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I’m surprised it has taken so long for American politicians to realize that the surest way for the nation to reach energy independence is to annex neighboring oil-producing countries that have extra oil to sell and just keep it for ourselves. That is effectively what one of Mitt Romney’s potential VP picks, Paul Ryan, suggested while lecturing President Obama about “gimmicks” that cannot lower gasoline prices.
I’m surprised it has taken so long for American politicians to realize that the surest way for the nation to reach energy independence is to annex neighboring oil-producing countries that have extra oil to sell and just keep it for ourselves. That is effectively what one of Mitt Romney’s potential VP picks, Paul Ryan, suggested while lecturing President Obama about “gimmicks” that cannot lower gasoline prices.Here’s how this works: All you need to do is approve more oil pipelines to carry oil from the Canadian tar sands all the way to refineries along the Gulf Coast where the refined products will be sold to world oil markets just us Americans.
From Ryan’s appearance on ABC’s This Week:
“Let’s open up the Keystone pipeline to bring Canadian oil into our country to dramatically reduce our dependency on foreign oil. It creates jobs here in America. It lowers gas prices, increases supply, ” said Ryan.
“And just by passing this legislation, you’ll improve the prices in the futures market, because you’ll see that all this new American-made energy is coming online. Unfortunately, the president is standing in the way of all of those kinds of reforms, and so he’s resorting to what I call these sort of policy gimmicks that in the past really haven’t done a whole lot to change the outcome.”
The “gimmick” Ryan was referring to is having western nations actually or threaten to dip into their strategic reserves as a means to signal to oil markets that higher oil prices cannot be sustained. So, according to our wannabe future VP, you can’t affect current prices or futures for the next six months by doing something that could actually increase supplies very quickly, but you can influence near term futures prices by promising to increase supplies that won’t reach markets for several years. How could anyone argue with that?
It’s on a par with the argument that by relieving the bottleneck at Cushing by building the lower part of Keystone, thus allowing surplus supplies in the middle US to reach the Gulf Coast and hence world markets, it will lower prices from Denver to Chicago. Sure it will.
But the part I like is where we get to make Canada part of the US, and then this “new American-made energy” is sold only to the US. I assume the President informed the Canadians of their new status as an American colony, possibly during an inadvertent open-mic session with the President of Mexico.
I have to believe this has all been worked out with both Canada and Mexico, who will voluntarily join us, because I’m certain the US would never attempt to use force on a regime just because it possessed large oil reserves. And both parties threatening war and/or economic isolation against the 4th biggest producer doesn’t affect prices either. Nah.
Related: Paul Krugman on Natural Born Drillers
Bloomberg, Reveals Keystone Pipeline Raises energy oil prices
26 Comments
“… I’m certain the US would never attempt to use force on a regime just because it possessed large oil reserves.”
Oh, no! The Greatest and Goodest Nation Ever to have been Blessed by God on Earth would NEVER do that!
How did the Fisk quote go again? IIRC, it was “Iraq would never have been invaded if its principal export was beetroot.”
Americans first attacked Canada militarily in 1775, when even before declaring independence from Britain the Continental Congress sent an invading force north; they were driven out by the Brits. They tried again several times during the War of 1812; Canadian and British soldiers turned them back. Today, the US corporate predator class uses other means: “free trade” agreements, NAFTA, and other commerce policies designed to effectively annex and colonize Canada by integrating it into the US economy. The US can’t use death squads, terrorism, and illegal military aggression the way they operate in Central and South America and elsewhere, but the desired outcome is the same.
Candy Crowley’s ‘interview’ and ‘reporting’ during the program this morning (which I hardly ever watch) was nothing short of journalistic malpractice. “Never too early to talk Veepstakes!” seems to be the Villager’s equivalent of “Who’s taking you to the prom?” now that the Prom King has been just about chosen.
They are awful, shallow, dangerous people who are hurting our country.
That Candy Crowly is a big Republican. When George Bush gave his last interview before leaving office she was holding his hand after the interview. I almost threw up. When she comes on I turn the channel.
Scarecrow, great post.
Another important point re Canada is that the USA has implanted a big focking tool in the person of Stephen Harper. Essentially, Harper like Obummer is a puppet for American and Canadian one percenters.
Big Oil can be assured that Obama is bullshitting when it comes to the pipeline and Green Energy.
If O didn’t lead on Green energy when he had the bully pulpit AND both houses of Congress, he sure as fuck can’t do anything about it now.
O, in campaign mode again, is simply pandering to his base. That’s the same base that Rham refers to as fucking returds.
I’ve disliked that candy girl since her coverage of Kerry’s run.
I’m almost tempted to name call, but I shall resist.
Canada is still part of North America no? Stop trying to create a story where there isn’t.
Oh, and thanks for the Sunday chuckles, Scarecrow.
Now I’m confused. You mean Canada isn’t part of the United States?
Hooray! Paul Ryan Proposes to Make Canada Part of the US
What a DaLewdinoid
Colonies (one of the opening actions of the Revolutionary war) invaded Canada before U.S. was a country. Can’t have too much land protecting security of colonies/U.S.
As the flea said, floating down the river on his back: Raise the drawbridge, I’ve got a hard on.
My first husband (1967-1977) was Canadian. That was before teh U.S. was the empire laughing stock of teh world and all Canadians had inferiority chips on their shoulders.
My how the worm turns.
Except Harper is right down there with Ryan and the worst of the worst in the U.S. But that’s another story.
The grasse may seem greener, but…
I think they’ll be welcome as long as we get their healthcare regime, with a few tweaks. Forget about the sludge, though.
Harper’s gonna trash Canadian medical system sooner than O will do it to U.S. JMO.
I asked you a bunch of Qs about garlic a couple of days ago but didn’t check back to see if you answered. My apologies. Did you see the Qs, did you answer? Should I ask them again?
I’ve often wondered how a conservative could be elected there. It must be entirely to do with economic attitudes. That would be a problem of course.
Still, I doubt there’s much room for racism and gun lust there, which often gets mixed into the worst of our own worst. The last time I was up there was 1960, when I was 13. Maybe I’m a tad out of date.
aren’t we consuming quite a bit less oil? i don’t get how they can even argue for this shit. and if they got all this black gold down from the Great White North we would hear “Ooops, sorry prices can’t come down just yet. Not enough brand, spanking new state-of-the-art refineries.” It’s all bullshit. I can deal with bullshit. What I can’t deal with is people of my own economic stratum – and lower-buying into it. What the fuck is wrong with these people?
I didn’t get into the weeds of the last Canadian election but it’s my impression that the libruls split, leaving Harper with the plurality.
Going to the way back machine, Canadians are venomously split on several fronts. I once had almost a black eye event in my apt bet a French Canadian (very cultured woman and not a gutteral French Canadian accent in English but a Parisian accent) and a moron Anglo Canadian guy who had a B.A. from MIT. Had to do with economics of bilingualism, as if that minor expense would ever make or break a high income economy.
I am not up to date with what today’s venom might involve, but expect there are plenty of issues boiling right at the surface, and think Harper, like Rove, might have figured out a way to exploit them.
Yes, I came back a bit late.
You’ll read a lot of hype about differences in taste between the various cultivars. I don’t notice such, and certainly not when garlic is used with other ingredients.
Shelf life varies between the cultivars. What went bad on your counter might have been a very early maturing cultivar, or it may not have been cured properly. Sometimes a bulb may have an internal defect which won’t be noticed for awhile.
Almost all cultivars I grow are hardneck garlics. They are best in the Northeast. The softneck cultivars are better for the South.
I was going to include 3 links:
http://www.garlicseedfoundation.info
http://www.filareefarm.com
http://www.wegrowgarlic.com
That’s what I recall from the garlic excursion. I think the last post was rather detailed.
Oh, there was something about planting successive crops. There’s really just one per year, to be planted in late fall and dug up about July 1st. Yet you can dig some early, before maturity, around mid May (small, very succulent bulb). You can also use it anytime thereafter. It’s best to leave most of the crop in the ground until it matures so you’ll get the best size bulbs, good shelf life, and planting stock for the next cycle.
Thanks for the info.
The thing I like about Ryan is his ability to stare blank faced into the camera and say any old thing that comes to his mind and, fuck, he knows he is right. You can see it in his face. He may be the perfect match for that other fuck face, Romney.
The Canadian System is run by the provinces. Harper might try to cut transfer payments, but that could cause a vote of no confidence.
I know we’re having some fun with this, but FWIW, my many Canadian friends are not laughing. Many believe with U.S. would take Canada in a heartbeat if it ever steps too far out of line.
If history is any indication, and I believe that it is, releasing oil from the strategic reserve would have little effect on prices. Oil was released in June of 2011 in response to the Libyan revolution and within two weeks world prices were back at former levels. Exactly why do you believe a release now would have different results?
On another note, Gingrich was on FTN yesterday and he had the temerity to state that the Dakotas have 24 BILLION barrels of oil and that the U.S. can be the world’s largest producer of oil, if only the Democrats and environmentalists would get out of the way. Elect Republicans and here comes $2.50 a gallon gasoline!!!!!!!!!!
I think there was immense corruption in Quebec with the liberals, unions, and mafia selling off contracts.