How oil turned the motors of capitalism: a history

By Imraan Valodia, Pro Vice-Chancellor, Climate, Sustainability and Inequality and Director, Southern Centre for Inequality Studies, University of the Witwatersrand
Adam Hanieh, Professor of Political Economy and Global Development, Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies, SOAS, University of London; Independent Social Research Foundation

The vulnerability of the world economy to oil prices was painfully visible in the first half of 2026 following the US and Israel war against Iran. The power of this commodity to upend economies has been apparent before. In his recently published book Crude Capitalism: Oil, Corporate Power, and the Making of the…

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~	Supreme Court ruling in Trump v. Slaughter turbocharges presidential power

~	Stéphane Dion: The case for unified and effective Canadian science diplomacy

~	Monroe at 100: Marilyn and the cult of the blonde

~	Ukrainian families have been torn apart by the war – reunifying them is no easy task

~	The Nordic Paradox: even the world’s most equal countries are failing to reduce violence against women

~	South Africa’s move to renewable power is complex, but clearing 5 bottlenecks would speed it up

~	The 2026 World Cup is the greatest architectural experiment in the tournament’s history

~	Inclusion bases in mainstream schools – the evidence for this government policy is lacking

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