Veteran ad ties terrorism to oil, clean energy

by In the news Saturday, April 17. 2010

This ad made the TV talk circuit. Very professional and very provocative. Is there some solid truth to their points?

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Posted by In the news at 06:00 | Posted in Measure 37 | 14 Comments |

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Bob Clark

This ad is misguided in large part. Climate and energy independence are actually at least partially independent issues. If you wanted true energy independence, it could be fairly rapidly achieved by turning to a combination of America’s huge coal resources, opening up a remote unused part of Alaska to oil drilling, continuing the effort of building more wind and hydroelectric facilities, allowing natural gas supply continue to grow, continued conservation efforts. It is highly uncertain man can do anything about climate “change” as the climate is always changing be it volcanoes, earthquakes and sun spot activity. These megaforces make man’s carbon dioxide emissions pale in comparison. That’s not to say we shouldn’t individually try to live with a balance of environment and economy. But this Ad’s solution is add to the intrusion and tyranny of big government.

What’s somewhat true is oil imports do help prop up regimes like Russia, Venezuela and Iran. But they also help countries like Mexico, Canada, and Brazil. Also, bad actors are not necessarily aided by oil export revenues. For instance, North Korea and Afghanistan. The U.S actually ships oil product to North Korea as part of a ransom deal the Clinton administration dreamed up.

Drill baby, drill; and let technology continue to evolve and reduce pollution as it has been doing over the ages. No need to shrink the economy overnight inorder to make an immeasurable dent in man made global warming. Economic maliase can actually lead to a higher rate of war as big government leaders become more desparate to offer material gains.

valley p

I think you missed the point Bob. The ad makes a direct connect between the price of oil and the ability of certain oil rich nations to have the money to fund people trying to kill Americans. The global price of oil can be influenced by American government policy and by American consumers. We are by far the largest consumers on the planet. If we taxed oil at the level Europeans already do, we would significantly reduce demand, and assuming demand and supply and price are linked, we would deprive funds to the enemy. We likely do not have nearly enough domestic oil, offshore or in Alaska, to influence the price of oil one way or the other, not matter how much we drill. And that oil is going to be expensive to explore for and produce and transport. Thus it can’t bring the price down.

Coal is not a substitute for oil because it is used differently, one for electricity and one for transportation. You reduce oil consumption by driving less, and by driving lighter, more fuel efficient vehicles. The Europeans figure this out decades ago.

A synergistic benefit of using less is a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and other pollution.

Rupert in Springfield

>The Europeans figure this out decades ago.

Last I checked the Euros taxed gas like crazy and still had a big share of the terrorism pie.

High gas taxes didn’t seem to keep bombers out of the subway in Spain or London.

Nice try though.

valley p

“Last I checked the Euros taxed gas like crazy and still had a big share of the terrorism pie. ”

Are you really that obtuse? Their high taxes are not enough to make a sufficient impact on world oil prices because the US consumes so much oil we more than make up the difference. High GLOBAL oil prices help fund terrorism. Get it?

Nice try? Breaking through to you takes a lot more than a mere try, that is for sure. You work too hard at staying ignorant. It seems to be a point of pride with you.

But let me “try” again, just for the hell of it. High GLOBAL demand for oil keeps PRICES UP. The Europeans have more than done their part to lower demand by making the price TO THEMSELVES high. It is up to US to help lower demand further. Or do you prefer to continue to help fund terrorists instead?

jim karlock

Hey Dean don’t your ever get anything right?

Oil prices are set buy a cartel, not demand. Its called OPEC.

Absent a cartel, prices are set NOT by DEMAND, but by the balance of supply and demand. All we need to do is increase supply, by getting rid of the green idiots influence on the government.

Scatcat

Taxing American energy consumption will only case more misery that cure the problem with terrorism. Iran oils supply is sold on the markets (think chinese) so what every we do in the US will not have much effect in world oil reviews. Furthermore, you seem to forget Islamic terrorism has no bassos in economics. It is more of an idealogical battle.

jim karlock

Misery is the goal of people like Dean. Most of his ilk think there are too many people and nature is more important than people’s well being.

valley p

“Oil prices are set buy a cartel, not demand.”

2 points. First, the cartel can only maintain a high price if demand exceeds supply, and they can only cut supply just so much because there are supplies who are not members. Second, if they sell less oil at the same price as today, they have less money left over to fund those trying to kill us.
jim karlock

Again you show your ignorance of basic economics. The cartel just cuts the supply to meet the demand at the higher price.

Bad For LIBS

This ad is retarded LIB idiocy at it’s finest. Why these douches even made this message board shows what retards live in Oregon.
jim karlock

Dean Apostle:
First, the cartel can only maintain a high price if demand exceeds supply,
JK: Again you show your ignorance of basic economics. The cartel just cuts the supply to meet the demand at the higher price.

Thanks
JK

valley p

I guess you failed to read the 2nd half of my post. I’ll repeat it for you:

*Second, if they sell less oil at the same price as today, they have less money left over to fund those trying to kill us*

Get that Jim? If they sell us less oil at the same price they make less money than before. Which one of us is expressing ignorance of economics here?

jim karlock

Dean Apolstle: I guess you failed to read the 2nd half of my post. I’ll repeat it for you:
JK: I only chose to point out your error in the first part. Why did that generate an insulting reply?

Thanks
JK

valley p

What insulting reply? You accused me of ignorance and I returned the volley? If you found that insulting then you should not have thrown the term out first.

And you are still left with the fact that the oil cartel can’t maintain the amount of money they earn by cutting production. They can only maintain their profit margin. And history shows that even this is temporary. Over time they start to undercut each other, as they did in the 80s.