Are We in Crisis Mode Yet?
What's a country to do when even its oil industry insider White House can't get Joe Public a break at the gas pump? Maybe we just haven't hit the breaking point yet? What would Jed Clampett do?
I live in Chicago where gas is always expensive. It's one of the many costs to living in a great American city. But this week gas topped $3 a gallon, and not just here. According to this LA Times article, the U.S. average was $2.825 a gallon Thursday, a 2.4-cent increase from Wednesday. That's some heavy change, my friends and one of the main reasons most American's still rate the economy as being in the shitter despite gains on Wall Street.
Luckily, we have Oil Men in the White House. This is their stock and trade. They know how to solve the problem and can talk to oil producers in their own language. But do they see things like you and me? Do they feel the energy crunch?
In July 2001, Vice President Cheney thought rising gas costs wasn't such a big deal, "If your gasoline goes from $1.25 a gallon to $2 a gallon, the American people think they have a crisis." Well, Dick, what about $3 a gallon? Is THAT a concern? Of course, Cheney considers conservation to be a matter of "personal virtue" and not public policy.
In what is starting to haunt the President, Bush said on the campaign trail on June 28, 2000, "I would work with our friends in OPEC to convince them to open up the spigot, to increase the supply. ... Use the capital that my administration will earn, with the Kuwaitis or the Saudis, and convince them to open up the spigot." I hope he didn't keep that capital with the Saudis and the Kuwaitis in the same bag that he kept his political capital earned after the '04 re-election. That shit ran dry about two weeks later.
And whatever became of the Energy Policy Taskforce that was so secret Cheney wouldn't tell us (the American public) who was on the roster? Is THIS what they came up with?
I'd sooner defer to Jed Clampett and his energy policy of shooting randomly into the ground.
Comments
Well, technically, Jed was shootin' at some food when up through the ground came a bubblin' crude. Oil, that is. Black gold. Texas tea.
Posted by: Jake![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://poljunk.gloriousnoise.com/nav-commenters.gif)
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April 21, 2006 12:10 PM
RE: And whatever became of the Energy Policy Taskforce that was so secret Cheney wouldn’t tell us (the American public) who was on the roster? Is THIS what they came up with?
I wouldn't be surprised if this is EXACTLY what they came up with. Remeber, this is a CEO Administration. Their first loyalties are to themselves and the oil industry interests that funded their campaigns. Even if the Democrats take both houses in '06 and the White House in '08, it will take them years to alleviate the problem (to the extent that legislative action would be an effective part of the solution by that time, with increasing global demand and shrinking supplies and all...). Meanwhile, Bu$hCo will continue to reap (rape?) massive profits. Politics-as-business-venture.
Posted by: JML | April 21, 2006 6:36 PM