Butts agrees on the centrality of the need to expose the imperialist campaign to prevent semicolonial countries from acquiring and developing nuclear power. But he questions whether it’s accurate to say Washington and its imperialist allies are on a drive to block access by Third World nations to other energy sources.

The U.S. rulers and other imperialist powers are using threats and pressures against Iran, north Korea, and other countries that have shown the capacity to develop relatively soon the defensive military means—including nuclear weapons—to deal serious blows in response to U.S. assaults.

But there is also a broader, permanent effort by the imperialist ruling families to maintain their ability to plunder the colonial and semicolonial world. By its nature, imperialism perpetuates the economic underdevelopment of these countries, and those unequal social relations are reinforced by government policies. To this end, it seeks to block or control access of oppressed nations to all vital energy sources, including nuclear power.

For example, in Iran in the 1950s—well before the confrontation over nuclear energy—Washington and London orchestrated the overthrow of the government of Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadegh after it nationalized Iran’s oil industry.

A current example of this imperialist drive is Nigeria. Africa’s largest oil producing country has proven reserves of 35 billion barrels. But Nigeria spends $2 billion a year importing petroleum products. Why? Because it lacks the refining capacity to meet domestic needs, and the imperialist oil monopolies are not interested in developing that capacity.

Despite its abundant oil, much of Nigeria's electricity is supplied from hydropower stations. Only 40 percent of Nigeria's 128 million inhabitants have access to electricity, mostly in urban areas.

And Bolivia today has been rocked by sustained protests of tens of thousands of workers and peasants against imperialist plunder of the country's oil and gas resources. Working people are demanding nationalization of oil and gas. To try to placate protesters the government adopted a 50 percent tax on the foreign energy monopolies. In response, the foreign energy giants have threatened to substantially cut investment in Bolivia's energy sector.

Washington’s targeting of the nuclear programs in Iran, north Korea, Brazil, and India are also part of the imperialist rulers’ efforts to maintain their control of the world’s resources. The Socialist Workers campaign takes the side of oppressed nations in the struggle to expand access to electricity, part of the effort to forge an international alliance of workers and farmers.  
 
 
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