Comments (138)

I think the whole issue of oil boils to its economic impact. It is certainly going to hurt the western economies, led by the US. But US and other western economies have long been working on alternative energy resources and have developed the alternative energy technology to a point where high global oil prices will over night turn the previously uneconomical alternative energy resources economical. The worst affected therefore will be the developing and underdeveloped economies. In developing economies China and India stand at the top as a major threat to the western economies, particularly the US and Europe. We have seen that soaring oil prices have literally strangled these two giants economically. They need more and more oil to keep the wheels of their economies turning but today they find oil too expensive and access to oil rich states of the Gulf falling to the control of the US and Europe one by one. So, while the western economies will be able to make successful shift to alternative energy resources, emerging economies including China and India will not find the transformation and shift that easy due to lack of access to alternative energy technologies, which can literally strangle their economic competitiveness in the face of soaring oil prices. The future political and economic developments in the world, specially with reference to energy and energy resources, will be quite interesting to watch.

You know that the administration is behind the high oil prices. We are occupying Iraq. Oh, by the way Iraq hold more than 20% of the oil in the world & they owe us according to Bush's administration after all they are always asking for our help to free them. Right??!!! Why aren't we asking them to increase oil production? They owe us right? No, Bush decide to ask Saudi instead? What is wrong with Bush? 12 of the september 11 hijackers were from Saudi yet we struck Iraq. Now, Iraq is greatfull for freeing them. Why are not we asking them to increase production? Hell, we aren't we increasing production in Iraq? Duhh. Bush's adminstration are just so corrupted. We are becoming a third world country because the people are not voting and acting. Lets have someone with a brain push for oil prices regulation just like we did to airlines?

In my opinion:
NOT ONLY DID BUSH STRIKE OIL - BUT BECAUSE OF THAT STRIKE HIS LARGESS IS OVER THE TOP! THIS ACTION BEGS FOR AN AUDIT AND PUBLIC DISCLOSURE OF THIS INFORMATION.

Bush’s Blind Trust: is just that! Blind! Do some due diligence here to see where this trust dollar levels are today
Furthermore, the callous disregard to the citizens of this country should not be surprising. Remember, the election that put this current resident in office, was greatly flawed, abused and misused. The people were lead down the road by an inept and academically challenged person, who is now residing at 1600 PA Avenue. The only hope we have is that this term will be his last, and if the American people really want their voice to be heard, make sure they steer clear of the republican party and their cohorts. The very idea that John McCain may succeed Bush in this upcoming election is frightening and fraught with apprehension and outright fear of again, having to do on-the-job training for someone who should know what the requirements are for this office.

The problem with the price spike can be leveled directly at the Bush administration. Common sense dictates that because of the conflict, oil producing countries who have taken up the residuals formerly belonging to Iraq, are now charging the USA for that conflict. It does not make sense. However, the USA should demand immediately, that the oil prices be rolled back to the price at the time of the invasion. No exceptions! Our national security is at stake, and it seems no one is interested in protecting our great country! Why?

The Bush administration should lead be example, and not follow poor judgment so far displayed by foreign and outside interests. This administration has made selling off America, bit by bit, a priority. To question why these prices have sky-rocketed, go and ask that person residing at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, and I do not mean the spouses of these numbsuchs.

Problems are not that difficult to understand. What the problem is; is lack of comprehension and forethought to the needs of the citizens of the United States of America. The next resident should be very careful not to continue the abuse and misuse of the public’s sacred trust! However, given Bush's penchant for mis-information, I do realize this effort could be rendered moot! Why? Beats the heck out of me!

The contempt with which the Arab world scorned at Bush suggests the fellow has even lower ratings around the world as compared to US. He reminds me of the least popular student in my school who would try to do more of the same to further irritate his friends and encourage his enemies. I think the bunch of clones around Bush, the neocons or the zionofascists, keep prodding him to further humilate himself ensuring no other president would be remembered for all the wrong reasons.

The sad fact is that oil at $130 a barrel is probably cheap, when one considers the analogy constantly being made of oil being the lifeblood of modern civilization. Uh, how much is YOUR blood worth to you? I kinda think you'd pony up mucho dinero if so required to keep breathing. So, America, get used to a steady stream of US politicians with their hats in hands pleading for 3rd world despots to please, pretty please open your spigots just a little bit more. And get used to a lot more changes in imperial America's lifestyles of the once rich and now-too-infamous just around the corner.

Vince wrote:
Oil is history hydrogen is the answer.The only thing we don't have is the leadership that will take us there. Lets just hope Obama will be the one to declare war on oil...
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>..

Hydrogen is not a solution. It is just a surrogate to distributed fuels (why else would Cheney smirk). Most of us will go electric because of simplicity and cost.

Read with great amusement the mostly wrong ranting in the blog..Facts are:
1) World demand has been growing at ~2% per year,for the last ten years: this is from Exxon's 2007 annual report, and as the world's largest oil company, they would know more than the Texas fly-boy what the facts are
2) Do the math, 2% growth in demand can not cause a rise in oil price from $20 to $125 in six years!
3) There is no shortage of oil or gas anywhere..In the OPEC embargo in the 70's, there was an actual shortage and gas lines
4)The very high price in US is a result of the following: decline of US $ against Euro (about 50%), OPEC is pricing oil in Euros so that they get more dollars for the oil the sell to compensate for it's declining purchase power in the world. The decline of the dollar is directly related to the criminal policy of Bush/Cheney regime: spend more than $500 billion dollars todate in the invasion and occupation of Iraq; giving a large tax cut to the wealthiest 10% of the US population. The federal defict has gone up by 50% since Bush came to power; cumulative budget and trade deficits drive the value of dollar down since the US govt is basically printing money to fund the deficits
5) Increased insatbility in mideast by creating chaos in Iraq, and constantly threating Iran with bombing (Iraq/Iran are in the top 5 oil producers)
6) Conspiracy by Cheney with the large US oil companies to keep supply constrained by limited refining capacity..Remember the secret Cheney meeting with energy policy in the US in 2001.. Refused to publish who attended and what was discussed

Experts state that demand-based oil should not be more than $50-$60/barrel.. So the Bush-Cheney/big-loil junta has been able to fool the US public to directly provide ~100%+ profit for every gallon of gas we buy
If the gullible US voting public elect Bush 3 (McCain) as the next President, we have earned the right to be stupid.. If you behave like sheep, don't be surprised when they take you to the slaughter house (after a period of nice fleecing!)

DisgustedDem WROTE::
Man, if the environmentalists and the democrats would get off thier high horse and allow us to drill here in the US we could get another 200 uyears worth of oil, this would relieve pressure on the commodities exchange and allow us to persue alternaative means of energy.
But once again the only answer dems have is Bush is bad, Bush is dumb.
How about coming up with a viable plan thaat average american can afford instead of Bush derangemeent syndrome.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
There is maybe a few years of useful oil under our feet. This has been known for quite awhile. The time for leadership for an alternative energy plan was decades ago. More importantly it has been during the Bush administration because oil funds Islamic terrorism (and poppies). So yes while Bush has been reading "my pet goat" upside down for the past few years and brownie is doing a heckofajob we have squandered too much time without a coordinated energy independence defence plan. At the same time, the status quo of fossil fuels is dumping too much carbon into the air creating another problem that Bush is finally admitting to.
Now it is understood that nuclear proliferation is inevitable when nuclear power is pursued in civilizationally challenged nations. They can argue that they have a right to it as long as other have a right to it. The only way to say no is universal rejection of any nuclear activity.
So the final solution? Solar, wind, etc.! Has anyone ever heard these words come from Bush's mouth. I think not.
Doing nothing is a crime when something needed to be done.

Sometimes we can't see the forest for the trees.
Oil is history hydrogen is the answer.The only thing we don't have is the leadership that will take us there. Lets just hope Obama will be the one to declare war on oil...

The sad fact is that oil at $130 a barrel is probably cheap, when one considers the analogy constantly being made of oil being the lifeblood of modern civilization. Uh, how much is YOUR blood worth to you? I kinda think you'd pony up mucho dinero if so required to keep breathing. So, America, get used to a steady stream of US politicians with their hats in hands pleading for 3rd world despots to please, pretty please open your spigots just a little bit more. And get used to a lot more changes in imperial America's lifestyles of the once rich and now-too-infamous just around the corner.

The President has the power to reduce oil use significantly in a very short time by reducing the speed limit on federal highways from 65 to 60 or 55 mph.
Many truck drivers have already reduced speeds to these levels to reduce fuel use.

T. Boone Pickens is my new hero, he just plonked down Fat Cash to set up I think it's 4,000 MW worth of wind power. That's awesome. He's advocating solar power development, as well. Equally awesome, 2 sources of renewable energy.
It's something that's going on globally, too, you've got a couple-three different countries where they're turning out the Big Windmills, Japan with Mitsubishi Heavy, The US with G.E., and Holland, I think it is, check for yourself, with Vestas, not sure if they produce their own equipment or buy it from another company, but suffice it to say that 3 parts of the world are now working on developing wind power. Wind blows, turny-thing turns, usable electricity is generated...doesn't get much eco-hippy-non-oil-dependency-groovier than that...the solar plant thing from Spain is pretty impressive, too, it's all done with mirrors. Then there's good old space-age solar panels. I'm happy to see it, though, because it means we truly ARE moving into the 21st century on energy, even if it means going 'retro' a few centuries for the basic methods of doing so...

Many are blaming Mr. Bush for the sorry state of affairs in this country today. I, for one, blame those who elected him.They are the ones who made the big mistake and now everybody is paying the price.

Everytime I read about oil prices rising, I pull out my commodities book which lists all of the oil traders. The people who really set the price of oil are the oil traders, not governments or even OPEC. OPEC may say they are raising the price of oil to a certain level, but the trader invariably ratchet that up to pad their profits.

You don't think the Saudis and the rest of the

Arab world, which OWNS the oil, is getting tired of forking over oil to the US --to use in

savaging Iraq, planning to bomb Iran and paying for Israel's genicide in Palestine?

And do you think firing up the planes, tanks and
humvees daily in Iraq

And the tanks we gave the Israeli to flatten palestine... don't use OIL?

Yes, well...such a world.

Nationalize U.S. Oil and Energy Industries for National Defense.

Nationalize U.S. Oil and Energy Industries for National Defense.

Nationalize U.S. Oil and Energy Industries for National Defense.

Oil was $24 a barrel when Republican Bush took office and now Oil is $124 a barrel.

The Oil men conspiracy worked well to enrich super-capitalist Oil criminals and rob the American People of Our United States Treasury.

The American People are taking back their Country and Government. Republican crimes against Our Country will be prosecuted.

Since I am the senior among American citizen, I am the one to speak, and everyone else has to listen and that includes the beachgoers and partygoers and happies and smilies and the early retirees and retiring baby boomers and fund managers.

Each leader in this country at my level has options strategies clearly worked out on paper and it there for all of you to read (and that includes political and business leaders).

So when a particular event occurs all I have to do is pick the option path that would optimize my profits. And if that option path means world's LEADER#1 has to go all across the world with hat in his hand knealing before the saudis, so be it.

And that includes you, Yoo too.

For all of the crazy conspiracy comments...do you have proof or is that just something you heard from someone and believe without questioning?

It was Sep 2001 when the rule to raise minimum equity required to trade stocks and options to $25000, to prevent market price fluctuation was instituted.

Recession and Depression has started to affect my memory, you know.

Bush has been striking big profits for the House of Bush and oil cronies ever since he was promised an office.

The only reason to drill ANWR is to export the oil to the Far East, just like they did the last energy crisis in the 70s after we capitulated and turned the North Slope into a full-on environmental disaster.

Never again.

Just try looking up US oil export figures. Since Shrub and his oily pals took office, they magically stopped publishing them, at least as far as I can find.

What we need is a coordinated national strike. Everyone stay home - don't drive. Turn off all the lights. Then watch what happens when the gasoline supply chain starts backing up. Tighten your belts now when you have some control, or do it later because you have no other choice.

In Sep 2002 Bush and team came up with the idea to raise minimum equity required to trade stocks and options to $25000, to prevent market price fluctuation.

Now that kind of policies are hurting the commodity prices, where the large fund managers are trading commodity futures the way they want, to create huge profgits for themselves.

In part the beachgoers and partygoers and happies and smilies and early retirees are to be blamed, for whom the poor fund managers have to work so hard.

Amazing how people dont know that the iraq war is a huge reason for the high oil prices. When iraqis blow up an oil pipe the price of a barrel of oil goes up 10 dollars. Before the iraqi war a barrel of oil was 25 dollars.
The media keeps people in the dark.

Interesting referral to the Carter Administration. If we had continued with those policies, developing alternative sources of energy and reducing consumption, we'd be laughing at the high price of oil today. And instead debating what to do with the surplus from the federal budget of a peaceful USA.

Bush's visit to Saudi Arabia is, in the long run, not going to make one iota of a difference in our energy costs.

By saying "no" to Bush, and then a later saying "yes" to commercial customers; the Saudi's get to look strong to fellow arabs by "defying" the imperial americans. But Bush also gets to appear competent by claiming his visit ultimately influenced the Saudi's to up production.

It's all a game. But ordinary american citizens shouldn't expect to be the winners.

It doesn't matter since American refining capacity cannot meet increased demand. Moreover, Saudi Arabia is the owner of a refining system in USA, the old group of Texaco's refineries east of the Rockies that was put into a 50-50 joint venture with SA about 20 years ago and eventually sold to SA--Star Refining.

So, it is just a hollow gesture, worthless and a hoax so that Mr. Bush can look hopelessly presidential by going to SA and "pressing" for lower prices. Given the higher demand than available refining capacity in USA, the better gesture would be to allow refineries in USA expand their capacities as endusers want gasoline, gasoil, etc. and not crude oil!!

Bush is a clown and considered as such by most people now. He just does not understand diplomacy or politics and is a disaster as a statesman.

Let's say Bush's appeal for increased oil production is well meaning, but hopelessly "too little too late". Too little, means there is no effective energy plan operating in the United States. For many years, presidents have said, "let's reduce the reliance on foreign produced oil". Yet nothing has been done to reduce demand for oil. Indeed, there have been two mounting pressures on increasing demand. The federal government has been stockpiling oil for the so-called Strategic Reserve. News reports indicate the Strategic Reserve stands at approximately 60 days of oil imports. The strategy is predicated on an oil embargo that occurred over 20 years ago. This strategy of stockpiling large oil reserves, reduces the supply available to actual users of oil, and drives up the price of refined products because the oil available to refinery operations is reduced. The other pressure on oil prices is coming from commodity buyers, who attempt to buy oil and stockpile it for future refinery operations. Commodity buyers are hoarding oil, at lower prices, and then selling it at higher prices. This market manipulation only works when prices continue to trend upwards.

Because there is no energy policy at the federal government, and there is an unchallenged assumption that the market will self-regulate oil prices are presumed to trend upward. The federal government is hoarding oil, and commodity buyers are effectively hoarding oil. Neither actions represent a true demand for oil -- both are artificial demands that result in less oil available to economic users (commuters, business operations, and transportation).

Domestically produced oil is traded the same as foreign oil -- using a commodity market. This is the wrong economic model to use for something like oil because it is essential to continued economic activity. Electricity is produced and sold in a highly regulated market. Natural gas is regulated. Oil is produced and sold in a so-called Free Market (in principle unregulated).

Rex Tillerson, CEO of Exxon was recently interviewed by Matt Lauer on NBC Today. Mr. Tillerson made plain the business focus is to satisfy Exxon stockholders. There is no national business equivalent for electricity, nor natural gas. There are no private stockholders for a national electricity company (nor natural gas). Electricity is produced and sold by a combination of federal operations, public utility districts, and some private companies.

For instance in the Pacific Northwest, the Bonneville Power Administration, a Federal agency, operates a number of hydro-electric dams on the Columbia River. Most counties operate a Public Utility District, and a few cities, like Seattle, operate electric generation and distribution networks. Thus, electricity production and distribution is managed by and for the public, not stockholders who demand a profit.

Why oil and refined products, which are essential to our economic activity (just like electricity) are managed by free market entrepreneurs is an energy policy mistake. This model of economic activity is not in the best interest of the american public.

A serious energy policy would nationalize oil production and refinery operations. Most other countries have taken this step. In those oil producing countries you see oil is regulated like electricity and natural gas (and perhaps even water).

Even the Saudi's have indicated that oil production is mismanaged by the united states. The current free market model has failed to account for the total costs assigned to transportation in the united states. It is strange to build roads, using public tax payer funding, but expect truckers, business users, and commuters to pay artificial, unregulated prices for gasoline.

With no energy policy that puts truckers, business users, and commuters first there is no reason to expect any relief from the upward trend in oil prices.

Stop invading and destabilizing places like Iraq (with Iran next on the list). These countries have the largest crude oil reserves in the world. Then get rid of the flim-flam artists running the Federal Reserve with their below inflation interest rates. They are destroying the dollar and impoverishing the poor and the middle class.

Raise the federal gas tax until our prices are in-line with Europe. We already pay the highest gas taxes in the world; we just don't pay it at the pump. We pay for it with oil company subsidies, write-offs, tax breaks; SuperFund expenses; water treatment costs, additional medical expenses from the oil-based chemicals lurking in our bodies. We pay for it in foreign aid, which consists mostly of subsidized sales of weapons to the non-democracies with oil. Let's include terrorism, which we've fueled in the Middle East and elsewhere, for a century. , The lifetime debt we must honor to support those whose bodies have been mangled in the pursuit of oil . Not to mention the lives lost, the families destroyed. Oh, yeah, then there's the collateral damage of all those innocent "dark" people killed in our names. But hey, they are cheap, $6-700 a kid. We need a gas guzzler tax. But make the automakers pay one too. Carbon credits is just a way to let CEOs make more money, while someone else's neighborhood gets the fumes.
Maybe eco-terrorism will make a comeback. Let's shoot paint balls (rubber darts won't stick) at all SUVs occupied by a single person. Five paint splats and you take the bus.
Nothing more exciting than a 1-ton diesel quad-cab dually pickup truck idling in traffic with an empty bed, and a size 6 hat in the driver's seat. Or a soccer mom with a cell phone at her ear, trying to figure out how to turn a Suburban through a corner, or how to drive down a residential street with curb parking.

Its the money managers playing in the commodities market and sucking billions every day from the common people.

The best is yet to COME

Add another notch of failure to Bush's belt. Way to deal with the problem George. The Saudis have no incentive to raise production. The U.S. isn't the only market on the block now. They could just start pumping more oil to China and India. Besides, more oil doesn't mean squat without more refining capacity, a fact that America and this administration has successfully ignored. Conservation is the only way to solve the problem and unfortunately it appears that higher prices is the only way to force conservation. Lets raise CAFE standards again and add a displacement tax on anything with a motor larger than 3.5 liters. It is pretty sad that most 2008 sedans get pretty close to what their 1988 counterparts get. Why don't we challenge our auto industry? Show the world that American engineering is the best as we turn up the efficiency of our entire society. Lets ditch this whole ethanol dream until we can decide to make it from something that actually CREATES energy rather than waste it (as making it from corn currently does). Only our government which is blind enough to get follow what the corn lobby tells them to do would put this much weight behind a wasteful form of alternative energy. Wrong, wrong, wrong is the trend here. Lets listen to some facts for once. Energy positive alternative fuels are the answer including solar, harnessing the tides, and yes...the bad word...nuclear. Stop dropping the ball and build some reactors and reprocess the damn fuel to reduce waste.

The extra oil that the Saudis have is not what oil consumers want--it is heavy and sour, meaning when refined, it produces less gasoline and has a high sulfur content. Bush was making a political gesture, perhaps to reassure us (though from a quick skim of the comments, I don't think it worked). He can't control the markets. We get it.

And, as mentioned many times here, the US need to moderate demand, not increase supply. Usually high prices take care of this, but not so much these days. When the price is high enough, investment dollars will go into alternative technologies--this is happening.

But to the big question of my life:
Where's my jet pack?

Bush in Saudi Arabia is so reminiscent of Oliver Twist saying, "Please, Sir, May I Have Some More?"

HECK, LET'S INVADE CANADA, THAT'S WHERE OUR OIL COMES FROM!

Perhaps if he were only to give up another sport....

From: "Head of State"
http://headofstate.blogspot.com/2008/05/golf-as-expiation.html

Thursday, May 15, 2008
Golf as Expiation

From The Guardian:

"U.S. President George W. Bush said on Tuesday he quit playing golf in 2003 out of respect for the families of Americans killed in the war in Iraq."

Many have criticized President Bush for his statement that he gave up golf as a way of making a personal sacrifice to show solidarity with those fighting and risking their lives in the war in Iraq, a war that he largely created.

However, I think that it is difficult to see the value and importance--the weight and value of such a personal sacrifice--until we examine it more closely.

I recall meeting with Mobutu Sese Seko, I believe it was in the late 1960s. He had just finished his plundering of the Zairian (now Congolese) economy after deposing Joseph Kasavubu in a bloody coup, raping the natural resources of the nation, and had lured the former Minister of Education back to the nation on the assumption that he would be amnestied, only to be tortured and then murdered by Mobutu's minions.

I recall the scene vividly. Seko sat atop an ornate Louis the XVII original, running his right hand through a bag of rubies, and said: "I am satisfied, Doctor, but I cannot yet find full and complete satisfaction. There is a vague feeling of irritation, or disquiet. Perhaps I am taking my people in the wrong direction."

Table tennis, I recommended. Give up table tennis, your favorite sport after your evening repasts. With this sacrifice, you will show that you too are willing to deny yourself what is important, that you too will bear the burdens of want, as does the nation. Seko smiled, as several rubies fell from the bag to the floor.

I, too, remember vividly, the events of 1973. Pinochet had just overthrown Allende in a bloody coup, and he had just then declared himself "Supreme Chief of the Nation". The General had begun his "disappearing" of political opponents, in which over 2000 were killed and about 30,000 tortured.
"Doctor," he said one evening, as we sat in the Massage Room of the Presidential Palace, "There is a pain in my lower back that emerges whenever I hear the shouts of imprisoned former associates from the courtyard, a pain that no massage can remove. Please, tell me, how can I rid myself of this continuous suffering?"

I looked to the plate of Maté and Alfajores (fried Argentinian bread) that sat on a tray beside the massage table. "You must make a show of sacrifice to rid yourself of the tension of the difficult removal of your treasonous enemies, General." I pointed to the tray. "General", I said, "Mate' es fine. No mas."

He smiled, instructed a satrap to remove the tray. The following day, the vanishing of the Disappeared once again flowed without imposition or bar.

It was only months later that I sat with Nixon and Kissinger. It was late at night, the three of us seated in the Oval Office, tumblers of scotch before us--all but Nixon's untouched--and Nixon's shoulders hunched low over his desk, the desk lamp against the night sky framed in the window behind him casting his face in an eerie glow.

"It's the goddamn press, Henry. They want to hang us. Why don't they realize what I am trying to do for them, Henry? Peaceniks, Hippies, Yippies, and the damn New York Times. One day, when this has all passed, passed us on, then they'll realize, then they'll understand how hard I worked, how hard I tried..." The tumbler shook in his hand, and all that could be heard was the ice lightly clinking against the heavy glass. "What can I do, Doctor? What can I do?"

I looked to the gilt framed picture on his desk, of Nixon playing the piano, Pat beside him. "You must sacrifice. You must abstain. The piano is your sacrifice to the lives so bravely being lost in Vietnam. Just as they have given up their freedom to play stringed ebony instruments in the Southeast Asian jungles, so you too shall put aside this desire. For them. "

He looked at me with a silent, poignant smile, as a tear slowly ran down his cheek. "Henry", he said, waving his hand "Tell Ramon to remove the piano from the East Room and put it in the basement. And have him bring another bottle of Scotch."

There are many such tales of deep sacrifice for the good of one's nation, taken with a full and insightful vision of what the nation has suffered, and with a full understanding of what that suffering entails.

The sacrifice of golf is no mere folly, not a trivial and thereby horrifying statement by a man so out of touch throughout his entire life with the meaning of actual suffering, by a man whose lifelong values have been so skewed by the cosseting of pain, infliction of deprivation, error, and the human consequence of his actions by an ever-present familial safety net that he cannot even conceive of the notion of risk inherent in actual sacrifice, by a man so in thrall to his own limitations and such fears of those limitations that he has walled himself in from all that might possibility contradict it.

No.

Golf is a sacrifice, a man giving up the very peace and solace, the removal from daily life, that his war has removed from those that his actions have sent into sands of Iraq.

And so I say, Mr. President, put your putter aside with honor, and with pride. And with the knowledge that you too have made a great sacrifice, fully in keeping with the actions and goals that you have cast upon this nation.

Cite:
Head of State
http://headofstate.blogspot.com/2008/05/golf-as-expiation.html

Dear David, I give respect to those who earn it and deserve it. Bushy deserves jail, not respect.

Who needs more, or cheaper gas? I'm having a grand ole time finding ways not to use it. Besides most Americans are so rich, they don't mind paying $100 to fill-up their Escalade, or Sierra, or Expedition so they can ride solo.

Way to go Dackerman!

GINNDUP KENNEDY:
Tree huggers seem to forget that without oil our economy will stall out. The U.S. is a "BIG BAD_SS SUV" and it needs affordable gasoline to continue up the road of prosperity. If you think other wise - see your 401k.

--

Tree huggers?

Grow up. SUVs are the machines idiots drive. Lemme guess. You have an SUV.

Someone gets it. Oil was the fuel of the 20th century and China and India have finally caught up with that. The supply across the world now has buyers across the world. But if Bush sees this as some reason to rip up our own nation without taking even basic steps to make better use of the supply, he's proposing only half the solution to the problem, Not surprisingly it's the half that makes money for all his cronies.

Yes, the Republicans and Democrats will be pointing to each other, and offering no soulutions while doing so.

The Bush family has already struck oil with its' affiliation to the Saudi royal family.

Had I been King Abdul, after I stopped laughing, I would have said “Let me get this right, you want me to produce more and you will not produce more in your own country - you will not drill in ANWAR or on your east and west coast continental shelves, you will not build refineries, and you will not build nuclear reactors. You have the audacity to hope that we will deplete our reserves so you can retain yours. No! Go hug a tree!”
http://brokengovernment.wordpress.com

Better still, implement tiered pricing structure for commuters and beachgoers and partygoers and happies and smilies of this world!

Consumption Tier Oil Price/gal
0.00 - 25.00 USD 8.99/gal
25.01 - 50.00 USD 12.99/gal
50.01 - 100.00 USD 19.99/gal
100.01 - ad infinitum USD 24.99/gal

Pathetic to see the oh so macho, cowboy of Texas on his knees to the Saudis. What has become of this country to be reduced to this? And message does THAT send to terrorists?

"The oil-rich kingdom makes a gesture, but it's a small one."

Umm, like the raising of a single finger, perchance?

Ration Fuel (100 gal/month/household)!

When US Defense forces ration its fuel needs, why the f**k should beachgoers and partygoers and happies of the world be let off so easy.

king brickhead didn't strike oil. he simply proved once again that his failed policies in central asia and the middle east has rendered u.s. foreign policy inoperable until after the election. 300kbbl's of new oil? nothing more than a token drop in the bucket. the saudi's are doing the right thing by protecting their own future production capabilities in light of the current regional instability caused by the "go for broke" gambit orchestrated by the economic neo-fascists whom have navigated this administration into an unworkable conundrum of backlashing foreign policy failures. the administration thought it could control the world energy-wise. instead they have dashed the ship upon the rocks of externally imposed isolationism. it will be a long and winding road back to credibility.

It is said that utilizing the oil in ANWR and in the offshore areas we currently keep off-limits to ourselves, it wouldn't last long enough to be worthwhile.

But the amounts thought to be in those areas are about equal to the reserves from which we currently get the 40 percent of so of our total oil supplies which come from our own domestic sources. So either the new areas contain worthwhile amounts, or we could cease production in our currently producing areas and it wouldn't matter much, by the same token.

Does that make sense to anyone?

We could cure our oil price problem and still develop alternatives. If we decide not to, could we at least cut down on the whining?

I am ashamed that world's LEADER#1 had to go with a hat in his hand all across the world to kneal in front of the Saudis.

What is the matter with Iraq? Why are we spending so much in Iraq if it cannot even fulfill our fuel needs?

it is disgusting that this proud nation has been reduced by this president to begging from a corrupt, fundamentalist Islamic state that spawned Bin Ladin and seventeen of the nineteen terrorists that brought us 9/11.

It will take a new generation of leadership to restore our economy and international stature. Every true American cringes when the likes of Paulsen have to go to China to beg for financial support, or our president has to plead with the saudis for oil and then see them ignored.

It is so easy for kids to learns from their mistakes, so how come world's LEADER#1 Pres. George Bush (undisputably the fittest man alive in a survival game) is still repeating same mistakes from past seven years.

Anadarko! (increase oil exploration)
Mass Transportation! (Conservation)
Ban fuel guzzingly commute vehicles! (Conservation)
Incentive to Telecommuters! (Conservation)
Restrict two vehicle per household! (Conservation)
Alternative Fuels! (Invention)
Build small cities! (Convenience)

Those who want to drill our way out of the supply
shortages in AK should be aware that we export a lot of what we now pump out of the North slope to Asia.

a robert f kennedy excerpt from vanity fair

Iceland was 80 percent dependent on imported coal and oil in the 1970s and was among the poorest economies in Europe. Today, Iceland is 100 percent energy-independent, with 90 percent of the nation’s homes heated by geothermal and its remaining electrical needs met by hydro. The International Monetary Fund now ranks Iceland the fourth most affluent nation on earth. The country, which previously had to beg for corporate investment, now has companies lined up to relocate there to take advantage of its low-cost clean energy.

It should come as no surprise that California, America’s most energy-efficient state, also possesses its strongest economy.

The United States has far greater domestic energy resources than Iceland or Sweden does. We sit atop the second-largest geothermal resources in the world. The American Midwest is the Saudi Arabia of wind; indeed, North Dakota, Kansas, and Texas alone produce enough harnessable wind to meet all of the nation’s electricity demand. As for solar, according to a study in Scientific American, photovoltaic and solar-thermal installations across just 19 percent of the most barren desert land in the Southwest could supply nearly all of our nation’s electricity needs without any rooftop installation, even assuming every American owned a plug-in hybrid.

GINDUP KENNEDY: This is your brain talking; please use me.

Instead of firing up the truck, I've been riding one of my horses up to the store when I just need a pack of smokes or whatever.

I'm thinking of building a buggy for my horse. I'm going to use it to transport fuel cells and solar panels.

I'm going to equip my buggy with WiFi, a loud stereo, and a racing stripe down the side. I'm thinking of marketing the buggy as the ultimate teenage dating ride. All kinds of time to neck, and basically a built-in excuse for getting her home late.

It will also have a programmable electronic sign on the back so I can type out nasty messages to any car behind me who thinks they are in a hurry.

There's going to be a new pace to life, folks. You can either get on board and enjoy, or you can be laughed at as a fool.

I can even read while I drive. I can read about heat exchangers, and maximizing crop yields. I can work on standardizing portable power packs and I can work on converting all those machines we love, like rototillers, to work on standard, rechargeable power packs.

You go ahead and keep worrying about oil. Don't mind me, I'm just getting rich and having fun.

Some of you will stand still, frozen in fear that the wells have run dry. Others see the need right now to move away from fossil fuels for many reasons. The DOE should be as well funded as the military because it has the capacity to drive economies. There is a lot of work to do.

Consider this: nature has created an automaton specifically designed, as best as I can tell, to bug the heck out of us. It runs on poop and garbage, moves rapidly in all 3 spatial dimensions, can rest on the ceiling, identify faces, evade hostile actions, and self-replicate on a large scale. Its offspring are little maggots. Its efficiency is off the scale when compared to anything man has created. The instructions for its replication and autonomous existence are stored in a double-helix molecule that is so cleverly arranged, that it would be like reading every other word in this blog and having it be a completely different and understandable blog – times ten.

Look at some of the new nuclear reactor designs - especially from Germany. They encase their fuel in glass spheres that get placed in a hopper. Every so often, one drops out the bottom, presumably spent, and a new one gets added to the hopper. The spent sphere can be handled without gloves. The safety of the design is beyond question.

Running out of oil doesn't mean running out of energy. It just means we have to start a conversion of the infrastructure to support electric motive power. It sounds like a lot of new jobs to me.

The easiest oil to strike is that not used.

The US urgently needs to reduce oil consumption, mainly through automobile choice.

And the the government needs to urgently accelerate the new CAFE standards such that the 2020 goal is substantially achieved within the first couple years.

Supplies are thinning past peak and new oil sources are more difficult, expensive and longer to put on line.

Oil is indeed the economic lubricant of the US and the world, which is why it needs to be used much more wisely. And as that wise use increases then the export of dollars will decrease.

The US needs to stop doing "little" things (Quote: Sen. Dominici, NM said "this is one little thing we can do, and I think we should go ahead and do it," referring to the decision to stop filling the strategic reserve, a move that represents less than 0.1% of worldwide daily consumption. )

The US needs to lead by example and technology to reduce oil consumption. And the road to doing so will spawn new technologies that will further benefit the economy.

It is very strange to see the leader of the free world to go and beg the most brutal regime for more oil after he had criticized appeasement of Hitler during the late 1930s

Tree huggers seem to forget that without oil our economy will stall out. The U.S. is a "BIG BAD_SS SUV" and it needs affordable gasoline to continue up the road of prosperity. If you think other wise - see your 401k.

So far, there's 77 comments below me. And so far, little or no mention of the problem of Peak Oil. Oil is a finite resource and sooner or later (now?) world production will reach a peak and then begin to decline. Saudi Arabia is the last oil producing nation with any excess capacity and when they hit maximum production (again, if they haven't already), then it's Game Over Time.

As a nation, we've got to stop whining about this or that political party being at fault. I think the problem goes back to Reagan, who killed the solar tax credits and failed to take advantage of the opportunity to raise fuel taxes after the Saudis flooded the world market and pushed the price of oil down to $10 per barrel. We've enjoyed relatively cheap oil since and have grown to think that the Santa Claus will keep giving us overgrown kids cheap energy forever. Now, we are going to pay the price for the past 22 years of politics as usual. If we are indeed at Peak Oil production, the Saudis will be able to make more money by holding on to their remaining oil and letting the price go thru the roof, while bleeding the western nations dry.

I hope the price of gas goes to $5 per gallon this summer in the U.S., then, perhaps, we can finally have a serious discussion amongst our politicians about the fact that We Had Our Cake and We Ate It! While they are at it, lets do something about Global Warming too.

Peak Oil is upon us. Go ahead and argue. It won't make the problem go away.

Quite simply, the world is producing as much per day as it can. Demand has finally matched supply.

Drilling in other places like Anwar and Florida will only stall this for a year or two.

We are screwed.

Get a bike.

had we been drilling ( safely and securely with environmental safeguards ) thirty years back, we would not be begging for oil today from any one. what about the Bakken oil field ?

Why doesn't the bush declare war on the oil cartel. We the people could use another diversion, plus we would be saving the rest of the world from inflated prices of the golden elixer. Talk about groveling, our head of state, makes me cringe at times, sorry, thought it took intelligence to run a country, obviously not!

Prince Fraud really deflated the President's economic strategy, if that's the word, by calling him on the falling dollar. Mr. Bush and his Administration seem to believe wiping out Americans' savings and investments makes sense. Well, it does make "cents" out of dollars. Unfortunately, Hillary, Obama and McCain are clueless as well. (And then there's Congress..)

"Please, sir, I want some more."

Of course, we know that Bush doesn't really want any more. Your oil buddies are making too much of a killing to really want a change. But now it looks like you can't even get enough of an increase to get your buddy McCain into office in November.

Bush is on a VACATION, people! All the talk about reducing oil prices is just that - talk. Everything else is a photo op so he can come home and say "Well, I tried. Now lets give Halliburton those contracts in ANWR so we can reduce our dependence on foreign oil...blah, blah". Bush is a lackey for the oil companies and war profiteers and belongs in prison.

The oil prices are soaring because of world demand. With China demanding a larger slice. There is only one solution that will work and every one is dancing around it thinking that they are saving the environment. We have oil off both shores and Anwar. It is safe Norway is now a major oil producer all of it from platforms in the ocean. We have been cleaning up gasoline and the cars emission systems since the 60s and rather than to totally destroy our economy we need to drill and refine oil while technology is working on fuel cells and other forms that are at least 10 years away.
Ethanol is a disaster and I would stop it today if I could. It has raised the price of meat and grains hitting the poor counties that depend on our cheap grain for survival. We are subsidizing farmers to grow corn. Less power less miles per gallon. Using our food source to run cars shows how dumb our legislators are.

I have only one thing to say about this whole problem. Screw all those Republicans who were so adamant and cocky about Bush and his agenda back in the first 4 years of his majesty. You Republicans are all responsible for this mess. You even had the nerve to call anyone who questioned and opposed your "fearless leader" as unAmerican, unpatriotic, and traitors and that we leave this country because we were questioning your king. Yeah, bomb the daylights out of Iraq. Why not? So now, I say to you ... you made the bed you are sleeping on...hahahaha... until 01//09/2009 anyway. And now you want more of the same with your current candidate???

It is both an increase in demand for oil from China,India and the Mid-East and the falling dollar. I have been to China and I will testify that China's need for energy is no Enron like scam. Watching a CNBC special on India May 16th I don't think India's need for energy is a hoax either.
So what to do? The U.S. is in the process of increasing its supply of oil from West African countries by 15% over the next decade. The largest oil concession off West Africa is held by a small company called Hyperdynamics(HDY). Hyperdynamics is currently doing seismic work with GSI geophysical that shows two fields in their concession one a "giant" and the other an "elephant" Hyperdynamics is in discussions with JV partners. HDY closed at $2.50 Friday. What a buy!
Kevin Phillips described the relationship between high oil prices and the dollar this way;"high oil prices are anti-dollar. So the higher oil goes the weaker the dollar gets. What to do? Buy gold mining stocks!

it takes an idiot to believe that Americans are stupid enough to believe to believe the Saudi's will fix this mess. The problem is the dollar isn't worth sh**. And why would the Saudi's even want to pump more oil out of the ground, depleting their reserves even faster so that they can sell it it for less money? If I where King Abdullah, I'd pump even less, make more more per barrel and extend the reserves even longer. Bush truly is a dumb-bell and an embarrassment to the American people. Of course, we were stupid enough to vote him in.......twice. Maybe the American people will start paying attention more to what's going on in Washington.

The rise of China and India is just myth created by the same people who were working for Enron before, does anybody remember mid 1990 when they were creating black out, and the price of electricity doubled, here again in 2004 UBS bank setup oil treading team from ex-enron employee, the result 4 years later is the number of contract in the oil field is 20 times more, in 2001 the daily contracts were about 100000 now there are about 1.5 million contract per day.

It's the dollar stupid. The dollar is worth half of what it was only six years ago. This is why oil and food have exploded in America. The devaluation of the dollar was caused by Congress borrowing and printing paper money to pay for their Earmarks and Bush's War. How bad is it? Congress now borrows money to pay for the interest on the money they already owe. The tick is bigger than the dog it feeds on.

Many people say that we need more oil, more oil, and more oil. But on Anderson Cooper 360, they were reminding us that oil is a finite resource and that we may be past the peak of oil production.
Personally instead of just finding more oil we have to find ways of using it more efficiently.
Urban Legends say how Ford, GM, and Chrysler have plans for more efficient carburators and high performance transmissions in their vaults that would give over 50 miles a gallon.
But they won't use them because of the oil company's profits.

Oil is just one enery resource, In Brazil they use ethonol exclusivly. We should start the conversion to pure ethonol and see what happens to oil prices.
Remember Supply and Demand decide the price.

Robert G - I hope you turn out right. However, ANWR will not replace 12 million barrels we import every day to run ourlifesyle - ANWR can probably produce 1-2 million barrels/day.

There is nothing wrong to ask folks to sacrifice -we did ask folks to go wars in the past why not for cutting back on life style gradually rather than forced to? Think about these in a pragmatic fashion. I think we have lost pragmatism to (whatever)*******ism the last 20-30 years.

I promise you ... this link will tell you everything you need to know about why Americans are taking it in the shorts over the cost of oil. Amazing that you never see an article like this in ANY U.S. media outlet. We have to get the real news from other countries.

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Global_.../JE06Dj07.html

Basically, we're being bent over by a corrupt financial market system that is artifically influencing the price by "speculation" alone .... thus allowing them GROSS PROFITS

It's time to stop asking other countries to full fill our needs. It's time to stop asking the people of this country to cut back and make sacrifices. It is time for the government of this country to do it's job and provide for the people. It's time to end all restriction on drilling for oil and gas anywhere in this country. All of our problems can be traced back to policy's that are back by environmentalist. Bush was the smart one 7 years ago when he said we needed to open up ANWR to oil drilling. That oil could be coming online now. But no we listened to the lies from the environmentalist and look where we are now.
It's time to drill in ANWR.

Sorry this was just smoke and mirrors. GWB was trying to show he is trying, but he knew just like the Saudi's that there is no refining capability available.

The American public is fooled again. GWB like DC is happy he was rebuffed by the Saudi's so it doesn't make him look bad and he and DC make billions on their investments while you and I pay $5 at the pump.

Sorry, GWB your scheme does not work any longer!

Iona is too kind to David. We can and should respect the OFFICE of the President. We should not blindly respect the person occupying that office. The current occupant of the office has made a mess of domestic (e.g., Katrina, children's health program) and foreign policy (e.g. the war, saber rattling over Iran). He and the vice president have lied to us continuously and have not earned and do not deserve our respect. As citizens we are obligated to express our opposition when our government officials are inept, dishonest or corrupt. So, David, if you were Burmese, would you be advocating blind loyalty to your government leaders?

Wake up folks it has nothing to do with any party, politician, corporation or country. I am a Democrat. The fact is we will eventually run out of easy oil - you can constantly dig your heart out - aint getting easy oil. It will be easier if we let the SUV's go and get our ass&s moving. Don't get confused with hollywood movies about what is going to happen. Other parts of the world are already paying $6-9/gallon. Consider ourselves lucky that we can start our SUV's. Start thinking about change the party will be over one day. Saudi's cannot increase production and even if they do it ain't helping oil prices. The numbers we consume 20 million barrels a day. The world production is about 85 million barrels a day. Start reviewing your high school math quickly.

David you don't have to show respect for someone who doesn't earn it. People like you who "respect" authority have led us into this mess.

I still think Bush, Cheney, the Saudis, and US oil executives pre meditated and carefully orchestrated the huge spike in prices. They are manipulating and using the media to justify the increase. In return The Bush family and Cheney family are getting billions under the table. Don't forget a few years back all of the above were present at the Bush ranch for some cronie talks. What do you suppose they talked about?

Hey! We are at war! Oil is a weapon! We are losing!

For all of you referring to our president as "Bushy", there's such a thing as respect. He is our president. Learn to respect those in authority.
You liberals are the most disgusting disrespectful people I've ever encountered. I never liked Clinton but notice that I capitalized his last name and spelled it right. Its called respect. He was our president.
Respect others, especially our leaders. We live in dangerous times and our leaders need us to support them when in power.
Don't bother quoting figures from the war to dispute this post. We know how you feel. No need to re-hash. Just take a deep breath, and suppress the urge to slam me because I demand respect for the President.
Learn to respect Mr. Bush and any other person who ultimately becomes our president.
Thats it. Deal with it. Respect others. Period.

Remember... Before 2nd Iraq war! King Abdullah (who as crown prince at that time) was in Crawford ranch, trying to give some sense to George Bush. Telling him not to go in Iraq quagmire. He was so insulted by hard headed George Bush that he left the ranch fuming.

Now the same president who never had practised a word of diplomacy, trying to befriend Saudis. He should have learnt some humility from his father who btw is still very close both Saudis and Kuwaitis.

When is George Bush going to wake up and smell the crude oil? The only reason oil is so expensive is because it's traded in US dollars. Surely he must realise that in the grand scheme of things the US dollar isn't worth the paper it's printed on. Globalisation is coming back to bit him in the ..... We must thank our lucky stars OPEC and the Canadians don't want paying in Euros.

oil is cheep try running your car on beer.The democrats are the reasion for high oil prices they want to drill in some one elses back yard we need to produce more oil here and with our friends in canada and for every Mexican that comes into this country the USA should get 40 acres in Mexico to drill a well and bring the production into the USA to suport him or her for every chield they have we get 40 more acres.Soon the USA would own all the oil in Mexico

What I can't understand, stupid me, is why the price of gasoline in Canada, the U.S.'s largest supplier, is over $5 a gallon. I can't help thinking, over and over again, international conspiracy?

Jimmy Carter wasn't one of our more effective presidents but at least he didn't start a war needlessly or beg the Saudi king to increase oil production. The fact is that we were doing more in the Nixon and Carter administrations to reduce oil consumption than we've done in recent years and Bush has shown absolutely no leadership in energy policy, or for that matter, anything else. Global demand for oil will only increase. Say hello to $10/gallon for gasoline like most other developed countries, drive smaller cars, drive less, and use mass transit more. Leaders tell it like it is and inspire us to rise to the challenge. They don't go hat in hand to kings and beg for favors.

Bush probably went over there to promise them that in exchange for more oil, we won't attack their terrorist training facilities and will allow them one terrorist attack on U.S. soil before Bush leaves.

Bush will not only go down in history as being the worst President, he'll also get an award for being the dumbest, proving that even the retarded can be President.

THIS IS ALL BS... WHY NOBODY MENTIONS THAT CANADA IS OUR #1 OIL SUPPLIER? WHY DON'T WE ASK OUR NEIGHBOR TO INCREASE PRODUCTION OR LOWER PRICES? IT IS A GAME... IN THE 1980'S IT WAS SADAM HUSSEIN WHO INCREASED PRODUCTION AGAINST THE WILL OF THE OPEC AND SAVED THE US ECONOMY AND PROBABLY A SITUATION LIKE THE ONE WE HAVE TODAY... AND NOW WHO WAS THE ONE WE TOOK OUT OF THE PICTURE WITH AN INVASION? = SADAM!! WHAT A COINCIDENCE THAT EVERYTHING IS HAPPENING DURING THE PRESIDENCY OF A FAMILY WHO'S BUSINESS IS OIL!!
SADAM WAS A MAD MAN BUT THERE ARE OTHER DICTATORS IN THE WORLD LIKE HIM OR EVEN WORST AND WE DON'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. WHERE IS BIN LADEN?

Hello!....Removing or suspending the gasoline tax is a short-sighted 'remedy'...one we will pay for long after Labor Day...a more immediate and lasting solution is to LOWER THE SPEED LIMITS on ALL federally funded highways!...In EVERY state! Including TEXAS, where just last year, it was approved to RAISE the speed limit in certain counties to 80 MPH!....Lower the speed limits to 55....people will still drive 65....but the savings and demand for gasoline will DROP immediately!..DUH.I haven't heard a single mention of this from inside the Beltway!

Bush and the oil industry accoplished exactly what they set out to do eight years ago. Force oil prices up, cause fake production shortages, and watch the $ $$$$$$$role in. Its time to surcharge big oils outragious profits and use the money to invest in alternative fuel development. Just like we permit salery caps in the National football League, Oil profits should be capped and the excess should be given to companies that will develope new fuel sources. From $1.50 in 2000 to $4.09 in 2008. The Bush administration and tricky Dick Chaney did a great job. (Remenber the secret oil meetings Chaney held with big oil) don't be suprised when gas is at $5.00 a Gal. by January, 2009. Also don't forget how much its costing everyone for everything else because of the outragious price for Deasle fuel.

Jimmy was right? Bushie was right? Bush visits Israel and a school is bombed. He visits SA and we get a few measely barrels of oil which is more like heroin addicts getting methadone. Jimmy didn't realize that trees could be grown. He refused to give a tax rebate for installing wood burning stoves because he thought that didn't qualify as renewable energy. Then JC thought the Hamas was a good group of folks he'd invite to the White House. JC? The man who was too cowardly to do a thing about Ahmadinejad. Between JC and GW we have the ingredients for failure. Step back and look at what these two have done. They both court the Arabs who BTW are holding us hostage over oil. Don't begin to think whose backside they're covering with kisses.

So Bushy waited until the last year of his term to put the blame on the American people? Can't possibly be his fault, so yes, put the blame on us.
Typical of Bush. I guess all the hand holding and lip kissing didn't help you W, it is after all THEIR oil.

Looks like Jimmy Carter was right. BTW...how many barrels of oil a day are squandered policing the world?

We can dig ourseleves a grave or dig ourselves out of this mess. Solar tax incentives for all new homes which by mandate must be on the to allow for the sale of excess electricity generated to the utility company. Tax incentives for plug in cars. I'm going to go out on a limb and say that the corn for ethanol Bush incentive made the fertilizer companies rich, the oil companies rich, the Bush's and Cheney's rich and will continue to make the Republicans rich.
Next we start building by incentivation if necessary wind farms off shore and in the Rockies for starters. If Ted Kennedy can't stand the view off Martha's Vineyard let him drop dead.

I woke up from a sound sleep to the thunder of sheiks driving thru my home town in Mercedes Benz. I asked my wife whether we were attacked. She said no. It was just that it costs me more to drive to work than my take home pay. I can't afford the luxury of eating much less toilet paper. My children can't afford to go to college. And the blue collar workers according to the Clinton camp think Obama is too smart. Imagine, we are afraid of a smart prez who can listen to all the ideas and put together a team to try to solve some problems. I wish George had been curious. The churches and temples are closed.

DisgustedDem
"Man, if the environmentalists and the democrats would get off thier high horse and allow us to drill here in the US we could get another 200 uyears worth of oil, this would relieve pressure on the commodities exchange and allow us to persue alternaative means of energy."

Carter had it right. we have had almost 30 years to get to work on the oil problem and what did we do? can you say "hummer"
and 200 years from now, GWB the VI will be asking us to allow drilling on the mall in d.c. or maybe your backyard!
what has bush done about this so far? what is his answer to high gas prices? drilling in alaska is the answer, sure it is. Who owns the oil rights to the fields in question? bet i know!

the answer is simple, start walking, biking, carpooling, staying home! this is the only way we can "stick it to the man"
this country is driven by retail sales and the quickest way for the masses to make a point on any subject is to keep there money and credit cards in the pockets!!!!!

Notice how the people who have been in charge for the last 7-15 years and have done NOTHING want to blame "environmentalists and the democrats"
Lets see if you take out the greens and the dems that leaves the REPUBLICANS. i am sure that if the neo-cons were in charge things like this would never happen.........hey wait a minute!!!!!!

Can you say I am a tool or maybe i love you big brother.

Man, if the environmentalists and the democrats would get off thier high horse and allow us to drill here in the US we could get another 200 uyears worth of oil, this would relieve pressure on the commodities exchange and allow us to persue alternaative means of energy.

But once again the only answer dems have is Bush is bad, Bush is dumb.

How about coming up with a viable plan thaat average american can afford instead of Bush derangemeent syndrome.

Christ you people disgusst me.

before saudi arabia can turn up the spigots tapping those oil wells in sector D, it needs to pump even more water than it's currently capable of to replace that oil and keep the well pressure up. it cant. water is a bigger issue than oil. and about 20% of the 'oil' being pumped up now is already water... sux to be suv.

Jimmy Carter's warnings made perfect sense back then but most Americans didn't want to hear that. How so many of us could go around speeding in gas guzzling SUV's is beyond me; I guess we are not intelligent as we like to think. Too bad it's taken us so long to wake up.

Instead of asking Americans to drive less and cut back on energy consumption...he wants to drill off FL and Alaska. No leadership to mobilize this country is given at all.

Ending the "invasion" would cut oil and energy useage. Think about it Bush. You could also cut your vacation short and stay at home...maybe visit Lousiana again or read to some kids in a school.

never thought that americans represented the so called mainstream media funded by terror lobysts could be so stupid

This is what you get from an OIL president, for christ's sake. The extent of Bush's visionary energy plan for this country doesn't exist...except to DRILL FOR MORE OIL!!!

Pathetic.

Whatever happened to the Apollo Project? Named after the real Apollo project, it was circulating around when Al Gore was running for president. An list of about 10 or more specific items to get us energy independent in some future date. THAT was visionary. Where do we get vision and inspiration when we elect an OIL president???

Whatever -- I just paid $4.06 a gallon for gas. It was $1.50 when Bush was first elected president!

At this point, increasing crude oil production will not significantly lower the price of gas at the pump... There is rising demand, but a weak dollar and a lack of refining capacity are the major culprits. The world (including the Fed and the US Executive branch) should immediately support steps to strengthen the dollar. That will proportionally result in lower prices for all commodities, including gas and food.

Over then next 5-10 years, building more oil refineries and creating synthetic crude oil (via oil shale extraction) should offset rising world demand for crude oil.

Ultimately, we will utilize the unlimited energy released by the sun. Solar power can completely replace fossil fuels. Getting serious about the issue now could mean a complete independence from oil in 10-20 years. The photo-voltaic cell and battery technologies will improve with increased research and investment. Nuclear power is not really a viable long-term option unless the waste and radiation containment issues are solved. Bio-mass has promise, but solar power should be more economical and can utilize space not reserved for food production.

Can you imagine how world politics will change when energy is essentially free?

The longer we procrastinate and wait to solve the energy independence question, then the greater the risk of world-wide economic damage, civil unrest, and war.

Thanks God that the "nice" Arabs control most of worlds' oil!Imagine ing the Israelis,Germans or the Japanese control the oil???Unlike the s..... Arabs,those advanced countries know the real value of oil,and likely will turn it into real Gold and charge for it the price of Diamonds!!

Bush says or Bush Ask? Why does the News media print this junk. Know one cares about Bush, he is a lame duck. They the world is laughing at our fearless letter. Bush and Cheney are going home in Jan and then and only then will see the American people unite behind Change. GOP is part of the blame, yes Rumsie, Wolfie, Gonzales, DElay, and The news media. So you want more of the same..just vote McCain

Much as I dislike the idea of increasing gas prices and an almost inevitable US Depression. I believe it is something that we will have to face. Poor leadership over the last 2 terms by a weak President is just making this inevitable medicine worse tasting than it had to be.

The cure which is for the country to stop depending on oil, gas guzzling autos and really start using renewable resources, together with a government that doesn't spend more than it has, now has a economic chance of happening.

It is not a supply problem. The US is 3rd top oil producer. We waste too much oil -- we consume 25% of world's production and something like 4oo% of per capita EU consumption. Face it -- we are gluttons in every way.

A lot of agreement above, and I can't add much that's not already been said. Except that I agree with one writer above, that newpapers need to start reporting on deeper stories. Or, if you need to do a commentary on this event, put it in the right context. First that covered by everyone here that people are tired of the U.S. being humiliated like a drug-addicted prostitute for oil, and we're even more tired of it when our "leader" goes begging from an abusive regeme. But second, why asking for more oil, or as Bush announced today, drilling for more in teh U.S. just has nothing to do with this country moving forward, creating new technology we can sell, making new jobs. Just compare making oil with micribes - which oil companies are investing in - and begging for oil or digging where supplies are dwindling. There is no comparison, and that gap illustrates the stupidity of this administration, and a direction that this country needs to change if we're going to survive in the long run.

Mentioned in an earlier post: rather than ask readers, who really can't know all the facts, why doesn't your newspaper assign someone to find out why George even tried? I hope you still have reporters on the Post; you used to. Hmmm??

The Bush BS was really interesting theater. Why did he go to the Saudis? We import most of our oil from Canada. What suckers we are.

What makes anyone believe that Bush is actually asking the Saudis to increase oil supplies? Remember, this is the same man who enabled plane-loads of Saudis to fly out of America just days after 9-11, despite the fact that 14 of the 19 hi-jackers were . . . Saudis.

Bush should have gone to Exxon Mobile with hat in his hand. They have access to more oil than anyone in the world. When they merged with Mobile in Nov. ,1999 they became a power bigger than the US. They have no conScious. Their bottom line is the almighty dollar.They have 10,000 stations across the country & they over charged their managers & had to pay a large fine. In Africa where they have Chad & Nigeria they give oil profits to the war lords and the common people go hungry. Check with the world bank about Chad. The world bank financed, their drilling & they still gave oil money to war lord ,who then bought arms to quell the average people. The people are worst off then before they found oil. They are more powerful than their old company of Standard Oil of New Jersey.

A weak president goes to Israel to talk with other weak leaders about maybe getting some of that peace stuff going. Yeah, that's likely.

Then he stops by Saudi Arabia to beg for oil and gets rebuffed. It doesn't get much more pathetic.

I wouldn't have said this two years ago, but I think the American people thirst for leaders who will scout a path toward energy independence, with sacrifice and pain. The present dithering is getting us nowhere, and it's becoming very obvious.

The Saudis' "small gesture" was made with the middle finger of one hand. Or possibly both.

Saudis are a brutal regime. USA boycotts Cuba and North Korea but the leader of the free world praises the brutal Saudis! Oil will do strange things to you.

"How to interpret that?

Only one valid way:

The Saudis under no circumstances can be painted as lackeys and servants to the Christian Crusaders and the Evil Satan. Especially when their dishonored, lame duck leader has just ended attending a great celebration by the Zionists of the wonderful events since the sixty years of Israel's independence.

(The Arabs surely recall the American contribution to this success even if the Israelis feel no need to mention it.)

The vast majority of 1.3 billion Muslims do not see this history through the same glass. Indeed they are irrevocably opposed to the existence of Israel and demand the return of the Palestinian refugees to their homes and farms lost to the Israel usurpers (in their view).

Thus the Saudis would have violated every lesson their young MBAs were taught in U.S. B-schools, i.e. maximize profits, and the House of Saud would have placed in even further jeopardy its own longevity by daring to associate directly any increased production in response to the American Bush's demands.

Further, without tankers, refineries, etc. they might announce an increase of size but actually utilizing it is another problem. For example the Iranians now are filling chartered tankers with crude that has no buyers which also incidentially is driving up ship charter prices.

Until the U.S. gets its trade balance on the path to balance and surplus (dare one hope), balances its federal budget (fat chance), begins to restore value to the dollar, (good luck), and the American people are willing to blame themselves rather than the producers, (happy day), and most important of all they elect a president and congress dedicated to the welfare of the people of the United States and not just every country caucus and lobbyist with the biggest corrupt contribution there is no hope.

Or for that matter a bunch of fools who want to spread "democracy" to countries who don't want it and can't use it and further see even we can't govern ourselves with any degree of cleverness of the sort they would want to emulate.

Other than the likely most probable solution: a truly hair-raising, gutchecking, old-time down and dirty recession. Then the price of gasoline will fall for sure and if this situation in the U.S. leads to global retrenchment we will not be crying over the high price of gasoline anymore.

Or will we? It may cost only $1.00 but nobody will have a buck.

People.... there IS NO MORE OIL!!!! Saudi Arabia can't squeeze turnip juice out of a previously-squeezed turnip! The world is finite, get used to it. We're all gonna die like yeast in a wine cask. The party was great but it's coming to an end. And there's not going to be any Jesus either. That was just a scam to make us shut up and work hard.

Bush said he is relevant. This week proved him wrong. The House of Saud are personal friends. He went their begging, and they gave him crumbs. I hope he knows the type of friends he has. Of course many of us know the type of friends he has, those that use others for gain. Bush has given and given to his friends at the expense of the American people, and now that he asks for a little back, he gets a snub. But wait, I'm sure McCain will do better if he went to SA and asked for a little more oil. Yea, he's a war hero!

This is the type of government you get
when you elect people to government
who do not believe in government.

No more republicans in office anywhere. They have lost the privilege.

The whole premise for this article is beyond rediculous.

First, Bush going to the Saudi's with hat in hand for the sake of the country is laughable. Name one thing he has ever done for the people.

Second, everything that come out if his mouth is a lie.

Third, as a reporter for a major newspaper, wouldn't you find it more interesting to maybe expound on the fact that the pentagon ran a covert propaganda campaign through the media targeting the citizens of the US?

Or, in general, other crimes by the administration?

If not, maybe the paper could find some reporters who would be interested.

If you were my student, I'd be ashamed. If I was your mother, I'd be sad inside that you waste your space.

Be a man and report on something bold. Just don't be carrying anybodies water.

Where Did WaPo Get This Software?

Worst software EVER!

Did Bush Strike Oil? NO!
Did Bush Strike Out? YES!

Bush = brainless, clueless, gutless.

Invading Saudi Arabia is idiotic.

No way should we allow that to happen so fat-headed macho-mouthed idiots can drive grossly oversized SUVs and pickups to impress vacuous bimbo's.

Worst president EVER for the stupidest population in the industrialized world.

I really don't buy this story on how the Saudis refuse to increase the production of oil after the appeal from our President. My guess might be that President Bush is actually telling the Saudis not to increase the production so the oil companies continue ripping off the American people. The Saudis don't have the power, nor the guts, to turn us down since we did save their country from Saddam Hussein back after the invasion of Kuwait. The Saudis are not that stupid to jeopardize our good relationship because of oil. After all, they have plenty of that.

I really don't buy this story on how the Saudis refuse to increase the production of oil after the appeal from our President. My guess might be that President Bush is actually telling the Saudis not to increase the production so the oil companies continue ripping off the American people. The Saudis don't have the power, nor the guts, to turn us down since we did save their country from Saddam Hussein back after the invasion of Kuwait. The Saudis are not that stupid to jeopardize our good relationship because of oil. After all, they have plenty of that.

Did Bush Strike Oil? NO!
Did Bush Strike Out? YES!

Bush = brainless, clueless, gutless.

Invading Saudi Arabia is idiotic.

No way should we allow that to happen so fat-headed macho-mouthed idiots can drive grossly oversized SUVs and pickups to impress vacuous bimbo's.

Worst president EVER for the stupidest population in the industrialized world.

Oil is not the long term solution to our energy crisis. There is simply not an infinite supply. As global demand for energy increases, using oil as the solution will only lead to increased prices, more pollution and global warming. It is a recipe for planetary destruction.

Right now we have solutions that could work but are not yet scaleable. We have fuel cells that use hydrogen and do not pollute, but are too expensive to put in our cars. We have enough solar power in the California deserts to power the country, but my colleagues in the energy field tell me that there is no means of national transmission.

The next president should issue a JFK-like challenge to the country. within the next 8 years, find a way to make fuel cells affordable and then mandate their use in cars (just as unleaded gas was mandated in the 1970's). within the next 8 years, develop the means to transmit solar powered electricity from CA to the rest of the country. Pay for this by diverting money from the defense department to the department of energy.

doing so will make us stronger not weaker. It does us no good that the nations that prosper from high oil prices: Iran, Venezuela, Russia, Saudi Arabia have oppressive governments and are generally anti-American. It does us no good that to finanace our trade deficits (partly caused by oil imports), we borrow from China which is the current communist superpower and which violates human rights. Terrorists are funded through oil wealth, so they best way to win the war on terror is to cut off the funding by reducing global demand for oil.

Why are developing economies being blamed for the rise in oil prices? We never wanted to go to Iraq, nor did the UN, we could have avoided the mess. And nowhere in the world other than here are people proud of their "trucks", which guzzle gas like there's no next day! And it is us who drives a mile to buy a gallon of milk, a walk would have saved some fuel and burned some unnecessary fuel!

The word is PATHETIC. We've got nothing that the world wants except weapons and we'll never cut off the Saudis or anyone else because of all Bush's buddies in the military industrial complex.

WHY DOSENT THE PRESIDENT DECLARE THAT COUNTRY HAS HIDDEN NUCLEAR WEAPONS, OR A TERRORIST COUNTRY, AND TAKE OVER THE OIL FIELDS, AND BRING PEASE TO THE WORLD.

The world, and the US in particular, needs to find alternative energy sources. How many problems would it not solve? Environment, terrorism.. our future, essentially (not to mention the insane laws you rape your country with at the moment. 'Patriot Act'? More like the inverted, once great, American Constitution). From the outside, Americans can seem terrifyingly uneducated. The problem is not that the Saudis, or anyone, refuse to give the market the oil it requires; the problem is reliance on oil, and the belief that the 'invisible hand' will take care of all problems. Market mechanisms are too slow to work in instances of environmental disaster, lifestyle changes, or war (as Orwell pointed out). Stop with your oil and your 'lifestyle'; the ever increasing markets of the 19th century were yesterday. We need to consume less, produce less, and it starts with oil. Only politics can force that to happen.

As for the 'gesture'; it is likely more important for the Saudis to please their neighbours than the West. They do not want to be between both, and they can't be seen to only appease the West at every turn. That's just realpolitik -- live with it.

Well guess what, you don't have to worry about lower oil usage and people angry for driving slower these days...that's being forced...I mean placed upon them by market forces.....

It would be great if there was a way to turn Republicans into oil.

The Saudi's DID make a gesture - and it involved extending the middle finger. Mr. Flight Suit decided to be gracious and not bite the hand that will be feeding him and his family for generations to come. The American people continue to lose on every front thanks to this "compassionate conservative" and the rest of the knuckle dragging neanderthal neocons still running whats left of this country. And McClone thinks he has a chance this November? Pleeeeze!

Talk about pathetic. The president of the United States going hat in hand, not once, but twice to the Saudis to beg for more oil. And getting turned down twice. I can't imagine a more embarrassing gesture for the "leader" of the "world's only superpower" to make. Heaven forbid he should actually take some bold steps to help the country realize the days of cheap oil are over and that some actual sacrifices will need to be made.

Time to evolve from the 19th century internal-combustion, easy oil world. Humankind can do it. The human race has evolved, and survived, through much more than that.

The hour is late, though. Better we direct our energies toward the transition than toward this pitiful begging and whining.

If nothing else, the evolution will be entertaining.

The reason for the rise is China and India. Like most of Bush's work in the Mid East, this was a photo op. He was never going to bring the prces down very much. High oil prices are here to stay.