Nigeria exports more oil than Iraq, Iran and Venezuela

[Jemon]

I didn't know that until today. Interest stat, isn't it?

http://www.eia.gov/countries/index.cfm?topL=exp

[Autumn]

1. Very interesting stat.

I did not know that either.

[Agschmid]

2. Why do you think it matters...

Not an attack just curious.

[Nuclear Unicorn]

4. I'll go out on a limb and suggest it is offered as an explanation for the sudden interest in

Boko Haram, as in, "if not for the oil this wouldn't be a story."

[Igel]

5. Those that it's important to have known this stat for a long, long time.

It's only new to us. That means it has more importance because it leads to new insights. Because it's new to us, it explains what we perceive as a change. "Sudden interest."

But for others, the insights are old. If this stat entails interest in Boko Haram, then the interest should have been there a long time ago. It would explain a sudden change way back when. It can't explain the sudden change now.

No, some heinous events seize the media's attention and gets thrust into the public's attention zone. The public may pay attention or not. If the public does, then suddenly the media goes into a frenzy. The more salacious, the more horrifying, the more heart-rending the scenario the more attention. Hundreds of girls seized because they were sitting for exams, denied education and their lives, and seized by religious extremists at that--that's enough tear-jerking for a long time. Esp. when it plays into American sensibilities of oppression and aspirations as it does.

[Egnever]

6. Well stated

I agree completely.

Unless of course people want to argue it was malaysia's oil that caused all the attention on the plane...

[Nuclear Unicorn]

7. Yet, I have seen here on DU more than 1 international news story dismissed as an oil grab.

That is not to discount what you said. Far from it. Still, as soon as some material resource can be pointed to (and when CAN'T a resource be pointed to) nefarious motives are assigned to any interest in events.

[Supersedeas]

3. If things were seriously unstable, there'd be war drums, invasions, occupations