archives:
et al:
anachronistic absurdities
kitty!
what's a girl to do?
caesurae
| 2.22.2005 |
8:13 PM It's Oil Prices, Stupid It would be overly simplistic to say that the United States went to war in Iraq over oil -- except that when you get to the bottom of it all that's essentially the case. There are several twists and turns that lead to this conclusion, but nothing we all can't figure out with coaching over a couple of beers. What they said: "We're looking for weapons of mass destruction." What they meant: "We're lookin' to fix these here A-rabs so they don't bend us over a barrel when they sell us oil." What became of it all: Them thar' A-rabs and other Muslims are now in a position to bend us over said barrel of oil, which is currently trading north of $51.50. Ouch. To put it nicely the United States now lacks the capacity to force anyone else in the world to do anything they don't want to do, all because W got a giant hard-on for Saddam Hussein, much like the one Saddam got for Satan in South Park: Bigger, Longer, and Uncut. The U.S. military is now spread thinner than Ashlee Simpson's talent, so the Bush administration is now forced into a policy of Selective Appeasement that means that security threats in Iran, North Korea, and Russia can only be met with the diplomatic equivalent of W standing in front of world leaders saying, "I dare you to knock this battery off my shoulder before I inadvertently choke on it." Will there be peace in his time? I truly doubt it. So, boys and girls, what's the matter with high oil prices? Doesn't the money just end up in the pockets of U.S. oil companies and multinational businesses that put the money back into the U.S. economy? The money is more likely to end up in the hands of those who aren't above directing it toward people with world views closer to Osama bin Laden than the Dalai Lama. Money spend on oil/energy is money that isn't spend on hiring more U.S. workers, investing in U.S. companies, research and development, and buying American products. Not that there are as many American products to buy, since the likes of Wal-Mart make the lion's share of what they sell in the People's Republic of China, where workers are lucky to bring home more than a few hundred dollars per year that I can guarantee you they will not be spending on U.S. products. Don't be surprised if within five years most unionized U.S. airlines cease to exist -- high oil prices mean high jet fuel prices mean higher ticket prices plus lower airline profit margins mean United = Depleted and U.S. Airways = U.S. Grounded. All of which makes for less travel and more stupid, sheltered Americans with less freedoms and even less propensity to use them. But there is hope at the end of the day: Perhaps enough of us will be moved to throw the bums out once enough of our pockets are pinched at the gas pump. |
|
p o w e r e d b y B l o g g e r
L i s t e d o n B l o g S h a r e s
|
||
