IN CONGRESS, July 4, 1776.
The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America,
When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.— That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.
Keyword: oil
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Americans still say protection should be a priority over the economy, but nearly three in four favor offshore drilling. With the U.S. economy mired in a slump, Americans still believe saving the environment is more important than fixing the economy, according to a new poll released Thursday. But consumers are more closely divided on the issue than they have been in the past. According to a CNN/Opinion Research poll, 49% of Americans say protection of the environment should be given priority, even at the risk of curbing economic growth. That compares to 44% of those surveyed who said the economy...
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America has become an empire. Everyone says so. This is a surprise to most Americans, since few imagined that they were building such a thing. But, as historians such as Walter Nugent and Robert Kagan have recently taught us, Americans have been at this imperialist expansionism for quite some time — really since the beginning of the republic. How else to explain that the United States has gone from a handful of agrarian colonies to a world-spanning colossus in the space of only a few centuries? As you read this, American military might is deployed across the planet. The U.S....
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You would think that this story is right out of science fiction. But the facts appear to be that the US Democrat-controlled Congress intends to destroy the Republican middle class with $11 per gallon gasoline. The Democrats’ base -- wealthy white “limousine liberals”, and very poor people -- won’t be harmed, but the families who live in suburbia will be devastated. The multi-millionaires like billionaire Senators John Kerry & Jay Rockefeller, financial speculator George Soros, filmmaker Michael Moore, and actors George Clooney & Meg Ryan can easily pay for their auto and private jet fuel. Poor people are forced to...
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Here's a thought experiment: Assume that Iraq's democratic government declared it was nationalizing its oil industry while excluding American companies from the country. How do you think U.S. politicians would react? With angry cries of "ingratitude" and "this is what Americans died for"? Of course they would, led no doubt by that critic for all reasons, Senator Chuck Schumer of New York. So it is passing strange that Mr. Schumer and other Senators are now assailing Iraq precisely because it is opening up to foreign oil companies, especially to U.S. majors like Exxon Mobil and Chevron. For some American pols,...
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Gas-tax increase only money on tableBy JIM NOLAN AND DAVID RESS RICHMOND TIMES-DISPATCH Published: July 4, 2008 It’s been called the “third rail” of the legislative debate over how to fund Virginia’s transportation solutions. Vote to increase the state’s gas tax, and you can start drafting your concession speech well before Election Day. Even Democratic Gov. Timothy M. Kaine steered away from the political pothole of incorporating a fuel tax increase into his $1 billion transportation proposal, calling fuel “a necessity of life” for Virginians. He also acknowledged the idea stood little chance of surviving the Republican-controlled House of Delegates....
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Five-point energy proposal may lower gas prices in near future5-point plan aims to help rid nation of 'oil addiction' By Kevin Clark | South Florida Sun-Sentinel 10:07 PM EDT, July 3, 2008 DEERFIELD BEACH - U.S. Rep. Ron Klein announced a "Declaration of Energy Independence" Thursday, a plan he hopes to push through Congress that he says will help the country with what he calls an "addiction to oil." Klein, D- Boca Raton, thinks the plan, unveiled at a news conference, , could work to lower gas prices in the near future. The five-point plan consists of: • Imposing criminal...
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DETROIT, July 4 (UPI) -- A mini-car designed by the General Motors (NYSE:BGM) Corp. for Asia and Latin America may soon be available in U.S. showrooms, a company spokesman says. GM spokesman Dee Allen said the automobile giant was reviewing its current sales plan in the United States following new demands in the domestic auto market because of soaring gasoline prices, The Detroit News said Friday. "Everything is under review," Allen said. "Obviously, the market has been changing rather rapidly." General Motors already used a 2007 New York auto show to unveil its new two-door hatchback, the 11 and a...
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You would think that this story is right out of science fiction. But the facts appear to be that the US Democrat-controlled Congress intends to destroy the Republican middle class with $11 per gallon gasoline. The Democrats’ base -- wealthy white “limousine liberals”, and very poor people -- won’t be harmed, but the families who live in suburbia will be devastated. The multi-millionaires like billionaire Senators John Kerry & Jay Rockefeller, financial speculator George Soros, filmmaker Michael Moore, and actors George Clooney & Meg Ryan can easily pay for their auto and private jet fuel. Poor people are forced to...
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Americans are worried. Americans are angry. Soaring gas prices are seriously crippling our economy and hitting us where it hurts the most -- in our pockets. We have a right to be angry, but anger is no longer enough. It’s time for rage -- good, old American rage aimed at those elitist Democrats who prefer to see the folks beggared by soaring fuel prices rather than take the action this very real economic crisis demands. Drill. We know that the law of supply and demand is what’s causing gas prices to soar, but merely knowing the ultimate cause of the...
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Independence Day and The Politics of Oil Matt Towery Oil and gasoline are on everybody's minds as Americans take to the roads for the July Fourth holiday weekend. John McCain has taken the subject head-on with his proposal to allow individual states to choose how and whether to increase oil and natural gas drilling off their coastlines. But first let's take a peek at Iraq. Its government recently awarded several major oil companies the rights to drill in Iraq. Accusations flew that the Bush administration played favorites with the American oil companies up for consideration to drill, but it was...
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You would think that this story is right out of science fiction. But the facts appear to be that the US Democrat-controlled Congress intends to destroy the Republican middle class with $11 per gallon gasoline.
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Without a doubt, crude oil is the most important commodity on our planet. Hypothetically if it vanished overnight, our entire modern world would collapse. No goods could move without the oil-derived transportation fuels, so virtually all trade would implode. Unlike nearly every other major commodity, there is just no economically-viable substitute for oil. And the fundamentals driving oil’s secular bull are unparalleled in their strength. As Asia awakens and enters the modern era, global demand for oil is rising relentlessly. Despite today’s unprecedented prices, demand remains strong all over the world. And of course once oil is burned, it is...
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Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Senators Debbie Stabenow, Amy Klobuchar and David Sandalow, an energy expert from the Brookings Institute, held a press conference today to showcase new automotive technologies that can help reduce our dependence on oil. With oil and gas prices expected to remain at record highs in the near future, rapid technological innovations in the transportation sector are critically important to help reduce energy costs, end our nation’s addiction to oil and reduce global warming pollution. “We need a clean energy revolution to unleash our brightest and most creative scientists, engineers and corporate leaders because we cannot...
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NEW YORK (Fortune) -- Atlanta hedge fund manager Michael Masters has been a star witness in two recent Congressional hearings on how speculators are supposedly driving up oil prices. Masters and I don't see eye-to-eye on this issue, so I was surprised to get a call from him after my "Don't Blame The Oil Speculators" column went up on Fortune.com last week. Masters contends that without speculators, the price of oil would be $65 or $70 a barrel. He points out that the amount invested in commodities index products has risen from $13 billion to $260 billion in five years,...
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Politicians who try to make oil cheaper by restraining speculation will just make things worse ALTHOUGH the price of oil continues to hit new records, it has in one respect been a quiet week on the oil markets. America’s lawmakers are celebrating Independence Day by taking a few days off. That has led to a brief interruption in the torrent of proposals aimed at curbing speculation. Ten different bills on the subject are in the works in Congress. Before the House of Representatives shut up shop, it approved one by a vote of 402-19. America’s politicians are not the only...
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What's the cause of $4 for a gallon of gasoline? To listen to Democrats in Congress and on the campaign trail -- and also some Republicans -- the answer is "price gouging," "speculation," "oil companies" or "the failed policies of George Bush and Dick Cheney." Everything is getting blamed except the well-documented obvious: the law of supply and demand. The history of U.S. energy policy is that Democrats have refused to increase supply and Republicans have refused to curtail demand. They are both to blame for $4 gasoline -- and they'd better get together to keep Americans from paying $200...
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Drilling off the coast of California, Florida and elsewhere would increase domestic oil production by 7 percent by 2030, according to the Energy Information Administration. But “because oil prices are determined on the international market…any impact on average wellhead prices is expected to be insignificant.” There is no short-term benefit to drilling, says the EIA, because it would take at least five years for oil production to begin. (Source: Center for American Progress.)
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PARIS: An attack -- or even an attempted attack -- by Islamic extremists on Saudi Arabia's oil sector would have disastrous consequences on the world market and the price per barrel, analysts warn. Of more than 700 people arrested in the course of the last six months in Saudi Arabia, dozens had been part of cells charged with preparing attacks against oil sites, according to authorities in Riyadh. With the price per barrel rising constantly and the capacity to increase global production almost non-existent, apart from in Saudi Arabia, the world market has never been so vulnerable to an offensive...
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...In 1985, privately owned cars were almost unknown in China. The number of motorized vehicles, however, multiplied 164-fold, from 2,328 in 1950 to 384,451 in 1990. Today, the number of privately owned automobiles in Beijing is approaching 3,000,000....(page 253 of the report)
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The UK government has committed itself to some ambitious green energy plans. It sounds good, but is it all hot air? Eoin Gleeson reports Why the scramble for wind power? Pressure from Europe. Last year, Britain made a commitment to meet 15% of its total energy consumption from renewable energy by 2020. But with all but one of the UK’s ten remaining nuclear stations facing closure over the next 15 years, Britain will also have to replace 40% of its generating capacity over the next six to eight years. So the Government is hoping to stave off blackouts by boosting...
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LONDON (Reuters) - A weaker dollar cannot be blamed for soaring oil prices as policymakers around the world tussle with the twin specters of rising inflation and slowing growth, U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson said on Thursday. Some of the world's leading oil producers and market analysts say the weak dollar is a key factor spurring many dollar-denominated commodities -- including oil -- to record highs, pushing the cost of living higher across the world. It is rare for the United States government to say anything about the greenback beyond its mantra that it believes in a strong dollar, but...
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An overlooked nook on our planet that may offer some smart lessons on how to cultivate the energy we need. Problems linked to foreign oil dependence are real and frightening. With oil prices north of $100 per barrel, constrictive environmental regulations proliferating, and incidents of pollution-related illness piling up, research into alternative energy sources is all the rage. As common as these efforts are becoming, it seems they still fall short of addressing the enormity of the crisis. Rather than fixate on the problems, however, let’s take a moment to look at a real-world example in an unexpected corner of...
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Just in time for Independence Day, the bible of the American left, The New York Times, continues to opine that the United States is a "nation in decline." Hoping to see a Democrat in the White House, the newspaper has been hammering home that theme on its editorial pages. The Times bases its claims on two primary situations: the negative view of America abroad and income inequality at home. So, let's take a look at the supposed "decline." Overseas, the world is largely a mess. Africa remains a chaotic cauldron of corruption, China continues its authoritarian rule, and there's no...
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I called and complained about gas prices. This is the claptrap I got back. Maria Cantwell United States Senator Voted to be 2nd dumbest politician in DC Dear Mr. kennyboy509 Thank you for contacting me with your concerns about the high energy prices in Washington state. I appreciate hearing from you on this matter of utmost importance to families and businesses across our nation. As I'm sure you know, the last few months have seen the highest recorded average gasoline and diesel prices ever seen in Washington. With volatile oil prices over $135 per barrel, and gasoline and diesel pump...
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Thank you for contacting me about drilling and oil exploration in the United States. I appreciate hearing your thoughts on this important matter. The rising cost of gasoline is having a profound impact on the residents of Southern Indiana and all aspects of Americans' everyday lives. During these tough times, it is important we focus on solutions that go to the heart of the issue, and not get distracted by partisan rhetoric. There is no silver bullet to reduce our reliance on foreign oil, but I believe there are realistic solutions that will help us lower U.S. gasoline prices. First,...
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THEY are the nightmares, the worst confluence of misguided decisions and startling violence, that politicians and oil executives ponder briefly and then shoo away: That sympathizers of Osama bin Laden sink three oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz and choke off the narrow, bow-shaped channel that funnels 14 million barrels a day from the Persian Gulf to the rest of the world. That the United States attacks Iraq, and Israel launches a huge strike against the Palestinians, driving them from their camps and staking out more land -- all of which spurs the Persian Gulf states to cut off...
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LONDON: London's Brent crude oil hit 146 dollars a barrel for the first time on Thursday, as traders reacted to Middle East tensions, falling US crude reserves and the weak dollar. Brent North Sea oil for August delivery surged to a life-time peak of 146.34 dollars. New York's main oil contract, light sweet crude for August delivery, meanwhile surged past 145 for the first time to reach an all-time pinnacle of 145.43 dollars a barrel. Analysts said a weaker US dollar, and data that revealed a drop in stockpiles of US crude, helped push prices higher. The US Energy Information...
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This year, we have an obligation to stand together behind a new declaration — a declaration of energy independence. We, as a nation, face an energy crisis, and I know that if we harness the same American ingenuity and commitment this country was founded on, we can solve this crisis. We have two responsibilities: Bring down gas prices in the short term and break our national addiction to oil in the long term. Moving toward clean, affordable alternative energy will strengthen our national security, revive our economy and preserve our environment, and the time is now. I announced a plan...
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Gasoline would be cheaper if countries ended their oil subsidies and let markets rule. In China, the government caps gas prices. Drivers there pay about half of what Americans pay. In many countries, oil prices are held artificially low, either by fiat or subsidy. The result? Consumption keeps rising, boosting global prices. About half of humanity, from India to Chile, now benefits from cut-rate petroleum prices. In 2008, these countries will account for all the growth in world oil demand, or an additional one million barrels a day, according to Deutsche Bank. Their consumption will be the highest in eight...
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Oil prices hit new peak above 145 dollars 12 minutes ago Oil prices broke through 145 dollars a barrel for the first time on Thursday, with Brent North Sea crude for August delivery at 145.01 dollars in Asian trade. The contract was up 75 cents from its close of 144.26 dollars in London the previous day, when the contract surged through 144 dollars for the first time. New York's benchmark futures contract, light sweet crude for August delivery, was 70 cents higher at 144.27 dollars a barrel from its record close of 143.57 dollars on the New York Mercantile Exchange...
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The dramatic rise in oil prices is a bubble, famous turnaround investor Wilbur Ross told CNBC Monday, noting that there is no apparent supply problem with crude. While discussing his investment strategies for the second half of the year, Ross touched on his outlook for commodities. Remember when oil went to $70 a barrel in the so-called 'Arab Oil Crisis,' there was a shortage. There were lines at gas stations, talking about rationing. There isn't a line at any gas station anywhere in the world, so there's clearly not a physical shortage," he said.
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Five Republican congressional candidates will travel to the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska to promote drilling there to reduce the U.S.’s dependence on foreign oil. “With gas prices at an all-time high, we need to take steps now to reduce our dependence on foreign oil,” said trip participant Craig Williams, who is challenging Joe Sestak (D-Pa.). “We have energy resources available to us domestically that can cut our dependence on foreign oil and provide a bridge to tomorrow when we can more heavily rely on renewable energy resources such as hydro-electric, solar and wind power.” Due to accompany Williams...
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An independent arm of the Republican National Committee plans to air its first political ad of the 2008 presidential campaign with a spot that contrasts the two candidates on energy issues. The group, which was set up by the national committee but is not limited by the same rules that govern the RNC's direct spending, plans a $3 million expenditure to run the television spots in Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. The ads will begin running on Sunday. The advertising program will be run by Brad Todd, a partner in an Alexandria, Va.-based firm called On Message, Inc. Todd had...
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HOUSTON — If drivers were looking for some relief at the pump this Fourth of July weekend, perhaps they should think again. Crude oil rose $2.60, to close at $143.57 a barrel, another record, on Wednesday after the Energy Department reported an unexpected decline in inventories. That left the price of a barrel of oil slowly closing in on $150 a barrel, the next likely psychological milestone to be crossed. “It’s unlikely that prices at the pump are going to fall anytime soon,” said Lawrence J. Goldstein, an energy analyst at the Energy Policy Research Foundation, a group backed by...
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Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) accused the State Department Wednesday of issuing “misleading” denials regarding its involvement in Hunt Oil’s controversial contract with the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG). Waxman, chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, also alleged that the results of his panel’s investigation raised serious questions as to the role the State Department played in the recently reported no-bid contracts between the Iraqi Ministry of Oil and prominent U.S. and multinational oil corporations. In a letter to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Waxman demanded that her office hand over all communications on the negotiation of the...
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I don't know how many of you have seen the powerpoint about the building boom in Dubai, but it has been going around in e-mail through various channels. It's a PowerPoint presentation that says a whole lot. The link above points to a listing for several powerpoints, but the one on the lower right-hand corner is one to watch in its entirety. You might need to scroll down a bit. You'll need the PowerPoint display application to see it, as it's in .pps. If you don't have that app, go get it at microsoft.com.
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Senate Democrats promise to kill Alaska drilling plan Hearst Newspapers WASHINGTON - Senate Democrats vowed Thursday to block a White House plan to open 1.5 million acres of protected Arctic wilderness for oil drilling and exploration, calling it "dead on arrival" one day after it was approved by the House of Representatives. The Senate will debate the plan after Labor Day. At issue is a swath of the 19 million-acre Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR)
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I offer here a list of spots you mught use to arm yourself and your family against current economic pressures. Please feel free. I don't work for any of these places. I just think things may tighten up before they loosen up, and would like to have a discussion aimed at helping people out.
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WASHINGTON, July 2 (UPI) -- U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry "Hank" Paulson is in the news a lot these days, but not for the reasons he would like: Seven and half years of reckless and blindly optimistic fiscal and energy policies are coming home to bite him and his master, President George W. Bush. Paulson acknowledged in Berlin Tuesday that soaring oil prices are dragging down economic prospects in the United States and around the world. "There is no doubt that both our countries, as well as the world, are feeling the burden of high oil prices," Paulson said following a...
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Republican Blogs by: Ben Giles, July 02, 2008 A blogger’s conference call in Rep. Michelle Bachmann’s (R-Minn.) office gave Republican congressmen a chance to spread their hopes for using the United States’ own resources for oil and natural gas to help offset rising fuel costs. “It is very difficult for us to meet the demands just on the domestic market if we are looking at the fact that we’ve capped our capacity,” said Rep. Marsha Blackman (R-Tenn). “We’ve capped our supply.” According to Blackman, the legislation which prohibits drilling offshore and in the Artic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) is irresponsible...
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Crude jumps by almost $3 as government reports a decline in crude stockpiles and a jump in gasoline supplies. Global tensions and the dollar also weigh on the markets.
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The consequences of a military attack on Iran to thwart its nuclear intentions could have a devastating economic impact. NBC News chief foreign correspondent Richard Engel warned on the July 1 “NBC Nightly News” an attack by Israel could send oil prices soaring – sending gas prices into territories never imagined.
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We’re surprised that Sen. Chuck Schumer can keep straight which foreign countries he’s haranguing to pump more oil and which he’s haranguing to stop pumping more oil. A few weeks ago the New York senator and aspiring global Petroleum Czar was threatening to block arms sales to Saudi Arabia if it didn’t produce more oil. Now, he’s outraged that the Iraqi government may give modest no-bid service contracts to Western oil companies as a first step toward more fully exploiting the country’s vast oil reserves. Perhaps Sen. Schumer would approve if the Saudis were to agree to pump the Iraq...
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Imagine that you were the CEO of large automobile manufacturer and last night the plant that manufactured the transmissions for your product was destroyed in a massive fire. What would you do? Would you...
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MADRID: The Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) on Tuesday set the steadying the US dollar and the easing of tensions between the West and Iran as key conditions for stabilizing oil prices
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Bill Phillips spent nearly 50 years in the US oil and gas industry; most of his career was with the Phillips Petroleum Company. Bill is a descendant of Frank Phillips. Frank Phillips, along with his brother Lee Eldas (L.E.) Phillips, Sr., founded the original Phillips Petroleum Company in 1917 in Bartlesville, OK. Do you remember Phillips 66 gas stations? Phillips Petroleum Company merged with Conoco, Inc. in 2002 to form the current ConocoPhillips oil company. So, when Bill talks about oil and gas issues, I tend to listen - very closely. I think that you will find Bill's thoughts and...
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Seven women pile out of a massive white Chevrolet Suburban and unload the vacuums, mops and buckets of their trade. Gasoline may cost $4 a gallon, but the Chevy's driver and business owner Leesa Baldwin has no intention of downsizing to a smaller vehicle. "I love my Suburban. I don't like paying for the gas, but it simplifies my life," said Baldwin, who bought the used 7,000-pound SUV two years ago for her cleaning business and hasn't looked back. As many Americans abandon SUVs and light trucks for more fuel-efficient vehicles, analysts and automakers alike are scrambling to gauge how...
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More than a dozen Democratic members of Congress critical of oil companies have investments in the industry, according to a review of lawmakers’ financial assets. At least 14 Democratic members of the House and one senator have holdings ranging from several thousand dollars to hundreds of thousands of dollars in companies such as Exxon Mobil Corp. and Chevron Corp. or partnerships such as Schlumberger and Hornbeck Offshore Services. These lawmakers have accused oil companies for making record profits, manipulating prices, benefiting from unnecessary tax breaks and trying to gobble up federal lands. Democrats argue that their criticisms of the oil...
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FIRST — do you know what ANWR is? ANWR = Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Now, why do you think that the democrats are lying about anwr? Remember when Al Gore said that the government should work to artificially raise gas prices to $5.00 a gallon? Well... Al gore and his fellow democrats have almost reached their goal! Now that you know that the democrats have been lying, what are you going to do about it? You can start by visiting this and then forwarding it to everyone you know so that they will know the truth. And remember to vote...
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"Can you believe these gas prices?"
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