Don't like high gas prices? Blame Congress

[dancingguy]

Jerks in Congress are at it again:
House Subcommittee Rejects Plan to Open U.S. Waters to More Oil Exploration
Wednesday, June 11, 2008

Comments

[ophymirage]

Are you happy you're paying $4+ a gallon for gas? That food prices and other prices will be rising because it costs more to get them to you? Then thank Congress.

I think I'll thank GW and his war on terror oil-producing countries what aren't run by his Saudi buddies, thanks. Oh, and the oil-future speculators who are driving up the price by holding onto stock. OH, and let's not forget Exxon and Shell and those other companies making BILLIONS of dollars in profit, and driving the cost of EVERYTHING up in response, and who aren't currently even subject to windfall profits taxes, thanks to this incredibly corrupt oil-based administration.

Oh, or did you think this was a free market?

[chuckles48]

Ummm, if you want to get into a little reality-check, you might note that despite all the rhetoric, the war in Iraq hasn't actually been the real cause behind rising oil prices. Rising demand (India, China) and dropping supply from a variety of sources (coughMexicoandIrancough) are the two biggest culprits.

That, and there's this little minor DOCUMENTED bit of data that makes it clear that Iraq was already in bed (oilwise) with France (Total, formerly TotalFinaElf), Russia, and China (CNOC). If the Iraq war was about oil, then the only thing it was about was WHO would profit from that oil - US/UK/"coalition of the willing" countries, or countries who have demonstrated great hostility to US/etc. interests.

And, you might note, if Exxon, Shell, etc. weren't making those profits, the profits would still be made, but they'd be padding the wallets of Vladimir Putin, the various Chinese petrocompany cadres, and assorted Frankenreich ilk. The same thing would be happening, but it would arguably be worse.