Inventory # 45526269
Quantity: 3 available
Stock Image
Carbon Democracy (Paperback)
Seller: CitiRetail, Stevenage, United Kingdom
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Paperback. Condition: new. Paperback. In this magisterial study, Timothy Mitchell rethinks the history of energy, bringing into his grasp environmental politics, the struggle for democracy, and the place of the Middle East in the modern world.With the rise of coal power, the producers who oversaw its development acquired the ability to shut down energy systems, a threat they used to build the first mass democracies. Oil offered the West an alternative, and with it came a new form of politics. Oil created a denatured political life the central object of whichthe economyappeared capable of infinite growth. What followed was a Western democracy dependent on an undemocratic Middle East. We now live with the consequences: an impoverished political practice, incapable of addressing the crises that threaten to end the age of carbon democracy namely, the disappearance of cheap energy and the carbon-fuelled collapse of the ecological order.For the updated edition of this classic title, Timothy Mitchell has written a new preface, reassessing its arguments in the light of recent political events. In this magisterial study, Timothy Mitchell rethinks the history of energy, bringing into his grasp environmental politics, the struggle for democracy, and the place of the Middle East in the modern world. Shipping may be from our UK warehouse or from our Australian or US warehouses, depending on stock availability. Seller Inventory # 9781804292495
Quantity: 1 available
Stock Image
Carbon Democracy: Political Power in the Age of Oil
Seller: THE SAINT BOOKSTORE, Southport, United Kingdom
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Paperback / softback. Condition: New. New copy - Usually dispatched within 4 working days. 344. Seller Inventory # B9781804292495
Quantity: Over 20 available
Stock Image
Carbon Democracy : Political Power in the Age of Oil
Seller: Better World Books: West, Reno, NV, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Condition: Good. Used book that is in clean, average condition without any missing pages. Seller Inventory # 53108375-75
Quantity: 1 available
Stock Image
Carbon Democracy: Political Power in the Age of Oil
Seller: Revaluation Books, Exeter, United Kingdom
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Paperback. Condition: Brand New. revised edition. 292 pages. 8.00x5.50x0.75 inches. In Stock. Seller Inventory # __1804292494
Quantity: 1 available