'Why Does the Senate NOT Want Energy Solutions?'
By Doug Hagin (05/31/08)
Today, the Senate Judiciary Committee summoned top executives to Capitol Hill, to explain why gas prices are so darned high, and most importantly in their minds, to make themselves seem important, righteously indignant, and to convince Americans that they are looking out for us.
Among those executives summoned were Robert Malone, Chairman and President of BP America, Inc.; John Hofmeister, President, Shell Oil Company; Peter Robertson, Vice Chairman of the Board, Chevron Corporation; John Lowe, Executive Vice President, Conoco Philips Company; and Stephen Simon, Senior Vice President, Exxon Mobil Corporation. In addition, as Michelle Malkin points out, these men stole the show.
But, of course, we ought to have expected, the people that actually do business know a whole lot more than they know those that do nothing but take money from American businesses and individuals to score political points, and create more entitlements. Of course, we are not supposed to see through today's Senatorial grand standing are we.
Nope! We are, instead, supposed, to swoon at how the wonderful Senators on the Judiciary Committee care about us little people aren't we. We are supposed to look wide-eyed at each other and say " Oh my, see, they really like us and are protecting our interests!" Hogwash! Yes, my friends it is. These senators are following not our Founders guidelines, but those of Marx and Engels.
They care about expanding their power, and keeping us, as suckings at the national teat is paramount to that end isn't it? Not only are the members of this committee trying to pull the wool over our collective eyes, but they are also proving just how clueless they are about basic economics. Of course, they are betting we will not examine their words and actions. They are betting that we will not think with our heads but rather with our emotions.
They are betting that we will be so angry about fuel prices that we will never look at reality. Instead they figure Americans will buy the "evil oil companies" lie. As long as it is fed to us enough times, we are bound to buy into it aren't we? Surely!
So the question now is this, are they right? Will we think? Will we look at facts? Will we understand basic economics better that our would be masters? Alternatively, will we just accept their phony outrage and their political circus act? Will we wake up and demand the government do things to help? Will we demand they do what is right for America for a change?
As you read this report on the circus from Power Line Blog, ask yourself how these pinheads ever got out of grade school, much less rose to the rank of US Senator. Clearly, they have no grasp of the most fundamental laws of supply and demand.
Of course, this was about the Senate Democrats, and some Senate Republicans trying to score cheap political points by pretending to scold the evil oil barons for ripping off hard working Americans.
The fact is these Senators ought to be working on doing what they CAN do to ease the burden of high gas prices. How about allowing America to drill for AMERICA'S oil? Sure we know, it would not help for a period of years, but it WILL help sooner if we start sooner won’t it? IF we had started a decade ago, would we not be reaping the fruits of those efforts? Are we to buy into the brain-dead argument tat since it will only help in the future and not now, we should not pursue it?
The Senate COULD take actions that WOULD help, but they much prefer to sit there pretending they are fixing the problem when, in fact they ARE much of the problem!
Why is America NOT using nuclear energy? France certainly does, with great success. Are we not often told to be MORE like France? Why not in respect to nuclear power? With such concern and hand-wringing over cleaner sources of energy why not pursue the cleaner nuclear energy? Are we missing something?
Why are we not building new refineries? Why are we not using OUR own resources? We have oil in Anwar in Alaska, a place that was set aside in part for oil by the way. We have oil in the Gulf of Mexico, off the Pacific coast, in the Rockies (Shale Oil). Instead, they talk of windfall profit taxes. Those were disastrous when tried before. Are our Senators insane enough to think they would work today? Why is our government looking more seriously at ways to punish oil companies than at ways to free ourselves from foreign oil dependence?
I find it odd, nay; I find it despicable that our Senate calls oil companies to answer for something that is not their fault. They do not set international oil prices folks. Demand for oil from China and India are at record highs. When demand is very high, only greater supply will reduce prices. Windfall taxes will not do it; they will only serve to prevent oil companies from investing in new technologies and exploration. What do you think THAT will do to fuel prices? In addition, while our Senators bluster and present themselves as acting in our interest, they have in fact done every damned thing they could to stymie our energy production.
They have regulated, and OVER regulated the oil companies, they have blocked, and continue to block, nuclear energy, and other alternative energy sources. They have heaped regulations and taxes onto the oil companies at OUR expense.
They bitch and whine about our energy dependence, then turn around and do all they can to KEEP us dependent on foreign oil. They do not possess the willingness to look seriously at mending the problem. Instead, they can only look for ways to gouge oil companies, and in the process, us, of course, for all they can.
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