US policy in the Mid East has been defended because of the need to insure a stable political environment for the world's oil. So what gives? by Mark Vogl
(conservative)
Monday, February 28, 2011
For almost three quarters of a century the United States has pursued an expensive foreign and forward leaning military policy towards the Middle East. While Israel has been cited as the cause, so has a second reason, accessibility to the huge oil reserves located there. Part of the argument has been about globalism and insuring sufficient oil availability to the developing new world. There has been a constant linkage between the need for secure access to Mid-East oil, and the security of Israel.
In reality, that linkage is at odds. U. S pro-Israeli policies set us at odds with the Moslem world. That does not mean we should abandon Israel, but it does mean that for national security purposes we must be self-reliant with respect to energy resources.
Here in the US, environmentalists have been used as the excuse for not pursuing development of American oil reserves in the Gulf, in Alaska, and in the continental United States.
Some proponents of Israel might see US self-sufficiency as a strategic threat to continued US commitment to the Mid-East. And so one must wonder, is there a linkage between American Israeli supporters and the Green movement? Blockage of US resource development makes our nation dependent on foreign oil. For years, we (the American people) thought we didn't have a choice. We were told we didn’t have sufficient oil reserves to meet our needs. But recently it has come to public awareness that the US has sufficient resources for our own needs for 300 years! Yep...300 years.
Now we sit looking at 4 dollar a gallon gasoline.
Our economy has been hit by the loss of our industrial base because of overpriced domestic labor, our state and local government budgets are exploding because of ever inflating Medicaid and health care costs, and rising teacher salary - benefit packages, and our energy costs are rising despite new estimates which show the US has 300 years of oil and gas deposits. ( "The U.S. is sitting on the world’s largest, untapped oil reserves — reservoirs which energy experts know exist, but which have not yet been tapped and may not be attainable with current technology. In fact, such untapped reserves are estimated at about 2.3 trillion barrels, nearly three times more than the reserves held by Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) nations and sufficient to meet 300 years of demand — at today’s levels — for auto, truck, aircraft, heating and industrial fuel, without importing a single barrel of oil." provided by Kiplinger.com)
Now these policies are not the fault of President Obama. He's part of this, and is doing nothing to fix it. Obama is part of the Ivy League ruling elite which has brought the present conditions on the US.
But the question has to be why? Why are the ruling elite destroying America? Why are policies pursued which failed long ago? Are America's Best and Brightest truly only pedigreed imbeciles? Is it that America no longer has leaders who can make the simplest analytical comparisons and realize they are pursuing a faulty course?
Why are we spending billions in the Middle East nation building efforts? Why are we leaving our southern borders wide open? What the h - - l is going on?
At some point will governors and state legislators begin to consider secession as an option? Will the individual states start to consider whether they would be better off out side the union?
I know. These are radical, never talked about options. But, how far will we allow a totally inept federal government to sink us?
Ask a simple question...how long would you allow your own house to operate as unsoundly as our nation is now? How long would bill collectors, or your land lord, or mortgage holder allow you to just keep digging further into debt?
If American commitment to the Middle East is the cause for increased oil prices, or if it is the cause of unrest, which than causes the rise in oil prices, don't we have a responsibility to counter that with opening up of billions of barrels of US oil deposits?
The clock is ticking, and the ticking is getting louder.
Did you like this article? If you did, Thumb It! 2
thumbs so far
The views expressed
in this article are those of Mark Vogl only and
do not represent the views of Nolan Chart, LLC or its affiliates.
Mark Vogl is solely responsible for the contents
of this article and is not an employee or otherwise affiliated
with Nolan Chart, LLC in his/her role as a columnist.
Posted By: Bill Gee
Date: March 1, 2011 11:27:05 AM
Mark,
I REALLY wish you'd cite your sources! When you make the claim that we have sufficient oil reserves to meet domestic consumption for 300 years, I'd really like to read that study! Otherwise, it just looks like you're shooting your mouth off again without checking any of your facts.
This also goes with your linkage of the Green Movement with Isreali Supporters! Cite your sources, man!
You lose credibility with every column you submit that contains another bizzare conspiracy theory that fails to provide a single shred of evidence to support it. Perhaps checking one's sources is only valid for the "Ivy League ruling elite"?
You also claim that the govnernment is failing to make the "simplest analytical comparisons". Well, let's see your analytical comparisons and let's judge them for ourselves. (And don't forget to cite your sources!)
Posted By: Mark Vogl
Date: March 1, 2011 11:38:26 AM
For the 300 years of energy resource reserves....use the internet...you can find it. If you can't I will help you.
With respect to my question: is there an alliance between the Green Movement and Israeli supporters...there is no allegation. There is a question! Yes, I think on my own, and ask questions. Its a question that deserves exploration, if you are interested..explore it.
Posted By: Bill Gee
Date: March 1, 2011 12:57:25 PM
This is what I found:
According to the US Engergy Board, there are approximately 134.4 Billion barrels of oil in untapped reserves in the United States. (48.5 on land and 85.88 offshore)
Daily consumption of oil in the US is about 21 million barrels (in 2006)
That's a yearly consumption of about 7.7 billion barrels.
That's a total untapped reserve of 17.5 years - a far cry from 300 years.
Posted By: Bill Gee
Date: March 1, 2011 02:46:59 PM
This is nuts!
If you have something to show us, just do it! Add a link to your column so that I can review your research! Don't tell me there's a lot more out there and then not give me a website or a geological survey report. I want to check your research, and unless you happen to work for a major oil company and giving me that information would violate insider trading rules, (and if that's the case you could get into trouble for even hinting that there's more oil out there) show me where you're getting your information!
Also, with regard to your "Green" conspiracy theory, when you "pose a question" in the form of a statement on a public forum, you run the risk of someone repeating that statement and misinterpreting it as "fact". The "fact" is that no such conspiracy exists because you have provided absolutely no evidence except for a "fallacy of compostition" statement, which just happens to be your own baseless rantings! If you need to know what a "fallacy of compostion" is, look it up.
Posted By: Jahfre Fire Eater
Date: March 1, 2011 07:12:29 PM
Mark,
War is not an investment. It never "pays off." It just takes and kills and takes and kills. That is the point. Perpetual war is the payoff, not some eventual pay off or victory that you can pin your hopes on. The USA is a war-based economy. Every one of our States is economically addicted to military spending. Many local communities are nearly entirely dependent on the constant expenditure of munitions and war machines.
The only way out of our current economic decline and debt is BIG war. Democrats have always chosen war to facing the failure of their economic policy. This time around we need more serious opponents than 3rd world nomads with IEDs and leftover Russian weapons from the 1980's. Obama or the next Democrat president, will see no choice but to ignite WWIII to "fix" the economy.
-Jahfre Fire Eater
Posted By: Interested Catholic
Date: March 3, 2011 02:42:23 PM
Mark,
Would secession fix the economy? If so, how? Can you provide any concrete examples that would demonstrate how seceding from the union would benefit a state?
Posted By: Mark Vogl
Date: March 10, 2011 01:14:16 PM
Secession could not only help the state which left, but could dramatically help the remainder of the union? How?
Well, for the state that left, all of the requirements which are federally mandated, but unfunded, could cease. Example: the federal government refuses to guard the border and deal with illegals, but they also do not fund the social costs of illegals. This could cease as separate states could expell illegals. Further, states which do not have heavy social costs could gain by reducing their federal burden. Further, we could under the cut the costs of those states which want to pay all the taxes.
Now how would it help the union. If the Southern and some western states departed, the rest of the states, and the federal government might stop imposing their views on the states remaining.
believe me, we here in Texas wish we were a separate Republic.
Posted By: Interested Catholic
Date: March 17, 2011 10:25:04 AM
Mark,
Thanks for the examples and explanations. These are interesting ideas and something to think about and I appreciate you answering my questions. I feel certain that there would be ramifications that may not have been thought of, but some of these ideas seem plausible.
