Despite their talking points, our socialists are less interested in the result than in the process, the process being the destruction of 'capitalism', which is their narrow Marxian view of natural economic activity. On a personal level, they don't want others to be demonstrably more successful at life than them, i.e. envy.
So they want to impede or destroy anything that might create greater economic activity or prosperity. That includes oil exploration, production and transportation, shale gas, nuclear power, and, yes, thorium energy. You will see widespread attention being given lately to the dangers of thorium reactors: gamma rays, etc. Only a few years ago it seemed like they would support the "champagne of petroleum". Sure enough they spread their views on aquifer pollution to the point that France, against its interests, now bans gas fracking. We will soon see this happen with thorium.
Appropriately, the countries that are influenced by the socialists will suffer declining influence and those that follow common sense will achieve prosperity. That does not bode well for "developed" nations.
imho the oil/gas industry will succeed despite the best efforts of the enviro’s to stifle it.
On the other hand if thorium lftr reactors get made — they will likely eclipse the the hydrocarbon industry because they can produce electricity for about 1/10th the cost of the cheapest coal.
That will result in an enormous increase in the wealth and prosperity of the whole world — in addition to an enormous increase in the use of electrical power—including in automobiles.