The New "OIL CRISIS"

We have a pending disaster for the economy on our hands because of the skyrocketing price of oil.

http://cbs.marketwatch.com/news/newsfinder/pulseone.asp?guid={B413B36C-DFC6-449C-9F03-1A93BF415838}&siteid=mktw&dist=bnb

We are in a recession for the last 4 years and we could be on our way to a depression in the world ecomomy if something is not done to stop the rising costs of oil which in turn affects everything that we purchase.

Truck drivers (semi truck drivers) are pulling their trucks off the road as they are losing money because of the cost of fuel.

When a man can sit at home and do better than he can when he is working for a living, what does that tell you about the state of the economy.

This is a disaster waiting to happen, too bad it is happening right before your eyes folks.

The Oil Men must realize that you can not steal every dime from your customers and expect them to be able to buy from you tommorow after you have bankrupted them.

Lets hope the "Oil Men" are defeated in a land slide in November because this country is being destroyed by their corruption

 

Very simplistic view of things. There are underlying reasons for the gas prices going higher. You can't make a blanket statement that oil men want to steal every dime out of your pockets. It makes no sense at all. First, to believe this; you must not think that gas prices ever go down (which they do); second you do not understand supply and demand. Supply is in question right now cuz oil (for some odd reason) always comes from the most chaotic parts of the world - God's great joke if you ask me.

Secondly, there is no current alternative. The situation right now isn't perfect (or near it), but there is nothing better on the table. Even if today --right now-- you make an engine that runs on an alternative fuel; imagine how long it would take to get the vast majority of vehicles in this country (or the world) to use those engines (who would pay for it? think everyone in this country can afford a new car or an engine replacement) or get them off the road an people into new vehicles. 20 years, 30 years? Then, consider the economic impact of this maneuver. Every street corner in america has a gas station it. Now that they aren't needed anymore; what to do with them/ They can't profit as convenience stores - why pay 3x more for a coke when you aren't there to buy gas now. So every street corner is america (or the world) has a dead building - urban blight.

The short is; you can complain and whine and beat out the robotic mantra "oil men are running the country" but there is no short term solution to it. Who ever wins the next election cannot even put a process in place to begin any sort of change on this. Its' a decades (yes, decades) long process that is just beginning to unfold (hybrid cars, air powered cars, etc).

 

Do you understand the history of the first "OIL CRISIS" in 1973?

Who do you feel was responsible for that? Would your answer be the complex explanation you give for the current "OIL CRISIS".

Do you feel that corrupt men had anything to do with the "ENRON SCAM" or were those supply and demand situations also?

Please answer these questions and enlighten us all so we do not follow simple viewpoints.

 

Enron was obviously corrupt, but the situation was exaserbated by the incompetent governor (Davis) who negotiated contracts way above the market price to try and alleviate the energy shortage that CA really brought on itself. CA hasn't made a new power plant in like 30 years, despite the fact that its population has more than doubled in that space of time. Is that a pattern for success? Nah. Funny thing is, CA has a virtually unlimited source of energy from the steam vents that it won't use cuz they look pretty.

Whole country will face this same problem soon. We aren't building any more fuel refineries anymore; which is part of the reason that fuel prices are higher - we can't refine the fuel as fast as we can import it.

There are lots of ways to fix or begin to fix the problems, but singling out a few people isn't helpful nor productive.

I don't pretend to have a solution for the current "oil crisis" as you put it. I know its not as simple as "oil men ruining america" "enron" or the plethora of other catch phrases bantied about. Finding ways to make ourselves energy independent is step 1 - short term thru ANWR or more off coast drilling while other methods of fuel production are found would be a good start though.

If you want my gut instinct on the best way to fix the situation; it'd be to get some people together, figure out how to harness lightning that naturally occurs in the skies. That's the great future source of endless power, but its not really explored for some reason.

 

You sound very intelligent with great concepts and ideas, but we have been down this road before in 1973-74 when Nixon and Kissinger rigged the oil markets with their ARAB partners (OPEC) for the oil companies benefit.

We went to economy cars and that nearly ruined the American auto manufacturing business and gave Japan a foothold in the auto marketplace because Honda, Datsun and Toyota could produce fuel efficient cars better than our own domestic companies.

What did Ford and GM come up with? Pinto's and Vega's, the two biggest jokes on the American public ever (not as bad as the rigged oil markets that caused the situation).

So America has seen this before, it is an old game that we are not going to keep playing with corrupt oil men, this is just an extension of those days.

Yes we can solve the energy problem, get our asses out of the middle east and treat those folks with respect.

Let them have their oil industry, why do we need to maintain bases over there risking WW3?

If we can find a way to make peace and trade fairly with those nations the markets will find their way.

They have to sell the oil to someone, but this corruption in the OIL/MILITARY complex keeps the situation a mess.

That is what you need to understand, our not minding our own business is causing this problem, we do NOT need to run those nations.

But we do need to get along with them and trade fairly with them.

The above is what is causing the problems we face, it is called GREED and not minding your own business.

 

Maybe the the chaotic parts of the world with oil are chaotic in part because they have oil. Wars are usually over money and oil = lots of money. Iraq is no exception.

 

Antony, could you enlighten me on this please? Is the joke small, economical but low-powered engines (when compared to the V8) Why am I thinking AMC Pacer and then "Wayne's World" ?

 

If it were not for GREED and MISMANAGEMENT of policy by Nixon and the master minipulator Henry Kissinger rigging the oil markets for the oil companies with their Arab partners we would never be in the energy mess we are in today.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1973_energy_crisis

Lever, they primed the corruption pump and folks just quit driving low MPG vehicles.

The automakers in Japan had great advantages because they could sell cars and American companies could not since they never made small cars before the Nixon/Kissinger corruption.

This also resulted in a "fake energy crisis" where they programmed folks to think we were "running out of oil", the biggest lie ever.

It also resulted in gas rationing and the federal goverment enacting the 55 MPH speed limit.

All a result of lies and greed changing the scene completely.

That is why we need to get rid of the Nixon boys, they are at it right now, the old Halliburton boys (Houston Oil Men, the Bush Family Foundation) are in control of the Nixionized Oil business.

These guys suck, they have ruined the economy and the world order with their greed, they need to go sit in the Sun and spend some of the money they stole and sent to offshore bank accounts.

 

Search on the Keywords of this search and research the truth, it is within the following search.

http://www.windseek.com/query?q=Nixon+oil+crisis&submit.x=16&submit.y=9

 

anthonycea, what car do you drive?

 

Most of my life I have been a pick up truck or van man, 1/2 - 3/4 ton class.

Why, what do you drive?

I am going to get a pogo stick if gas prices continue to rise

 

What MPG do you get out of them? Why not do your part for the "oil crisis" and get a smaller vehicle?

 

I am doing my part, I do not drive unless I have to, I used to go into town everyday (40 miles to town) now maybe once every 4 days.

I have to have trucks to run my business, now your turn, what do you drive and where do you live?

 

"Even if today --right now-- you make an engine that runs on an alternative fuel; imagine how long it would take to get the vast majority of vehicles in this country (or the world) to use those engines"
Something we can do today is promote biodiesel. Diesel fuel made from soybeans, for example, can be used in unmodified engines and can be mixed with regular diesel or used 100%. The only problem (besides ramping up production) is that it costs more. (So does alcohol. That is why we have tax breaks to make gasoline-alcohol blends price comparable.)

 

My solution is to quit driving unless I HAVE to drive, it sure keeps me from paying for $2.30 a gallon gas.

Next if they drive us all into bankruptcy they can not sell any gas at any price.

A person with no money can not buy gas at .10 a gallon now can they?

When the "Houston Oil Men" (the Bush Family Foundation) figure that out maybe they will be able to understand economics.

It is plain that Bush Senior, GWB and Cheney do not understand economics, but they do understand how to steal money from the American people.

 

I drive a VW diesel. Practical looks alright, and has a awesome MPG, perfect for here in Manchester England.

 

THAT's the spirit - My work place is 5 miles away but I've tended to work from home over the last few years and walk or use the bike, only driving when I have to. By doing something like 5000 miles a year instead of the UK average 10000 or whatever it is, not only have I halved emissions but saved half my fuel bill - that would be the equivalent of about $1500.

And if Chrysler weren't just promoting a biodiesel Jeep, then things would be looking a bit brighter They need to have "normal" cars with biodiesel.

xml, you putting chip fat in your VW yet?

When will Subaru offer a flat-four turbo diesel option? I'd have one.

 

Nope, just passed my driving test, but maybe in the future.

 

What does oil have to do with the USA going to war?

Read the following article for the truth about why we pay a high price in lives and dollars for every gallon of gas.

http://www.alternet.org/story/20127/

Will you fight for the multi-trillion dollar oil industry?

 

Without getting into that "the Iraqi war was all about oil" conspiracy theory, I must chime in here to say that Anthony is correct about one thing at least: the current "oil crisis" has little or nothing to do with supply and demand -- it's about hysteria and overreaction, and possibly about oil entrepreneurs playing on fear. Within the past couple of weeks, CBC radio had an interview with the Saudi oil minister who was stating in very simple clear words that there is no oil shortage, that they still have capacity they could bring online if a shortage were to develop, and that he could not conceive of a world situation in the immediate future that should result in a crisis. He stated that in his opinion the price of oil was well over what it should be currently -- that it should be more in the range of $35-40 than over $50 (those may be Canadian dollars) -- and he pointed out that the US has been increasing its domestic reserves for some time to the point where it is at its highest level in years (and maybe ever, I can't recall exactly).

The other point is that what you pay isn't just a reflection of cost or oil company profits but also taxes. Here in Canada, if the government had any real interest in lowering gas and heating oil costs, they could do it almost instantly: of the 80 to 90 cents per litre we are currently paying, approximately 36 cents of that is taxes, possibly more.