Happy Oil Dependence Day

As we head into the Fourth of July weekend of patriotic bluster and beer swilling -- but before we are too besotted with ourselves -- might we also for once consider our imperfections? Why not take a moment to heed the cautions of our founding father, George Washington, whose true legacy will most likely be ignored during the flag-waving weekend?

Washington's "Farewell Address" to the new nation was a warning about the threat of American imperial ambitions and a declaration of his high expectations for a republic of free men: "In offering to you, my countrymen, these counsels of an old and affectionate friend, I dare not hope they will make the strong and lasting impression I could wish; that they will control the usual current of the passions, or prevent our nation from running the course which has hitherto marked the destiny of nations. But, if I may even flatter myself, that they may be productive of some partial benefit, some occasional good; that they may now and then recur to moderate the fury of party spirit, to warn against the mischiefs of foreign intrigue, to guard against the impostures of pretended patriotism. ..."

We are drowning in the "impostures of pretended patriotism," used to cover the lies that got us into Iraq, the defense of torture and the violation of our basic liberties. In the name of patriotism, we presume a God-given American right to reorder the world to our liking, masking the vice of unfettered greed as an obligation of national security.

Any doubts as to this later governing impulse of our imperial ambitions were shattered with the recent news that U.S. advisers to our puppet government in the Green Zone of occupied Iraq have worked out agreements for American oil companies to gain control of Iraqi oil fields. But, then again, what did we expect when we elected a Texas oil hustler, and a failed one at that, to be our president?

Only in an America dumbed down by constant propaganda about our innate moral superiority will anyone any longer believe that we didn't invade Iraq for the oil, even though Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice came to the Bush administration from the board of directors at Chevron, where they named an oil tanker after her. Like Vice President Dick Cheney with those Halliburton contracts, Rice has stayed true to her corporate sponsors. That's what the U.S. invasion of Iraq accomplished; for the first time in more than three decades after Iraq joined a worldwide trend of formerly colonized nations gaining control of their own resources, Big Oil is getting its black gold back. It was always about the oil -- that's why "we" invaded Iraq -- only "we" aren't getting any, at least not at a reasonable price. The oil companies are.

I know it's difficult for the corporate media and politicians, both fueled generously by energy money, to grasp the distinction, but we the people and they the oil companies are not one and the same. While we suffer at the pump, they make record profits, which is the way they like it. Don't think for a second that U.S. oil companies are rushing into Iraq to expand production to help lower world oil prices, thus making their investments less profitable. They just want to be on the winning side, which is why the CEO of Halliburton relocated his office from Texas to the United Arab Emirates, where I am certain he and his fellow corporate expatriates are able to happily celebrate the Fourth of July.

So, take that American flag off your lapel and replace it with a button bearing the Exxon or Chevron logo. C'mon, Dick Cheney and Condi Rice, be straight about what it is you are really pushing here. 'Fess up -- it's not the good old USA as represented by the sucker taxpayers conned by your patriotic blather. No sirree, what you would have Americans paying homage to is the majesty of the big multinational corporations that exploit American military power to rule the world.

But recognize that you have shamed the legacy of our first president. George Washington, who distinguished the promise of the new world from the corruptions of the old by shunning imperial conquest, said: "Our commercial policy should hold an equal and impartial hand; neither seeking nor granting exclusive favors or preferences; consulting the natural course of things; diffusing and diversifying by gentle means the streams of commerce, but forcing nothing."

If Barack Obama or John McCain was to offer such words of wisdom this Fourth of July, he would be vilified as "weak," and that is a fit measure of just how far we have descended from the high hopes of our first president.

Robert Scheer is the author, most recently, of "The Pornography of Power: How Defense Hawks Hijacked 9/11 and Weakened America," published by Twelve Books.

Comments

[crudescrewed]

Here is what I believe. I believe that the demand for energy around the world is skyrocketing which is driving up prices across the board. Even with conservation, and efficiency gains, demand is going to continue to outstrip supply in the immediate and distant future. Therefore, it is imperative that we, and I mean we as the world, pursue vigorously all methods of increasing the supply of energy. This includes oil, natural gas, wind, solar, nuclear, biofuels, etc. We do not have the luxury to pick and choose our favorites at this point. As the saying goes, "beggars cannot be choosy". Unfortunately, it seems that our politicians, as well as passionate bloggers, cannot get past their hate and prejudices in order to get something done. Folks, our way of life is at stake here and we need to start yesterday. Let's stop pointing fingers and let's start getting it done. If the current class of politicians isn't up to the challenge, then let us kick them the hell out and start over. Have a happy 4th everyone.

[bgregs]

First, demand is going up worldwide, no doubt. However, in the case of China and India (both listed as a primary cause of increased demand) the demand is NOT skyrocketing. It is increasing at almost the exact same percentage rate that it's been increasing for the last decade or more!

Second, conservation and efficiency gains are JUST as important as increasing the supply of energy! Just like water conservation and efficiency gains effectively increases the amount of water that is present, when you decrease the amount of energy that you waste, you REDUCE the percentage of energy that you USE. Mathematically, this is the same as INCREASING the supply of energy!

And finally, there is no real evidence that the high cost of energy is tied to supply and demand, and a large amount of evidence that it IS tied to a combination of price gouging by the energy suppliers, AND speculation by those who have no cause to be in the energy market!

[crudescrewed]

Let's just say that you are correct, and the percentage increase has been the same over the last decade. Think about that for a moment, since you are the one who brought up math. If the rate increase was 10%, that means that their has been 10% increase on an ever growing base line number for a decade. The result is a tremendous increase in demand over that time period.
On your second point, all I'm saying is that the ever increasing demand of energy and resources is going to overwhelm any attempts at conservation and gains in efficiency. The evidence for this is the current marketplace. We have made tremendous strides in the efficiency of cars, houses, lightbulbs, etc, however this is small potatoes compared to the rapid increase in demand we have recently seen. Look at the yearly charts for wheat, corn, steel, coffee, natural gas, heating oil, crude oil. All have seen dramatic increases in the last year. It is just not oil that has been going up dramatically. It is simply about supply and demand, plus the weakening of the dollar, but that is another story. Finally, Congress has investigated price gouging on numerous occasions and repeatedly have found no evidence to support it. As far as speculation, sure speculators are involved in this market, they are involved in all markets, but they are not the root cause of the problem. We need to increase supply and decrease demand where we can without sacrificing economic growth.

[mjt218]

It seems to be a bit of a rhetorical fallacy to decry the actions of our current leaders, no matter how self-motivated they may seem, based on the words of a man who owned slaves and had no need for imperial conquest due to the fact that he had all the material wealth he could ever need, and a frontier conveniently claimed to be the property of his nation to conquer from the Native Americans.

[doctordawg]

Please, someone counter the idiocy. Drilling ANWR or the outer shelf will not produce oil for the American market. It will be sold into the world market like every barrel produced anywhere in the world.

Unless McCain and Bush are planning to nationalize "our" oil companies in order to steer "our" ANWR reserves into "our" market, ANWR and all offshore drilling will be sold to the highest bidder, and the additional volume they would bring to the markets would be a pimple on OPEC's backside.

Destroying Florida's tourist industry or Alaska's last frontier would benefit China's gluttonous growth. Remove the oil companies' embargo of lithium ion battery technology to increase hybrid and electric vehicle use would create a local glut of oil and gas, driving down prices while slowing global climate change.

But the "let's drill 'our' outer shelve to reduce 'our' prices" crowd is either delusional or lying.

[MaeScott]

Gotta kick Bush and Co out first.
before they manage to start another action in Iran.

[vippy]

Not so fast here, it was our DEM Congress that allowed the ENRON LOOPHOLE created by
Phil Gramm, Richard Lugar and Tom Delay. Why are they not reversing that policy and getting the
price of a barrel of oil below $ 50 again? Because they make money! Nothing will be done until
the election where the DEMS (and I am a Democrat) can blame it on the GOP. It is a game.
I heard today that the US is selling arms to IRAQ, how stupid is that when we have a war going on.
Imagine having sold arms to Hitler while the fighting was going on. I can only say it is all a game,
they keep us stupid so they can enrich themselves. And the press is too scared to print the
truth we already suspect but we are called "conspiracy mongers."

[bgregs]

Actually, it was the REPUBLICAN led Congress during the last year of the CLINTON presidency which created the Enron Loophole!

[MagisterLudi]

"We" are getting all the oil we need, albeit at a high price.

"We" didn't get all the oil we needed during the oil embargo of the 70s.

Since then "we" have made Saudis Kuwaitis Iraqi and Abu Dhabi and Qatar our allies
so oil embargo is no longer is possible. This is a major achievement. Now lets kick out Bush and begin drastic reduction in oil use. Beginning with introducing a 40% tax on vehicles that don't meet a 25MPG standard and building more public transportation.
And let OPEC gorge on their own oil. Let see how far they get on China and Indian demand.

[KillTheMessenger]

An oil embargo is not possible for a simple technical reason: most oil right now goes through an international market and is not traded directly from producer to refiner. The very mechanism that is blamed for high oil prices prevents the producer to selectively end trade with one nation. Oh, the irony!

And I certainly wouldn't threaten OPEC too much with walking out as a customer (apart from the fact that we couldn't even if we wanted to). Even if the US stopped all the oil imports from OPEC countries, it would probably not make a huge dent into OPECs finances. Europe and Asia would immediately make up for the US shortfall at quite reasonable prices around $80-100/barrel. In the meantime Canadian and Mexican oil would trade around probably $400/barrel in the US.

[MagisterLudi]

A good and informed comment KIllTM,
No one is ( or could be) walking out on OPEC product just yet.
However, reducing petrol. use is an important priority.
Europe is already working hard to reduce petrol. use.
Arguably, if U.S. kicks it up a notch ( or ten), you will see a reduction in price, provided that some regulation is introduced into trading of this commodity.

[Titonwan]

The good ol' US of A. I remember when two gas stations in rural Missouri had a price war and one was 23.9 cents a gallon. His competitor went down to 19.9 cents. Times were good. We all bought 500 horsepowered musclecars and Harleys. Leave it to Beaver and Route 66 and Sky King were what I couldn't get enough of. Then I grew up and realized we are the most decadent, lazy and selfish people on the face of the earth. But we were ignorant, believing everything our good politicians told us, because we had (at that time) the highest standard of living in the world. I see how we got there now. Wiping out entire villages and poisoning the earth, thinking it could go on forever. We certainly have been the apex of the human experiment. In our short lifetime (I'm 50) we have shot from horse and buggy to atom smashing colliders. And I got a feeling we'll see that the best days are behind us. I believe ol' Bill Hicks was right " we are a virus with shoes" (B. Hicks outspoken comedian like G. Carlin- both dead now)

[KillTheMessenger]

"Then I grew up"

Yes, you did. But the nation as a whole did not. And now it has to do in a few short years what normally takes decades.

[CFAmick]

Yeah, I do agree. Our hedonistic days are over; we had our fun while ignoring the consequences. We're going to require a massive lifestyle change sooner rather than later. Unfortunately, the old guard is holding out for every last dime they can snatch by the old rules.

[joebaggadonuts]

...And I got a feeling we'll see that the best days are behind us.

Well if we don't get through this inflection point they are. But in a decade or so things COULD be much better.

[pastgone]

This war was always fundamentally about securing control of Iraqi oil for big oil companies. Everything else--the imminent threat of WMD's, the spread of freedom and democracy--was just a smokescreen. And anyone with half a brain could see this from the very outset.

However, there are quite a few folks in America--regular folks, not CEO's--who, underneath it all, think it was just fine for "us" to invade Iraq so "we" could secure control of their oil. They realize that the purpose of the mission must be concealed under a smoke cloud of freedom, democracy and patriotism, so they don't admit the true purpose, but they understand it nevertheless.

What these folks fail to realize is that they aren't benefitting from control of Iraqi oil in any way, shape or form. "We"--the American public--aren't gaining anything. Oil companies and their CEO's are reaping the benefits. "We" are merely footing the bill--on the front and rear ends.

That's the trouble with smokescreens--with a network of lies. They not only deceive the screen-ee. They also deceive the screen-er.

[Gma11]

Sadly true, pastgone. And without any understanding of the eventual consequences.

[CaseyBabes]

"It was always about the oil, but we ain't getting any." Guess it was not about the oil after all. Maybe it was just about a few thousand American dead bodies along with our friends laying about. Places like Lebenon, Dharan, WTC, in Embassies, Yemen, and sickenly on and on............... (OK lefties, let me hear your DailyKos repititious phrases of hate.)

[samp426]

Excuse me, but, what exactly is your point? Lebanon, WTC, Yemen...what do any of those references have to do with our current predicament? Oh, you mean Iraqi involvement in any of those actions?

I hate to be the one to have to tell you, but, you've been had.

Without a frame of realistic reference around your rhetoric, you risk sounding like an old parrot.

Sincerely,
The lefties

[23000Days]

Thanks! Casey's profile reads like scribbling on an asylum wall.

[BBackSoon]

Dear Troll,

I as one of the lefties would like to welcome your input into conversations and debates about events and news stories here on the Huffpo, but please show a little respect and at least try to make lucid comments. It looks like you typed that comment with your two index fingers flying while sweat dripped from your brow and you shook with seething rage.

If you really think we went to war because our government cares about the common people of this country or some other country, then say so and include in a real fact or two not just talking points. By the way, I vehemently disagree.

Have a nice day.

[CaseyBabes]

What was that about respect? Cool the way you weave seething rage and vehemently into your nonsense. Wonder who the one really sweating is.....................

[joebaggadonuts]

Robert, I think there's more to it than that. I think this is a war over oil very much like the one that got Japan into WWII. The ruling elite in this country, as distinguished from the academic or Hollywood elite by the value of their property holdings, are afraid to allow anything to change their cozy nest arrangements. Alternative energy solutions would do that with new auto companies, new types of supply, arrangements for small producers (individual families with photovoltaics and windmills etc) to profit from supplying the grid, public transportation, proper food labeling, and so many other things revalue their holdings in ways that frighten them. So they want to hold on and prevent that and that leads to war. A war to stay the course. It's not just the stockholders of the big oil companies, but many other groups with profit to gain from everlasting war, lack of regulation and lack of environmental stewardship. Selfish and fearful they press the levers of power and influence to which they have access to keep their coffers full. They understand how to manufacture hate and fear and divisiveness, but not how to work with unfamiliar cultures to generate new and better shared world views which allow us all to benefit. Occam's razor is not their tool of choice, but a similarly phrased one which asks, "If I pull this lever will it yield me more money or less." That's what got them and keeps them wealthy.

[KillTheMessenger]

You are blaming US "ruling elites", but the cries for cheap cars, cheap oil and cheap Chinese plastic originate from the population. Face it, you live in a country where people on average are shallow, uneducated, uninformed and desperate to make up for the missing meaning of their lives by shopping. Once you change that, you have a handle on all other problems. As long as you don't, the solutions will remain elusive and at best patchwork.

[BBackSoon]

OK, I"ll play. I agree with your basic assessment of the American Masses. But would you also agree that Detroit, Big Oil, Big Energy, Big Pharma and Big whatever else you"ve got in fact cultivated this exact behavior over the last half century?

See the USA in a Chevrolet, Put a Tiger in your tank, We bring good things to life and on and on and on.

Somewhere in there the powers that be also managed to stagnate the public educational system. A stupid population is more easily swayed by wine and circus. Or Starbucks and American Idol.

[joebaggadonuts]

Not the US ruling elites, ALL ruling elites. House of Saud is clearly complicit. Bin Laden is too, actually. There are a few men/women who can move the public to action with their words, but most of them are assassinated when their words begin challenge the power structure.

The French revolution was contagious throughout Europe and for the same reason. The governed got disrespect until it nearly killed them and destroyed their dreams of a better life for themselves and their families. I agree with BBackSoon too.

Nevertheless you make a good point. GWB warned us. "Fool me once, shame on me, Fool me twice, er, can't get fooled again." We didn't listen and now we're hosed. The American public shares responsibility, but like the tiger in it's cage or the human batteries in the Matrix, there's not very much they can do while they have the proper blinders/restraints on.

It seems like an undeclared world war for oil that we are in the midst of. Elites on various sides want to control it. The American public has been counted upon to keep paying the price to maintain the structure. That reliance is likely to break down, until we get the Iraqi oil on stream just prior to our election.

[Stormboy]

Well put, Bob and JoeBag. Scheer's column and the above reply fit the facts of the armed theft of oil underway in Iraq.
But there's another aspect that needs to be dissected and defused. While it is true that "They understand how to manufacture hate and fear and divisiveness," it is also true that the war-mongers among us truly feel hate and fear and a need to fight to the death to defeat "the enemy." Fear and loathing of "evil forces" in the guise of foreign faces is deeply embedded in the American and European character, and is codified in religious and philosophical beliefs. There is a deep strain of existential dread of succumbing to Satanic "others" and a sense that mutual self-destruction is preferable to enslavement by...fill in the blank: communists, negroes, muslims, libruls, homos, humanists, pacifists, hippies, females, etc. etc. Such mind-cluttering phobias cloud thought processes and lead to self-delusion and mass manipulation by propagandistic deceptions, all for the greater good of defeating the evil that lurks in the dark psyches of those unfamiliar faces.
So this armed robbery of Iraqi oil is not just to increase the quarterly revenues of the oiligarchy, it is also to deny this essential liquid energy, considered vital to the capacity to wage war, from the evil ones who threaten the American Way Of Life with their murderous and treacherous intentions.

[joebaggadonuts]

That's why I liked Senator Bullworth's remarks when he said: " Everybody just gotta keep f0cking everybody until we are all the same color. " http://www127.pair.com/critical/food-16.htm

[Hoelder]

"Patriotism is the virtue of the vicious". History is a good guide to see the future. Many people think that the Roman Empire collapsed because of its moral efficiency. That is not so. Towards the end Rome was for sale. It's major jobs outsourced to businessmen that could give less about the empire but more about the profit. Those man and their families became the provincial leaders of the empire. Charlemagne became emperor because of out sourcing by the previous family in charge. Behind the flag there are people rallying for unity that have no interest in the union. Greed is our creed. The carrot is to become rich like the few and gobble up wealth, the stick is the flag in the lapel, the generals back on the hills safe and sound order 6000 men to charge out of the trenches. They are 6000, so 600 hundred will arrive at the enemy. This is the reason for their number. The generals watch and blame failure on the soldiers' lack of patriotism and not their own lack of imagination. Who isn't for me, is against me? The chicken hawks move to Dubai, a company that should be de-listed and stripped of all contracts. Great post, thanks.

[SERWA]

you can say that again

[jazzman]

It was about oil but if they had admitted that fact from the beginning they would have been confessing to war crimes.

9/11 supplied the excuse, the media supplied the phoney baloney cover story, the army supplied the muscle, the american people supplied the patriotic fervor and yellow ribbons bumper stickers on their cars, and the oil companies went in and got what they coveted: control of more oil to sell to China, India, and oh, yes, America too. At premium prices!

[adavis08]

This is an excellent post and one befitting our now phony celebrations of Independence, and patriotism. This country has turned into a sham all the while killing thousands and pretending it was bringing democracy to the Middle East. I remember well the shame I felt that week end that we invaded Iraq.Our arrogance and braggadocio of "Shock and Awe" reveling in our supposedly superior might in bombing a weaker nation. To me it was sickening, the killing for a noble ideal when in reality it was stealing plain and simple. Taking the resources that another country rightfully owns. Another example of "manifest destiny" I guess.

[ReasonIsMyReligion]

Huzzah.

Time for a Declaration of OIL Independence.

[bgregs]

Wait, isn't EVERY day oil dependence day????

[KillTheMessenger]

Nah. One day every year is enough. And on the fifth we can go shopping for a Hummer.