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The world’s growing economy continues to be dependent on oil. Meanwhile, the supply is running out and the U.S. the US is fighting a war in Iraq to secure the free flow of oil. In fact, this dependence on Middle East oil is a historical legacy going back all the way to FDR. That’s the premise of a book by Michael T Klare, a professor of peace and world security studies. In his book, Blood and Oil: The Dangers and Consequences of America’s Growing Dependency on Imported Petroleum, Klare argues that the nation’s energy behavior dominated by four key trends: “an increasing need for imported oil; a pronounced shift toward unstable and unfriendly suppliers in dangerous parts of the world; a greater risk of anti-American or civil violence; and increased competition for what will likely be a diminishing supply pool.” In clear, lucid prose, Klare lays out a disheartening and damning indictment of U.S. foreign policy. Michael T Klare’s earlier book was Resource Wars: The New Landscape of Global Conflict. He serves on the boards of directors of Human Rights Watch, and the Arms Control Association. He is a regular contributor to many publications including The Nation, Tom’s Dispatch, Mother Jones, and is a frequent columnist for Foreign Policy In Focus.

Now, the Media Education Foundation has just released a brand new documentary based on Michael T. Klare’s book, Blood and Oil. This hour long, compelling film by the same name as the book, is narrated by Michael T Klare and features rare, vintage footage as well as contemporary news clips to weave a clear picture of why the US fights wars for oil.