Something to Think About

[John317]

This was sent to me by my uncle who was a pilot during WW2 and in Korea:

Subject: Think About This

The OPEC minister may look you in the eye and say,

'We are at war with you infidels and have been since

the embargo in the 1970s. You are so arrogant you

haven't even recognized it. You have more missiles,

bombs, and technology; so we are fighting with the

best weapon we have and extracting on a net basis

about $700 billion/year out of your economy. We will

destroy you! Death to the infidels!

While I am here I would like to thank you for the

following : Not developing your 250-300 year supply

of oil shale and tar sands. we know if you did this,

it would create thousands of jobs for U.S. citizens,

expand your engineering capabilities, and keep the

wealth in the U.S. instead of sending it to us to

finance our war against you infidels.

Thanks for limiting defense dept. purchases of

oil sands from your neighbors to the north. We love

it when you confuse your allies.

Thanks for over regulating every segment of your

economy and thus delaying, by decades, the

development of alternate fuel technologies.

Thanks for limiting drilling off your coasts, in

Alaska , and anywhere there is an insect, bird, fish,

or plant that might be inconvenienced. Better that

your people suffer. Glad to see our lobbying efforts

have been so effective with at least one or your

parties.

Corn based Ethanol. Praise Allah for this sham

program! Perhaps you will destroy yourself from the

inside with theses types of policies. This is a

gift from Allah, praise his name! We never would

have thought of this one! This is better than when

you pay your farmers NOT TO GROW FOOD. Have

them use more energy to create less energy, and

simultaneously drive up food prices. Thank you

U.S. Congress!

And finally, we appreciate you letting us fleece

you without end. You will be glad to know we have

been accumulating shares in your banks, real estate,

and publicly held companies. We also finance a good

portion of your debt and now manipulate your

markets, currency, and economies for our benefit.

THANK YOU AMERICA !'

[jasd]

Ahh, at last, in-your-face truths. It is extremely unfortunate that average Joe America will not see the above and if seeing it - will not comprehend it.

China attempted the same with Britain, which resulted in war. Britain decided to play the same hardball cricket - and forced China to become

opium eaters.

Bless those deceased British.

What will America do?

Good news, bad news...,

Hi, I am your govt - and I'm here to help you. --Reagan, Maximus

[Bravus]

This tale could be spun to the exact same ends from exactly the opposite direction, and I'll probably try to write it this afternoon when I'm less busy. But just a very short note that someone who can't tell the difference politically and religiously between the oil barons and the jihadis is probably not in the right business as a commentator on international relations issues.

[Tom Wetmore]

True Indeed!!

And the facts are that a majority of the oil used in the US is from the US and Canada (roughly 60-65%). THe US imports about 55% of the oil it uses. In terms of sources of oil for the US, Sudia Arabia ranks 4th considerably behind Canada and Mexico. Of the imported oil 18% is from Canada, 15% Mexico, and 12% from Suadia Arabia. The only other signifcant Middle Eastern sources of oil imported to the US are Iraq (5%) and Kuwait (2%). So Middle Eastern oil accounts for only about 10.5% of the oil used in the US.

[John317]

Yes, there is a big difference: the oil barons of OPEC would like to see the US be ever more dependent on them and they do not care if the American nation and economy are badly weakened in the process, whereas the jihadists want to see Americas suffering and defeated. Is that it?

Check out the article on jihad, and it will become plain that an oil baron may be just as much a jihadist as someone on the battlefield. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jihad

The main idea of the article is that in many respects quite a few Ameicans are shockingly doing a great deal that is beneficial to the oil barons and the jihadists and opposed to the best interest of Americans. I think that to that extent the article makes a valid point.

[Gail]

How come we in Canada can't sell our oil and make the whole country rich like they in Saudi do?

[John317]

Please explain how these facts show that the points made in the article are invalid or inaccurate.

[Bravus]

I definitely agree with the main point of the article, John, and tried to say so above. It's just some of the steps along the way that gripe me. Let me have a bash at it, and maybe you'll see what I mean:

The OPEC minister may look you in the eye and say, "I absolutely love owning 27 racehorses and a couple of private jets. My personal yacht is larger than some of your warships, and has a solid gold bathroom. We love building cities of the future in the desert and creating whole new island chains with luxury resorts on them. When the oil runs out, we'll have positioned ourselves with innovation and tourism to keep doing fine. I enjoy my fleet of Rolls Royces and having to decide whether to wear the Rolex or the Patek Philippe this morning.

While I am here I would like to thank you for the following: Fighting hard to avoid making your vehicles more fuel efficient. Maybe you could have taken the hint in the 1970s, but instead you kept making them bigger and bigger, and introduced loopholes in the laws for trucks that allowed - and even encouraged - passenger vehicles to become heavier and less fuel efficient. Frankly, if you'd decided to put in an effort on this like you did on the space program after Sputnik - an effort that put a man on the moon in 15 years - you'd be selling *us* oil by now... except no-one would need oil because we'd have endless cheap fusion power and a hydrogen economy... or something better.

If you'd done that you wouldn't now be looking down the barrel of having to dig up the Rockies for shale and foul the beaches of California with crude oil, spoil the view with drilling rigs and destroy the Arctic ecosystem: all those things you value would be safe.

Thanks for throwing trillions of your treasure at toppling Saddam - who was an embarrassment to us - rather than putting it the research that would have allowed you to become independent from us. Thanks too for threatening Iran - the unrest that promotes in world oil markets just pumps the price up. $143 oil is beyond our wildest dreams - thank you.

Thanks for declining to pour adequate funding into education and research, while subsidising your massively inefficient oil companies, thus delaying, by decades, the development of alternate fuel technologies. If you'd got there you'd be an even more massive world economic superpower, because you'd own the technologies of the 21st century. We'd be out of business - so thank you so much.

Corn-based ethanol. Thank you for this sham program! Perhaps you will destroy yourself from the inside with theses types of policies. This is better than when you pay your farmers NOT TO GROW FOOD. Have them use more energy to create less energy, and simultaneously drive up food prices. Thank you U.S. Congress!

And finally, we appreciate you letting us fleece you without end. You will be glad to know we have been accumulating shares in your banks, real estate, and publicly held companies. We also finance a good portion of your debt and now manipulate your markets, currency, and economies for our benefit.

THANK YOU AMERICA !"

[John317]

Very good, Bravus. I like it and am in fundamental agreement with it. It is basically making the same point as the first one.

I don't agree with the following, however:

Quote:

If you'd done that you wouldn't now be looking down the barrel of having to dig up the Rockies for shale and foul the beaches of California with crude oil, spoil the view with drilling rigs and destroy the Arctic ecosystem: all those things you value would be safe.

I do not think that the evidence shows oil-drilling would foul the beaches of California or destroy the Arctic ecosystem.

Oil-drilling in northern Europe hasn't fouled their beaches. Today's technology involving oil drilling is much improved over what it once was.

[Bravus]

Not guaranteed, no, but the potential would always be there for leaks and accidents. I have to admit that one was a little bit of a stretch.

[carolaa]

Just a general comment. I liked the article, and I liked Bravus's version. But weren't they both pretty much saying the same thing? What did I miss?

[Bravus]

I guess my point was that I felt the 'over-regulating your industries' comment, for example, was a bit of right-wing spin on the first story... from my perspective much of the problem with energy in the US has been too little regulation rather than too much, although I recognise that's just an opinion.

Likewise with the whole 'the solution is to rape the earth much harder within the borders of the US' approach. That's a very short-term and short-sighted approach, because those reserves are still finite: the solution is replacing oil, not scraping out a little more oil.

[carolaa]

OK, that makes sense. So, does anyone really know why gas prices are so high? Is it speculators? Who sets the price per barrel, and what is it based on?

[Bravus]

There are a heap of factors. One is definitely speculation - or investment, depending on where you sit! But oil futures keep rising because businesses are willing to, say, buy oil for delivery next year at $100, even if it's only $80 now, because they're scared it will be $120 next year. But of course that becomes a vicious cycle.

Add to that the fact that (some folks' opinions aside) they're not making any more oil, but they are making lots more people, and a billion Indians and a billion and a half Chinese aspire to the standard of living (read 'energy consumption') we Westerners enjoy.

Add to that the effects of unrest in the Middle East, particularly threats against Iran by the US and Israel.

Add to that how close to full capacity we're running: one cyclone gets one refinery and we're into scarcity.

Add to that what's going on with Chavez in Venezuela.

Ad infinitum, almost.

It's a bit of a 'perfect storm' that has seen the price of oil triple in not much more than a year. It may fall back again at some point in the future, but I very much doubt we'll see $50/barrel oil ever again.

[Dr. Shane]

The price is set by what the market is willing to pay. That changes from day to day and speculators play a major role in that because they buy oil futures.

Regulation is a fine line. Not enough regulation and industries will take advantage of the people and the environment. Too much regulation and industry fails to provide jobs for the people and advancements in science and the arts.

Industry is a good thing but it needs some regulation. It is a friend of freedom and the engine that creates and maintains a healthy middle class. Unregulated industry can be an enemy of society as much as an over-regulating government.

[Bravus]

Yep, agreed, definitely. What got my goat was 'too much regulation is why America hasn't got into alternative energy'? Doesn't make sense to me: some kind of regulation penalising energy waste and rewarding efficiency would seem to be the most useful way for government to be involved in the issue, in addition to funding research. Heck, if there were tax breaks for efficiency industry would fund the research itself.

[Bravus]

The Chrysler PT Cruiser is an example of where regulation *hasn't* worked. That vehicle, which is a small car, actually had extra weight *added* so that it would be classified as a light truck. That enabled the manufacturer to average it in when calculating the emissions of the rest of its truck range, making that number look better... but at the expense of actually making the PT Cruiser use more fuel than it needed to.

[jasd]

I tend to agree with John317 and carolaa – though your version has more spritz.

>>...the Patek Philippe<<

The Patek Philppe, of course!

That said, America is not the only global auto manufacturer. So, where are the cold fusion engines, the hydrogen propelled, the yesterday’s get’um-up-go Jack Daniel whiz accelerant, etc? No optimal gel batteries, no water vapor exhaust, no antigravity, etc – just smaller and more dangerous little lawnmowers running down our major Interstates. ;-)

I drive a Suburban because – should I ever be so unfortunate as to become involved in an accident – I think my odds of being the one asking the question, “Hey, buddy, are you still alive?” – is much improved with a heavier automobile. Moreso,

the argument for a BIG car obtains – should my family be onboard.

But, I gotta admit, the gas is killing me!

Per regulations: killing us.

Per crude crud on our beaches: seems that most of the spills occurring are because of supertanker spills (hauling crude from elsewhere, rather than drilling). Spills in ANWR? I’d rather the old grannies in my town have heating oil – than worry ‘bout spills where not one of us in a score of millions will ever set foot or eye.

And, if it is cause for concern, we now have bacteria that consume crude oil.

Unsightly drilling platforms off our coasts? California disguises them to look like tropical islands, Cute, eh? As it is, China is currently contracting with Cuba to slant drill into our offshore Caribbean oil field(s).

I rather think US platforms will constitute less of an environmental hazard in our waters than those of China.

Today, rape, raze, and plunder: tomorrow, the stars! [/kidding!]

Oh, education? Spending lots and lots, sufficient unto the day, already.

Interestingly, until the recent run-up in crude prices our oil companies were able to purchase, refine, and transport a quart of oil to a local Service Station cheaper than the Post Office could deliver a one ounce envelope across the street.

>>...you'd own the technologies of the 21st century.<<

Some, what says, that we already have 21st century technologies in our Black Ops Programs. Unfortunately, the benefits are not meant to accrue to the hoi polloi. Sigh.

Lastly:

>>And the facts are that a majority of the oil used in the US is from the US and Canada (roughly 60-65%). ...<<

It doesn’t really matter a whole bunch to us where our oil originates if OPEC, operating as the cartel that it is, meets regularly to set and/or manipulate global crude prices by quota pumping – other considerations aside.

[carolaa]

There are a heap of factors.

Ad infinitum, almost.

It's a bit of a 'perfect storm' that has seen the price of oil triple in not much more than a year. It may fall back again at some point in the future, but I very much doubt we'll see $50/barrel oil ever again.

Lindsey Williams swears it is the World Bank and IMF - and that it will go up to $10/gal.

[Amelia]

You can bet alot of people will be out of work if it goes higher than $5 gal. Too many of us don't make enough money to compensate and riding a bike or taking the bus just doesn't work for many jobs either.