The Oil Baron Speaks
I am fascinated with the human condition--the motives behind what men do. I've sported my personal opinion as to the reasons behind the rising price of gasoline, but I've said little because I really don't know a great deal about the oil and gas industries. However, I do know that men have motives, and until now, the oil industry has said very little about theirs--they've only continued to post record profits.
Much is made of Peak Oil, i.e., that the world's supply of oil has peaked and is now declining. I still don't buy that supposition. Other theories have to do with the Middle East and the U.S. control of the world's oil supply. Some tie this together with the Peak Oil theory supposing that the U.S. military presence in the Middle East is strictly to seize the primary sources of oil in order to better control dependent nations like China and Russia.
Bush promised that proceeds from the flow of Iraqi oil fields would pay for the war. That never happened. Chalk it up as Lie No. 150 from the neoconservatives. I'm reminded of a line from Forrest Gump when after he was shot in the backside the Army told him it was a "million dollar wound." He said, "The Army must keep that million dollars, because I never saw a dime of that money." We never saw a drop of that oil.
So, why the price hikes at the pump? Well, my third-grade explanation was always that rising fuel prices would frustrate the American population to pressure Congress to expand U.S. drilling in the Western Hemisphere, i.e., more drilling in the Gulf, Alaska, and domestic regions. I believed that because I recall that being a primary debate before 2001. Granted, oil companies are raking in huge profits from the rising price of oil, but again, their motives--in my opinion--could not be isolated to short-term thinking. I think they still long for the days of "J.R. Ewing" extracting millions of barrels out of his own backyard. They must want more than record quarterly profits in the short term. There must be a more extensive agenda that reaps billions without inspiring anger in the American people. By that I mean the anger of Joe Citizen at the pump. I doubt the U.S. oil cartels care a rip about Greenpeace. They want the legislation changed, and the Green Movement can whine as much as they want. The majority of Americans will welcome homeland drilling for reduced pump prices.
Here's the CEO of Shell who's now touring America to "listen" to what frustrated citizens have to say. Notice his suggested solution:
Much is made of Peak Oil, i.e., that the world's supply of oil has peaked and is now declining. I still don't buy that supposition. Other theories have to do with the Middle East and the U.S. control of the world's oil supply. Some tie this together with the Peak Oil theory supposing that the U.S. military presence in the Middle East is strictly to seize the primary sources of oil in order to better control dependent nations like China and Russia.
Bush promised that proceeds from the flow of Iraqi oil fields would pay for the war. That never happened. Chalk it up as Lie No. 150 from the neoconservatives. I'm reminded of a line from Forrest Gump when after he was shot in the backside the Army told him it was a "million dollar wound." He said, "The Army must keep that million dollars, because I never saw a dime of that money." We never saw a drop of that oil.
So, why the price hikes at the pump? Well, my third-grade explanation was always that rising fuel prices would frustrate the American population to pressure Congress to expand U.S. drilling in the Western Hemisphere, i.e., more drilling in the Gulf, Alaska, and domestic regions. I believed that because I recall that being a primary debate before 2001. Granted, oil companies are raking in huge profits from the rising price of oil, but again, their motives--in my opinion--could not be isolated to short-term thinking. I think they still long for the days of "J.R. Ewing" extracting millions of barrels out of his own backyard. They must want more than record quarterly profits in the short term. There must be a more extensive agenda that reaps billions without inspiring anger in the American people. By that I mean the anger of Joe Citizen at the pump. I doubt the U.S. oil cartels care a rip about Greenpeace. They want the legislation changed, and the Green Movement can whine as much as they want. The majority of Americans will welcome homeland drilling for reduced pump prices.
Here's the CEO of Shell who's now touring America to "listen" to what frustrated citizens have to say. Notice his suggested solution:
