Just when you thought Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged was a novel, not a warning, along comes Prof Peter Odell. 


According to the Guardian, he wants government to "take back" North Sea oil production.  More state control is needed, apparently, to ensure that the big oil companies work more in the national interest.

Apparently Prof Odell has advised the oil cartel, OPEC.  

The Guardian quotes Prof Odell thus "UK oil and gas production has been steadily declining since 1999. The reason is that the UK government, unlike those of most other countries, has abandoned oil and gas production to the private sector." 

Surely it's the private sector that keeps on finding new ways to extract more oil, thus ensuring that we get more of the stuff than the experts once forecast?  

Does anyone seriously think if the sort of quangocrats who run our exam system, for example, ran North Sea oil we'd be better off?

Is it any surprise that half a century after publication, Ayn Rand's tale of Floyd Ferris, Wesley Mooch and Wyatt oil keeps on selling?



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