What the hell is wrong is George Bush? While we are at it, what the hell is wrong with Liberals, Environmental Whackos, and frankly much of mainstream America?
We have countless oil reserves off shore from the West Coast, off shore from the Gulf states, in Alaska, and throughout the continential United States. We must look like completely self-destructive, hypocritical, foolish, morons to the rest of the oil producing world.
Our working class, and over-extended middle class, are now fighting $100-$125 gasoline fill-ups. A huge chunk of the money we pay for crude oil, and petroleum products, goes right into the hands of our enemies, and so-called allies (who hate our guts and hope we and Israel die).
We waste billions, and billions, and billions of dollars fighting a war on poverty (that will never be won), a war on (some) drugs (that will never be won), a war of (some) terror (that will never be won so long as morons refuse to seal our borders) - yet we won't spend a penny to help ourselves with the oil crisis?
I grew up in the oil fields. Almost every man in my family worked in the California (and Oklahoma, and Texas) fields at some point. I worked in an oil productio supply warehouse starting at 10 years old. BEfore that, I would ride in the fields with my grandpa and dad as they drilled and produced oil.
This is what needs to be done:
1 - We need to build 3 massive refineries. One in the Gulf, Two on the West Coast. We haven't built a refinery in decades, and the ones we have are above maximum capacity.
2 - We need to lift almost all regulations and taxes on oil exploration, oil drilling, oil pumping, oil shipping, oil refining.
3 - We need to make sure that all of those oil related companies, above a certain $ level, are publicly traded and thus can be invested in by each and every american.
4 - We need to open drilling. Gloves Off. Drill offshore (each of our shores). Drill Alaska. Drill on land. And drill with international partners.
5 - We need to use the massive burst to our economy to partially invest in solar, wind, nuclear, other-atomic, and other forms of cheaper, cleaner, renewable energy, as well as technology to CHEAPLY increase fuel efficiency.
6 - we need to make Iraq pay for its own liberation by taking enough oil from them, or buying at cost, until we have been repaid each and every damn dollar we spent on the war to liberate them. And, we need to take enough more to pay the families of each and every dead soldier one million dollars.
When it has reached the point that we are begging terrorists to please pump more oil, the madness has got to stop.
Awesome post!
yes all you say is true
We also need to also hold back all military and other aid to Saudi Arabia.
Our Nation sure has stooped pretty low hasn’t it? Disgraceful, I say.
Why don’t you use the actual title of the article instead of dogging the President.
Our biggest problem, supply wise, is with Mexico. They nationalized the oil production system and don’t know how to expand or maintain it. They used to be our number 1 (possibly only 2) supplier and now are down to at least number 3 or lower.
Mostly we have refining problems as you mentioned.
To prevent duplication, please do not alter the title. Thanks.
Maybe we should give them a reason. Like getting enough money together to rebuild Mecca.
What a load. Want to buy a refinery? 220,000 barrels per day. Good market for jet fuel.
I agree with the aforementioned proposals, but lets go a step further. Based upon any relevant evidence, Saudi Arabia should be added to the list of nations that are considered to aid terrorists and their cause. This would effectively end foreign aid to them and cause them to reevaluate their position.
IMHO - This will only increase our reliance on oil we do not control. Instead, I would suggest that we need to construct electrical generation plants, coal, hydro, whatever; even nuclear (though they take 10 years to build). And, we "immediately" undertake a national effort of "land a man on the moon" scale or greater, to maximize the use of the electric "plug in" vehicles (pure electric or hybrid) which are very close to being introduced.
Electrical power can come from many different sources (even "green" people can be satisfied), and, since most vehicles would be charged at night, we have adequate infrastructure to begin.
REMEMBER RIYADH!
I object to the use of the word begging and the lefties would be screaming if he didn't try to do something about gas prices. Jeez.
Why should they? It’s in their best interest to make a buck off our stupidity.
They are probably thinking about all the help we did not give them back in the 90s when the price of oil was $14 a barrel. It’s pure business, nothing more. You’ve got to look out for number one. Unfortunately, our politicians have not done that.
“What the hell is wrong is George Bush?”
He’s just responding to political pressure directed upon him by the media. It’s not so much Bush who is the blame for this fiasco as it is the media.
In fact, I would say that the media is pretty much to blame for all of the problems this nation faces.
We are a nation bent on committing economic suicide and until people wake the hell up and demand we find our own energy any way we can, it will only get worse. We simply must STOP relying on other countries for our energy security. They simply do not and never will give a damn about us. It's time we act in our own interest in this area.
Well technically I think they have *NO* spare capacity. They’re probably pumping as much as they can, and, as bad as it sounds, it’s easier and better to say ‘we won’t’ as opposed to ‘we can’t’.
That said, I agree with all the points regarding increasing domestic production.
"Supply & Demand" - Shouldn't this Saudi statement drive oil prices down? I understand the effect a rising Euro has on the price, but from what I've been reading about speculators involvement, this is just a bubble waiting to POP!
Speculators: 1. ROI on oil speculation better than stocks.
2. China and India demand (But there is NO Shortage!)
The White House knew what Saudi Arabia was going to say before he went there. Maybe what Bush is trying to do is make a big media deal out of what the Saudi's have been saying all along, thus lessening speculation and lowering the price.
Pretty good job of summing things up there Bronco_Buster_FweetHyagh,
Good job
“Saudi Arabian leaders made clear Friday they see no reason to increase oil production until their customers demand it, apparently rebuffing President Bush amid soaring U.S. gasoline prices.”
I thought we ARE a customer and our president asked for it. Should he have demanded it?
Nothing short of a National Catastrophe that brings out martial law and some sort of executive order(backed up by armed forces) ala the Chertoff-border fence decision will open these areas up to exploration and drilling. They will not stop, they will not stop.
Here is my post from a similar thread:
Why should Saudia Arabia increase oil production? We have plenty of our own oil in Alaska, off the east and left coast, and in the Gulf of Mexico, but we lack the vision and leadership to effectively manage and use our own natural resources.
Since the first oil embargo in 1973, and despite the fact that Republicans controlled the White House for 23 years since then, including 12 years when we also controlled both houses of Congress, we still do not have an meaningful, comprehensive energy policy. Every Republican president begining with Mr. Reagan should have been hammering this issue day in and day out. He should have been using the power of the bully pulpit and the veto pen to shame and punish both Republicans and Democrats alike for failing to advance the policy. He should have been using executive orders to advance the policy. He should have been tying Federal revenue sharing, from highway and transportation funds to agricultural subsidies, to a State’s willingness to advance the energy policy. If the losers in France and in the other Euroweenie countries can safely convert 80% or more of their electric grid to nuclear power, than we should have able to do it also.
If you want the price of oil to go down, then show the world that we as a Country are very serious about putting an end to OPEC by doing everything that we can to become energy self-sufficent, including (a) the construction of dozens of nuclear power plants, windmills, and solar panels; (b) the aggressive exploration for oil and natural gas within our own borders and waters; (c) the construction of state of the art oil refineries in all regions of the country; (d) the education of our citizens about the importance of energy conservation; (e) the reallocation of foreign aid from subsidizing the OPEC countries to subsidizing our own domestic energy research, exploration and production; and (f) the prosecution of OPEC interests within the jursidiction of our Federal courts for anti-trust violations.
Saudia Arabia is not to blame - WE ARE!