Pain At The Pump
The Biden Administration expresses alarm over the substantial rise in gasoline prices at service stations nationwide. But asserts there is nothing that can be done about it right away. Their solution: we should all park our gas guzzlers and plop down tens of thousands of dollars for electric vehicles (EV) to rescue us from the gas pump umbilical. This is a form, by the way, of ‘gaslighting,’ the recently developed political power tactic for mind manipulation, twisting events to shift blame, in an effort for, let’s say, an abuser (in this case, the Democrat/Progressive administration) to control a victim (in this case, and all too often any more, the American public).
Yep, that’s right, you naïve pump-suffering Americans, there’s nothing to do about gasoline prices for now, so step up, open your wallets, and be a part of the solution. Use what’s left of your savings to buy an EV. Even though there are very few charging stations available, (beyond home garage outlets), yet while out there on the road, at least you’ll be free of those staggering gasoline pump prices, while you’re coasting to a dead-battery stop along the side of the road or in traffic somewhere. Caution: Gaslighting ahead: Just know that the sky-high gas prices are the direct result of Putin’s invasion of Ukraine (known now as ‘Putin’s Price Hike’), or even U.S. energy companies “who won’t produce more,” and then there’s probably always something President Trump did. And doggone it all, shucks, there just isn’t anything our majestic production-hands-tying, but darned concerned Central (Americans-be-damned) Government can do about it right now.
Well, truth be told (sorry for the inconvenience of truth), there actually is much that could be done to turn this around and get us headed back to energy independence, or close to it, which would bring down those pump-melting prices. Take the politically-impulsive, regulatory handcuffs off America’s strong, productive, free-enterprise, competition-driven energy industry, and let corporate and working Americans solve America’s energy crisis. Turn the energy industry, that is, the fossil fuel energy industry, loose and then, without government interference, watch American ingenuity and productivity solve our own problem.
But the Biden administration simply won’t, can’t, do that simple thing. Because it is under the sinister spell of the Progressive Ultra-Left, those anti-America folks who are, until November (!), driving the D.C. bus (certain to be electric), and are certainly passing waves of self-projected biological gas at the mere thought or mention of fossil fuels. So, all of the restrictive drilling regulations, financing restrictions, lease cancellations, etc., not to mention the crown jewel of cancellations, the Keystone XL pipeline, that Mr. Biden imposed on his first day in office, with succeeding orders thereafter, have successfully thwarted the increase in domestic oil and natural gas production that America needs in order to maintain our economy, our security, and our public’s financial peace of mind.
Minus the persistent mental manipulation and duping of the public, the gaslighting, if you will, there are actually just three words that most accurately place the blame for our growing lack of energy independence where it belongs, and will stay, pending a miraculous, but necessary, political 180-degree policy shift. And those three words are: The Biden Administration. Domestic gas supply and responsibility starts and stops there.
And to underscore their impenetrable political firewall, preventing America’s renewed oil and gas production vigor, the Democrats in the House have just voted down Representative Dan Crenshaw’s (R-TX) bill, “The American Energy Independence from Russia Act,” that would have permitted the re-starting of the Keystone XL pipeline project (representing millions of gallons of additional oil per day, not right now, but once completed and operating), and freeing up stalled federal oil & gas leases. Said Representative Crenshaw: “Surely he (President Biden) knows we can also boost domestic production right here at home. Surely, he knows that domestic production supports American jobs. And surely, he knows that domestic production is cleaner, by far, than foreign production.”
And that last fact is important, and equally overlooked by no-compromise-Progressives and Administration elites. American oil and gas production results in much cleaner grades of oil and natural gas than that supplied by the Russians, the Venezuelans, Iran, or OPEC, as the White House now hurriedly seeks import replacement for the Russian fuel just cut off from U.S. importation last week. Seeking to import known-to-be dirtier oil now from either enemy nations, or purely Socialist ones, rather than turning on America’s expert ability to increase our own domestic supply in a more environmentally-attentive manner.
The required new drilling lease auctions have been slowed, or even stopped, purposely by the foot-dragging feds who keep dreaming of sugar pops, solar panels, and windmills to solve our energy needs, which real-world folks in the know understand that such will not happen until truly reliable renewables are developed, and huge, huge batteries can be produced to supplement/store the best-case 50% renewables energy-production reliability.
And on the subject of leases, here’s the problem created by hard-ball federal resistance. “It takes 140 days or so for the feds to approve a drilling permit versus two for the state of Texas (!). Offshore leases were snapped up at the November auction, because companies expect it might be the last one.” Wrote the editors of the WSJ: “It’s almost a miracle that any oil and gas production is occurring in American amid this political hostility. The Ukrainian crisis ought to be an inflection point that causes the Biden administration to do an energy reset. Instead, the President says that it ‘should motivate us to accelerate the transition to clean energy’ and reduce our dependence on fossil fuels.”
That is pure Progressive gibberish. Anyone with a real-world, non-myopic, functioning brain knows that transitioning to some yet-undeveloped form of reliable, economic renewables (only one available now: nuclear!!) is many, many years away, perhaps generations, especially given the negative response to that word “nuclear.” Oh, and by the way, while EV elites are purposely overlooking the obvious, how exactly will we be producing the power for all of these currently-expensive (if even available) electric cars, trucks, buses, etc.? You guessed it. Not from sun and wind! But from good old, American-produced cleaner oil and natural gas (and even less-clean coal, when and if need be)!!!
To date in 2022, America’s oil production is down 8% from where it was in 2019, during the Trump presidency. Along with the well-known and regrettable White House political resistance to fossil fuels, that have successfully powered the nation for generations, the administration’s restrictions and love-affair with sun and wind, has caused prospecting and drilling financing to become a key factor in cranking up American production. Lenders “have become more wary of funding oil-related ventures as environmental and social ideas catch on in financial circles,” with many ‘still unwilling to give money to most of the nation’s oil-field service companies, or to smaller oil producers who want to expand their operations.” Oil production is, in effect, suffering from ‘defunding.’ Which will only open back up when Democrat D.C. stops incessantly beating the impractical renewables drum.
Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV), becoming a helper and a hero to Conservatives, spoke about what would help bring gasoline prices down. Said he: “I think there’s a lot more we can do. We have to get back to the leasing process so that people (oil companies & lenders) have stability.” And that stability “means you can basically provide the energy that the country needs – the horsepower you receive from fossil fuels. You don’t receive that horsepower from renewables – not yet.” With the administration talking about buying ‘replacement’ oil (making up for the Russia cancellation) from non-friendly countries like Venezuela and Iran, rather than the common-sense route of encouraging our own increased production, Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) called the administration’s energy policy “completely incoherent,” and one that “makes no sense.”
Clearly, the Biden energy policy, which is anything but a pro-America policy, is naturally echoed by Vice President Harris. Said she, regarding our current record-high gas prices: this is the “price to pay for democracy.” Nope (hit the buzzer)! High gas prices are the price we are now all having to pay for a stubborn, climate-control-brained, Progressively-indoctrinated, singular-viewpoint, politically-driven-regardless-of-reality administration that absolutely refuses to authorize more of the obvious: U.S. oil and natural gas drilling and production! And that’s the only legitimate, America-First solution. Even opening things up in that direction, by a reluctant D.C., would at least begin to mentally relieve pump prices.
And one thing more in response to the VP’s slick avoidance of energy reality. Pump prices are certainly not the price we pay for democracy! Financial support for our military is the true price we pay for democracy, our security, and our blessed freedom. And we need to fund, beyond Ukraine, an even larger, modernized, ever-more-lethal American military (personnel and equipment) to make darn certain that our democracy and freedom can never be successfully challenged or taken away, whether by Russia, China, or the other volatile anti-America aggressor wanna-be’s
Even our European Union allies are beginning to see and accept the reality of unreliable renewables in the face of current Russian oil cut-backs. “The EU will soon announce its energy roadmap and has reportedly shifted its short-term focus from decarbonization (i.e., Green campaign), to energy security, likely relying for now on more coal, more nuclear, and gas generation, and overall allowing for more carbon emissions.” The return over there, for now at least, to fossil fuel reality.
For the record, again, our gasoline prices here at home began increasing before Russia invaded Ukraine, not after or because of. Triggering, along with supply issues, increased costs for most goods that consumers need and use. And on that note, writer John Nolte has expressed the situation this way: “Every product in the world is affected by energy prices because every product in the world is produced and/or shipped using energy. What this self-inflicted and unnecessary explosion in energy costs has done to decimate America’s working class and poor just doesn’t matter to the sociopathic green loons. The most insane thing of all is that we’re still burning the same amount of oil. How exactly are we reducing carbon emissions when we’re burning Russian, Venezuelan, and Middle Eastern oil instead of our own?” Great point. Oil is oil, so why not be burning more of our own, which is both cleaner and less costly!
And, thankfully, we can conclude this discussion with some really good news. Seventy percent (70%) of likely U.S. voters “believe that the U.S. government should encourage increased oil and gas production to reduce America’s dependence on foreign sources.” Only 18% opposed (12% undecided). That very recent, and very positive, survey result was conducted by the highly respected Rasmussen Reports organization. So, then, on that encouraging domestic production public support note, and looking ahead to this Fall’s Congressional elections, SiriusXM’s talk radio host, Andrew Wilkow has a great, pertinent, tongue-in-check suggestion: “Let’s start putting ballot drop boxes at gas stations, and see who gets elected”!!
(Crenshaw bill & Quote via dailycaller.com, Thomas Catenacci, 3-10-22; Permitting delays and production hostility quotes via The Wall Street Journal, Editors, 3-9-22; Oil company financing woes quotes via breitbart.com, Wendell Husebo, 3-9-22; Manchin quote via breitbart.com, Ian Hanchett, 3-10-22; Cruz quotes via breitbart.com, Trent Baker, 3-9-22; Harris quote via foxbusiness.com, Brooke Singman, 3-11-22; EU returns to fossil fuel centered reality quote via zerohedge.com, Tyler Durden, 3-8-22; Every product is impacted by energy prices quote via breitbart.com, John Nolte, 3-7-22; Rasmussen survey via rasmussen reports.com, Staff, 3-7-22; Ballot boxes at gas stations quote via breitbart.com, Robert Kraychik, 3-10-22).