Aug
3
The Energy Problem is Really a Political Problem
August 3, 2008 | 5 Comments
Last Friday saw the members of Congress, again for the several hundredth time, exit their jobs with the work undone. This again leaves the United States, for more of an indeterminate period of time, without any governmentally founded basis for working to a solution for expanding energy and fuel supplies. Its as if they don’t work for the American People. That may be closer to the truth than many are willing to face.
With resources in supplies and know how that can easily overcome the problem, and the reality of new efforts leading to a bigger and stronger economy along with a reduction in exporting capital – people have to wonder where the sense is in it all. With billions of barrels crude oil, billions if not trillions of oil equivalent in nuclear, an inexhaustible supply of sun powered systems and biology processes for alternatives and the innovative and creative intelligence to put it all on the markets, Congress recessing, like spoiled elementary kids with the job not finished is not just irritating – it is harmful to everyone.
The situation is not new, it’s a development over decades that’s seen society push more responsibility for managing things like the land, sea and air into the grip of a slow, easily subverted and self interested system called government. Its our own, and our preceding generations fault. We have come to believe that government has a useful role in getting the big issues of common concern to everyone compromised and set into a workable system or process. The reach of government from something seemingly so simple as financial reporting and everyone paying taxes has become a huge burden for some, a means to get a free ride for others, and special advantages for many has regressed into a corrupting influence that permeates the whole of the economy. As much as we have pushed responsibility on to government – we remain responsible to solve our own problems – which is getting more difficult as government has only made it more costly and difficult to be responsible for ourselves.
The wish to protect our environment mutated into a battle over resources. The effort to get new oil supplies, keep the wind industry growing, and other alternatives fed incentives to overcome the tax burden noted in the last paragraph has almost everything stopped, stalled or in deep confusion. All while gas just a couple of weeks ago was over $4.00 and we haven’t even seen what home heating costs will do this winter.
It’s a near certainty that oil will go down, as demand destruction has taken hold. But by no means have the consumption tools like SUVs and light trucks been junked by the tens of millions – cheaper oil at this time will mean more gasoline sales – which means the demand destruction won’t stay destroyed, it going to come back- and when it does we’ll go through the whole cycle again with an even higher peak. Both of the two previous massive price run-ups were artificial – embargoes by suppliers. But this time its different, demand has over run supply. This will cycle endlessly unless the useful things get done. The sooner the facts are answered with action, the better – and the longer we put off acting the more grievous and expensive the needed changes will be.
I’m bringing this up today because I’m miffed that those elected, high paid and high status members of Congress forgot what is important – the job. I will be at a certain meeting in a few evenings and make myself understood as one who is completely dissatisfied and expects the official to do what’s expected, just as you and I are when we work and have responsibilities to our job and the results the work brings to us and our loved ones.
Last weeks display of contempt to us, the employers and payers of government, is too much to ignore. There must be some “heads roll” for so completely and determinedly ignoring the business of American and free world economics. Not allowing a vote puts small and wickedly selfish interests ahead of everyone else – which is almost everyone. Enough is enough.
Its time for demand destruction to be applied to Ms. Pelosi’s career.
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Nancy Pelosi and Barbara Boxer have done more to strangle US energy prospects than any other two people alive, including anyone in OPEC or the Sierra Club.
This post makes a lot of sense !
I’ve been checking your blog for a while now, seems like everyday I learn something new 🙂 Thanks
Great read. Thanks for the info!
Awesome post. I so good to see someone taking the time to share this information