there's no shortage now. they're producing enough, and can produce more. but if they do, prices go down and they lose profits. and if the alaskan fields are the size of saudi arabia, how will we run out of oil in 20yrs? then add in siberia...
What's Wrong With America?
- Thread starter 85 Cutlass Brougham
- Start date
- Status
It all comes down to greed and corruption. There is an answer to it, but it's one that is unlikely to ever be repaired until the country collapses. Which will happen. We're the modern Roman Empire.
Bottom line: we have career politicians whose primary motivation is not the good of the people, but the good of their own political careers. They vote based on party lines. They vote based on money.
The country is not run by the politicians. It's run by the people who have them in their pockets... the corporations. And one of the biggest is oil. Oil companies are posting the biggest profits in the history of the world. And that's okay... because we're willing -- actually, it's more like we have no choice but -- to pay it.
The Constitution has been bastardized. The ideals that the country is supposed to stand for have been warped. And there will be no solution, no discernible change, until it has gotten to the point where it can no longer sustain itself and begins to crumble.
Bottom line: we have career politicians whose primary motivation is not the good of the people, but the good of their own political careers. They vote based on party lines. They vote based on money.
The country is not run by the politicians. It's run by the people who have them in their pockets... the corporations. And one of the biggest is oil. Oil companies are posting the biggest profits in the history of the world. And that's okay... because we're willing -- actually, it's more like we have no choice but -- to pay it.
The Constitution has been bastardized. The ideals that the country is supposed to stand for have been warped. And there will be no solution, no discernible change, until it has gotten to the point where it can no longer sustain itself and begins to crumble.
Derision said:
Has anyone seen that new commercial, I think it is a cell phone commercial. They have regular hard working middle class politicians deciding on what laws pass or something like that. That is what this country needs!! 8) :lol:
megaladon6 said:
1. The Alaskan fields are not the size of Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia has the world's largest oil reserves. 80% of the world's known oil reserves are in OPEC countries. Mean estimate for the capacity of the Alaskan field that environmentalists won't let the drills touch is 7 billion barrels, 20 years' worth at current usage. Then there's drilling and production capacity. A 2004 study by the Department of Energy said that (at the time), drilling ANWR would only reduce our oil prices by fifty cents a barrel. And then, of course, we'd be tapping out all of our oil reserves and in event of serious conflict/embargo with OPEC nations we'd be boned. Our military machine needs a LOT of petroleum and we've lost our taste for wartime rationing.
2. Siberia? With the way Putin's bringing back Russian dictatorship and leaning towards nationalization of Russia's petroleum industry, Russian petroleum is an uncertain proposition. Putin's an old KGB man with no love for the U.S.
Europe's been paying a lot more than us for a lot longer. Americans are going to have to get used to thinking about conservation and efficiency. We can't go on like we have been; those days are gone. It's painful to look at the world a different way but if you don't adapt you perish. Wailing about $4 gasoline and tapping out our oil reserves isn't going to solve any problems - it will just make them worse down the road. We can't depend on oil forever and the sooner we are forced to find other energy sources the better off we'll be.
Putin is no longer the leader of Russia. He was replaced a week or two ago from what I saw on the news. He may get an appointed position though.
As for the end of the OPEC crises of the 70's, they were ended because the oil barons of the mid east were afraid that we were getting too close to an alternate means of energy production. So, much like a crack dealer about to loose a good customer, they lowered prices and got us hooked again. Now, the situation has changed, and they have no shortage of customers. Therefore, they can screw us all they want and have no real threat of losing a market for their product. The thing is, research may not have gone on at the fervent pace it was when it was supported heavily during the crisis periods, but it did not stop either. Private companies continued it, and now we are almost at the tipping point where solar is cheaper than oil. We need to buy 5-10 years time before that shifts substantially, and we start moving away from oil for electricity production in a massive way. Then, domestic production could provide for more of our needs for oil as a vehicle fuel, and not as a means of providing electricity. We just need to buy time until we reach that point. We also need to both increase domestic production, and not sell that oil to other countries. If it is on Federal land, how it is used and sold should also be under Federal control. Maybe we could pay for it to be pumped, and the money saved could then benefit US taxpayers.
As for the end of the OPEC crises of the 70's, they were ended because the oil barons of the mid east were afraid that we were getting too close to an alternate means of energy production. So, much like a crack dealer about to loose a good customer, they lowered prices and got us hooked again. Now, the situation has changed, and they have no shortage of customers. Therefore, they can screw us all they want and have no real threat of losing a market for their product. The thing is, research may not have gone on at the fervent pace it was when it was supported heavily during the crisis periods, but it did not stop either. Private companies continued it, and now we are almost at the tipping point where solar is cheaper than oil. We need to buy 5-10 years time before that shifts substantially, and we start moving away from oil for electricity production in a massive way. Then, domestic production could provide for more of our needs for oil as a vehicle fuel, and not as a means of providing electricity. We just need to buy time until we reach that point. We also need to both increase domestic production, and not sell that oil to other countries. If it is on Federal land, how it is used and sold should also be under Federal control. Maybe we could pay for it to be pumped, and the money saved could then benefit US taxpayers.
Geesie said:
England/Europe has always been a beta test for the States - what's happens there very well could happen here.
And the Constitution hasn't been bastardized, it's been flat out ignored. Our politicians need to adhere to it, if they don't, Congress has to have to balls punish and remove them.
Bottom line, we need competing forces within the alternative fuel and energy market to keep efficiency high and prices low for the consumer.
ok fine the ALASKAN side of the field isn't too big, but it extends deep into canada. the environmentalists are the only ones who say it's small, the experts all agree that it's a very large field. as to russia, who's going to drill the oil? the russians don't have the technology. only the US, UK and canada have the cold weather experience. the sticking point in the negotiations has been that the US wants oil rights, not just cash. and russia needs oil just as much as we do. once china really starts to look north, russia will deal.
85 Cutlass Brougham said:
:lol:
He was 'replaced' by his hand-picked successor, who was 'elected' because Putin banned all his opponents from running any campaign advertisements or just flat-out arrested them. The new president is his puppet and has appointed Putin to Prime Minister. Oh, and before he left the presidency, Putin set policies to take power from the president and give it to the prime minister - knowing that he'd be prime minister soon.
Putin is unquestionably the leader of Russia.
The Russians like this, btw. The Russian mindset is that they'd rather have a dictator than freedom as long as they're a feared superpower again.
- Status
