The government does not own the territory of the nation.
Unexploited natural resources are NOT "publicly owned" -- they are, in fact, UNOWNED. Why? Because *ownership* -- the legal right to use and dispose of material resources -- cannot begin until someone actually brings those resources under human control and makes them useful. Oil in the ground cannot be used or disposed of by anyone.
Only the knowledge and the productive effort of the exploring geologist, the engineer and the driller can transform oil in the ground (or any other resource in the ground) into actual wealth, i.e. into actual material goods useful to human beings. Ownership is the law’s recognition that those particular producers deserve the legal right--as against every person on earth who did NOT tap that potential--to control the wealth they created.
That’s why government has no right to declare that all presently unowned land belongs to “the public” or to the government. Neither the public nor the government has done anything to deserve ownership or to earn any right to any aspect of that land at all.
The purpose of government is to protect our rights, including property rights. When government seizes all the unowned land and declares it off-limits to commercial activity, it is acting, not to protect property rights -- it is acting to declare huge swaths of the nation off-limits to property rights. Nothing on earth justifies that.
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"Evil is very much a function of ignorance..."
More childish naivete from the delusional one.
Yah, if we could only show them the error of their ways. *gag*
Sometimes (many?), evil is intentional and exists outside the realm of narcissistic reality. I.e., if you think the other guy is just like you, you are not only wrong, you are dead. The achilles heel of modern liberalism along with the need to be liked, and a fatal character flaw in BO if he indulges it. |
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That was exactly my reaction as well. Frustrating to say the least to hear electioneering talking points vs. actual solutions from the tykes who won the election.
Liberalism is a reactionary ideology that suffers without a foil, so lets see what they can do in a pure leadership role.
And you're welcome into any of my scribblings. |
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Sorry. Didn't mean to stick my nose into your thread, but I'm really tired of the typical Dem talking point responses to domestic drilling. It's put up or shut up now that they're holding the reins. |
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Nice soundbite: "We could accomplish the same with investments in alternatives." Like what? Nuclear? We know that works.
The time for soundbite politics is over. Obama et.al will now have to prove it. I wish them luck. I truly do for the good of the nation. But it seems the theory is if everyone "hopes" really good for "change," it'll happen. I won't being turning blue (in the face) waiting for these investments to pay off, especially when no one appears to have a clue what they are beyond the usual generalities. Soundbites don't keep the lights on or fuel in my gas tank. You now have to prove it.
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There are no current viable alternatives to oil. Creating a policy around technologies that don't exist is Quixotic dreaming.
In software, when you sell features that are not yet part of the functionality of an offering it is called vaporware. It usually happens when the sales guy gets desperate to make a sale and resorts to outright lying by making promises he can't, or at best doesn't know he can keep.
Creating energy policies around technologies that don't exist is vaporware with the added feature of exacerbating downward pressure on the economy from encouraging inactivity on those technologies we know do work. Your touting that inactivity as some sort of rationale for bad energy policy is destructive. |
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Evil is very much a function of ignorance. Osama bin Laden, for instance, does great evil, even as he thinks he is doing good.
What you might do if someone called you on it, and what people generally do, is claim that the evil you were fighting far surpassed the evil in your behavior.
I think you are being too much a victim here. People are imperfect in their exercise of free speech rights. That is a big revelation? The tipping point, obviously, is physicality--the willingness to intimidate or whatever.
In any case, there was a time, 15-20 years ago, when the right could make the argument that the politically correct left was disproportionately suppressive of free speech. Those days have passed. Among this generation of Americans, neither side is particularly good at free speech.
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We could accomplish the same with investments in alternatives with the added benefit that the product would stay in America, and if properly executed we could be in the position of selling energy to the Saudis! |
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1. That 5 years is only considering what is currently known, contracted, licensed and ready to drill. There are further reserves that still need to jump through evironmental/bureaucratic hoops which would be available after that period. Due to restrictions on exploration, who knows how much more is yet undiscovered.
2. It's not only world oil prices, it is jobs. American drilling creates American jobs. Job creation is what will eventually pull us out of recession. Conversely, lack of jobs will push us deeper into recession or into a depression.
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But "They know not what they do"? I don't think so. How is that even a valid statement? Is being outwardly hateful an involuntary act?
If so, would it be okay for me to go out tomorrow and be publicly hateful to supporters of candidates I do not agree with? Not that I would. But if I did, and someone called me on it, I certainly wouldn't use the excuse that I didn't really know what I was doing.
Thanks anyway, P.L. but you can't apologize for the acts of others. Somehow it just doesn't stick.
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As someone who backed BHO from the start, I would defend to the death your right to flaunt your McCain sticker for as long as your little heart desires. And I apologize for the dirty looks and sideways glances. They know not what they do.. |
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As I stated earlier, if in fact the surge in Iraq is the success many here claim, conservative estimates are that Iraqi could double to 4.6 mil bpd within 5 years. Even the most generous industry estimates claim that in 5 years unlimited US drilling would result in an increase of 1.5 mil bpd. Add to that the find in Brazil.
All of which is to say that increased drilling here in the states will not have any substantive effect on worldwide oil prices. |
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A few years ago I was shocked to see that a friendly acquaintance of mine had an "Impeach Bush" sticker on her car. I said nothing, since it's her right to express herself, but I see her in a different light now, and consider her not so much as a friend, but just "some gal in my neighborhood."
On November 5th, someone asked me when I was going to remove the McCain/Palin sticker from my 6-year old, ugly-but-paid-off-and-runs-like-a-top minivan. I told them I would remove them the day before Obama is inaugurated, and not before. I get dirty looks for it, but I don't care.
Unfortunately, unlike you, I don't have the advantage of physical stature. But, I refuse to be intimidated.
On a brighter note, at lunchtime on election day, a lady spotted my McCain/Palin sticker and motioned me to roll down my window. I did, and she asked "Where did you get that pink McCain sticker?" I told her I had an extra in my purse that she could have, so we both pulled into the next lot and had a very nice conversation. I was saving that sticker, along with a few buttons, as a commemorative collection, but it was worth it to just give it away. |
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do not read your own blog, nonetheless, i will direct this your way. Once again, i heard you give us the latest on the Franken win in Minnesota. (I think i spelled "Minnesota" correctly, didn't i, "munck the punk", THEE most self righteous one, maybe even more self righteous than "the one"!!!!)You, Mr. Hewitt are delusional, if you think that there is really a recount, taking place. Franken has won this, the only thing LEFT to do is for Normy and the rest of you(Prager, Medved, Hewitt) to give your flowery, conciliatory concession speeches. Which you all do so very well. Because you care more about looking good losing than you do about looking bad winning. And, by all means continue to wish the socialist, all the best, as he does exactly what he said he would do, that is, "fundamentally change" the country. If you truly believe that your worldview is better than his, and is best for your family and the rest of the decent families of this country, then you damn well better be willing to look bad winning. Until, Conservatives learn this lesson, they most certainly will continue to look great losing. Will they ever learn, i'm not holding my breath. |
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Actually the Democrats aren't going to repeal the Law Of Thermodynamics. They're just going to use it to tax everyone earning above say $2 a year since they're sure that the new LIBERAL Supreme Court will uphold the Law....and the resulting tax. |
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reminded me of one time I was riding in a car which had a Masonic emblem decal displayed in the rear window.
A guy pulled up beside us and said "Hello Hiram" to me.
At the time, I didn't know what that meant.
I thought he was either trying to pick me up or start a fight. |
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You're wrong. It isn't perpetual motion, the dems will keep making left turns and then wind up in the same place. It will only look like they are in perpetual motion, perpetually spinning |
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Do we get to use job gains/losses in two or four years to evaluate how well/poorly Obama has done in growing the economy? |
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not to worry. the democrats plan to repeal the second law of thermodynamics. perpetual motion for everyone.
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much about? On Saturday, the 8th, i had just finished playing golf and was just shutting my big SUV's door, as a car pulled in to my left. The driver of said vehicle, got out, and looked over his car and asked when i was planning to remove "those stickers"? I said "do you mean my bumper stickers"? He said, "yes". I then responded, "i have no intention to remove them". He said, "the election was over, and that it was time to remove them". I then asked him, "did he consider the 04' election to be over", as well, yes, was his reply. I then reminded him that the "Bush lied, people died" bumper stickers, were displayed by leftists long after that election had been decided. This concerned citizen, who, first instigated our discussion with me seated in my big SUV. He was quite animated with me seated, but then his enthusiasm did somewhat dwindle when i got out of my big SUV. I played college basketball, and i am taller than the national average of 5'9", by some 7 1/2".
Is this the brave new world of obambi, where dissent in any form, or in any fashion, or at any time, will be challenged, and an attempt to intimidate will be the norm. If in fact this thuggery does becomes commonplace, then i can guarantee the thugs, this, that there will be trouble. The left is behaving as all leftists inevitably must do. To succeed they must inhibit liberty and freedom. I believe that that is exactly what will and what must happen. This man who confronted me, was very serious, and was insistent that all must agree with and that there could be NO, dissent, because Barack Hussein Obama was elected President of these United States. And everybody MUST agree with him. To do otherwise, was to be un-American. This is very chilling, to think that we have a segment of our population that absolutely believes this. Chilling.
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We get the fact that you have an irrational hatred towards Sarah Palin. You have a mental illness. Seek help.
Your guy won and still you feel the need to mock, ridicule, and disparage Palin? And based on a what exactly? A caricature of her propogated by the media and a bunch of "anonymous" cowards from the McCain campaign who are shamelessly trying to deflect their own failures onto the Palin, the only reason the election was even close. What the hell is wrong with you anyway? |
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Take a look at the column by Robert Murphy (Great Depression 2?), and in it he shows a chart of the St.Louis Fed money supply base. It has been growing at about 60% on an annual basis, with no sign of slowing down. Couple that kind of monetary inflation, which is going on all over the world now, with the messiah's plan to stop drilling in the US, you can take $100 oil to the bank (if they aren't all nationalized within a year!). Should be interesting if his majesty decrees price controls. THEN IT WILL BE LOTS OF FUN TO WATCH! |
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If the surge has been the success extolled by many here, within 5 years the market will be flooded with a gut of Iraqi sweet crude of the finest quality, right around the time drilling today would introduce a substantially lower amount of lesser quality crude.
The only winners will be the oil companies. |
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Palin gets her own dictionary definitions.
An applicant lacking even basic job skills
Someone supremely un-self-aware or lacking any relative sense of what he/she does or doesn't know.
HR sent me another Palin for the marketing manager job.
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Prices have halved in the matter of a couple of months. Was this because America suddenly flooded the market with new oil? No. It is because of the current drop in demand, and more importantly, the projected FUTURE drop in demand.
If a natural drop in projected demand has this effect, it is reasonable to argue that if Obama were to publicly announce that subsidies for drilling were being halved and applied instead to alternatives the announcement would create more downward pressure. |
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Briggsy, Nasa was founded in 1958. The space program was already 3 years started before Kennedy made that speech so its really 11 years....because it was 1969 not 1968.
Since that time, the libs have done their darndest to get rid of the space program. Especially during Clinton era. |
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If the Democrats restrict drilling and the price of gasoline goes back up , the democrats could be in trouble in 2010. I Just hope the Republican party can get some conservative leadership for the 2010 house races. |
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JFK's "We Choose To Go To The Moon" speech was given in September 1962.
Seven years later, Neil Armstrong was saying "One Giant Leap For Mankind" as he stepped onto the surface of the moon.
Seven years it took!
Made possible by government programs to accelerate the necessary technology.
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The Peak oil scare is as phony as Al Gore's global warming. In the early 1980s Brazil had no domestic oil production or reserves. Ethanol was introduced as the answer to reduce imported crude oil and it was a failure.Brazil initiated a major exploration, production program, onshore and offshore, and it has been an overwhelming success. Twenty-five years later Brazil refines twice as much crude oil, has billions of barrels of reserves and one of the major players in the energy market. Brazil is still discovering new oil fields. The USA has even greater potential to become energy independent by
exploration for and producing crude oil in our own territories and to refine our vast coal reserves into liquid fuels as SASOL has been doing for over 40 years in South Africa. Peak oil is another environmentalist myth. |
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I think if Obama does not screw it up, we have won in Iraq and now have a Beach Head in the Middle East that had been gifted to the Mullahs by Carter.
To remove money from the Citizens though Oil sales to fund private sector issues such as Alternative Energy is Socialism.
I have been investing in Alternative energy since 1997 and can tell you they are not even close. Electric Cars, Fuel Cells, Solar, Wind? Not even. It is junk science at this time. The benefit vs. the cost is a joke. Even if they could give you an electric car, How are you going to charge the battery? In California, the Hippies would not let us build a new power plant for thirty years. We can not charge the batteries here. Wind? The cost is 2.5 million dollars per copy to build. Solar? We do not have enough silica and it is VERY expensive to make from sand. Fuel Cells? We can not build one to power a cell phone or lap top. The science is junk and a long way off.
The last thing anyone would want is the Government to spend tax payer dollars to go in and screw this industry up also. |
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The bright side is the Republican Party has been controlled by very Moderate People. The crying for Moderate Republicans to grow the party is now gone. The very people sniveling for moderation as the answer were the first to jump ship. The Bill Crystals and Powels are out and Conservatives like Steve Forbes and Mike Steele will be in.
The Media picked Dole, Bush and McCain, not the Conservatives. With the wanna-be Republican Moderates purged from the party. Conservatives can look forward to fixing the mess left behind by the Socialists and Moderates. That is what we have been doing for 40 years and will continue to do.
Remember, JFK could not get elected to anything in the democrat party today and he would be to the right side of the Moderate Republicans. That is a good thing for the Conservatives future. |
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The Republicans may have "screamed" from the mountain tops about improving our domestic oil supply but that was the extent of their efforts. Bush declaring we are "addicted" to oil was not a wise policy description either. He lifted the Federal ban too little, too late.
Talk is cheap as they say. What I say is "A little less talk and a lot more action." Had that been the GOP's theme song and political philosophy the past several years, we wouldn't be in this pending mess. Hmmmm. It'll be a lot cheaper now mailing No. 8 bars with spinal replacement surgical instructions to the remaining GOPers in Congress. Perhaps that will help. |
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and the OCS belongs to the People of the USA.
OK with me if it is extracted, as long as ownership remains in the People until the point of retail sale of the refined products.
That money should be used to subsidize alternatives and renewables.
Peak Oil is real. And occupying Iraq is quite simply a black hole of denial, death, and financial ruin. |
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If prices are down, where are they gonna find those windfall profits to tax (and spend)? |
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I'm not blaming Bush. But it seems that Hugh is getting ready to blame Obama once we go past $60.
The global economy could support $200 oil?
Here's a thought, we're going to get there anyways, and no, the economies won't be able to run at that price. Forcing them to search for alternative fuels.
Many of you thought you'd be dead before that time came, but its closer than you think. We've had a nice century running on petrol. And we could drill to our hearts content and still only put off the inevitable for maybe a decade or two. To put that in context, it's been way longer than that since we put a man on the moon.
Bottom line, either some people are going to get enormously wealthy coming up with alternative solutions, or the western world as we know it is toast. |
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Along with lowering the oceans and cleaning the air, BO is apparantly able to change the laws of supply and demand. |
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$? two days after President-elect Bush triumphed in 2000?
Anyone here have a clue? |
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You have to really reach in order to blame Bush in ANY way for energy issues.
Republicans have been screaming from the Mountian Tops that America needs to drill for the vast oceans of oil we have here, and we need to build additional power plants.
The Hippies in the DNC would NOT let us drill and even mandate Moratoriums against any new drilling.
In the Socialist State of California. The Hippies would not let us build any new power plants for thirty years.
Our current economy crash started from mandated sub-prime lending killing RE. Then the increase in energy costs increased the number of people who could no longer make their house payment. Oil is cheap today because the demand has crashed. 2/3rds of our economy is consumer driven and the ballance of the remaining economy is service sector. Now we have a middle class competing for jobs vs. third world labor and a Congress who crashed our Banking Sysytem 35 days before an election.
We are toast and there fore you have cheap oil until the economy should recover. If Obama should make HUGE tax cuts and restore the economy. Look for $200. dollar per barrel oil. |
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start drilling helped propel the price of Oil down before the financial crisis, but the financial crisis is more of a factor now - once that clears up, oil will go back up - hopefully in time to get rid of Carter II in 2012. |
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"What was the price of oil when Bush took office?"
Oh, oh! Me, Mr. Kotter! Call on me!
$28.66 |
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shows incredible stupidity. This fool has no idea why oil prices are now low. The left, count on them to never have a reasonable thought. It's all, theories, fantasies, factual inaccuracies, and most of all, FLIGHTS OF FANCY. And a firm belief that the world is exactly as they hope it to be. Get ready, you insane fool, within this next year, the world will be anything but what you hope it to be. It is an extremely dangerous place, and it is about to explode and the weak sisters of the leftist party will be unable to do anything about it, either. America is about to get exactly what it voted for. Weakness and contrition in a world of thugs and murderers, yes, America's "chickens will be coming home to roost". This world has always been governed by the effectual use of brute force, and it always will, too. The United States has always had the biggest stick and these thugs knew that we would use it. The effeminate pair who will soon be in charge, are wholly unaware of this basic fact and will be unwilling to use that stick. That's why Putin, China, and Iran are salivating over the state of affairs in this country. And why they will move quickly to exploit it. Hope and change, hope hardly, change, absolutely. |
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Yikes . . . poor people might be able to afford to drive themselves to work without the need for divine intervention by THE ONE.
Homeowners might be able to afford this winter's heating oil without Obamassistance.
Can't have that . . . why, people might (gasp) become independent and self-sufficient and wander off the Democrat Reservation.
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What was the price of oil when Bush took office?
What was the price on which to evaluate his Administration over the past two, four, six and eight years?
Seemed like for an awfully long time there (the last two, four, six and eight years?) he helped enable Venezuela and Iran.
High oil prices have given Hugo Chavez carte blanche to influence policies throughout South America over the last 8 years, and have helped solidify his power at home. |
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DRILL, IN OUR WALLETS. Gas prices are low now, only because the world's economies are recessed. Middle East turmoil, which is sure to soon come, will force prices upward, again. Permanent bases in Iraq will deter Iran, but the recent election of 2 socialists puts those bases in peril. The lynch pin in the Middle East are these bases, if they are successfully removed, Iran cannot be stopped. They will become nuclear and they will overrun and defeat, Iraq. Then the Islamic Republic will control 40% of all oil reserves in the world. This has been the Republic's ambition, since the Islamic Revolution in 1980. Bush/Cheney's overarching reason for the Iraq invasion was to put permanent bases in Iraq, so as to thwart the Republic's desires. Look for the two American socialists to be successful, and to be able to remove these bases. Israel will be the big loser, as they will be completely surrounded by enemies who have sworn to "wipe them off the map". Their only means of protection will be the use of nuclear weapons. Will the Islamic Republic have nuclear weapons, too?
Domestic efforts to socialize the country, will be put on permanent hold. The socialists will be forced to deal with worldwide turmoil. Putin, seeing that America is now weakened, has found his second wind, and will find a way back to power. Georgia, was but a trial run, he will not waste time, the Ukraine will soon be back in the fold. The USSR, will be back and the weakened West will be unable to stop them.
This election has emboldened the thugs worldwide, and they will not waste time. China will move on Taiwan soon after Jan. 20, 2009. They will do so, unabated and unopposed.
Hope and change that we can believe in. The United States of America, YES, the "chickens have come home to roost". Elections have consequences, and there will be many and they will be catastrophic. To quote a famous American Senator, "mark my words".
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Clearly this is not the rationale behind the article. The points are two-fold:
1) W/ the benefit of lower oil prices today due to a world-wide recession, the baseline of accountability on this important issue will be set at a reasonably low price - barring a sudden upward shift. This is admittedly a low point because the demand for oil has been significantly reduced.
2) Given the apparent direction Obama is signaling in regard to this issue (the policy of preventing action now in regards to making the price of oil reasonably sufferable to Americans in the future during times of worldwide economic growth), Obama's policies will be viewed either as a source of brilliance or as the absence of planning for inevitable future increases in oil prices. History strongly suggests that Obama's preference for inaction now, will later demonstrate either his lack of understanding on the impact of future higher oil prices on the economy or his lack of concern. |
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according to your go along to get along strategy for the GOP, we should all quit wanting to drill. |
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Oil's at $60/b??? Time to buy some oil futures with the "outsourced" accounts!! |
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Does Recession ring a bell? Sure the prices are going down now! And they will go lower before its all done! It will come back and you will be in here I am sure saying it isn't the Dems Fault! Well pardner it will be in your Dem partys Lap! Hope you enjoy it! How stupid some of you Lib/Dims are! Your party has had how long to make changes? 2 years of a losing congress? You Up Gores Bumm people are just plain Dumb!
Drill Baby Drill!
Keep us free of foreign oil!
Palin 2012!!! |
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Read the article linked, again(?). It's not as "obvious" as you think(?). Also google "OPEC" and you will find that oil prices will begin to creep up again as that organization is cutting production by 12 bbd to raise the barrel price back up where they want it due to demand decline. Enjoy low gas prices while it lasts because it won't. We are slaves to OPEC because we give them little to no competition. That was a stupid policy under the knee-knockin' GOP, and will be equally stupid under the Democratic-Federalists. It'll take an energy crisis for politocos to figure their A's are C'd before we'll finally do the smart thing. Not very brave, but then that's politics. |
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Hugh,
Your rhetoric about drilling includes you in with the Wrong Reasoning Republicans.
Gas prices have plummeted, all without additional drilling.
You're not thinking things through. |
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We are not even close to having electric or fuel cell cars.
We could have made it though the Real Estate down turn but then Oil prices went above $87 dollars per barrel and our economy crashed.
The economy is now in the tank and that little stunt by Democrats to crash a world economy 35 day before a American election has brought the pirce of oil way down.
As soon as the economy grows, so will the price of oil and when we go above $87 dollars a barrel the economy will crash again.
What part of Drill For IT You Stupid Hippies do these people NOT understand?
Better start drilling right now or the next run on the oil price could be $200. per barrel. |
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We are being lulled into a false sense of comfort because lower oil prices, Americans have amnesia.
One major conflict in the Middle East, increased world demand, decreased supply, will push the price up again.
Because the environmental activist are in the Dems back pocket, we will see very little “approved” exploration and drilling in the outer continental shelf, never in Anwar and we will not break ground on one Nuclear Plant.
We should have started this in 1970’s; we will be behind another 30 years thanks to the enviro whacko’s and the Dems.
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My greatest anger, and probably many of us conservatives, is that we gave the republicans the house, senate, and presidency and when it came time to vote on expanded drilling they all caved to the left and didn't pass it.
As long 20% of this countries population who are environmental idiots keep getting their way it doesn't matter who is in power.
Gary |
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oil prices to prevent their economies from collapsing...
Could it be that Obama really is a Marxist-Leninist and wants to screw our economy so he can help the more "Progressive" nations of the world? |
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