Why do lefties complain about high oil prices while restricting supply?

Question

Democrats are against new oil development in this country yet also claim conspiracy for price fixing against oil companies(which control a very small % of worldwide production anyway).
In reality, new development is being hampered everywhere in this country. I understand the need to find new energy sources, but while we are working on it shouldn't we be using the current resource and reduce our oil imports and along with it our trade imbalance?

Answer 1

Well stated.

I live in Alaska, and over 99% of our state is locked up against development. The *vast* majority of Alaskans want ANWR open for exploration and drilling, but the left won't let us. It's f*ing pathetic - we have a mind-boggling amount of natural resources, yet we're forced to be a welfare state, totally dependent on the feds. It SUCKS.

BTW - Someone tried to put up a wind farm in Nantucket Sound - all the rich folks there (lots of 'em lefties, kids!) pitched a fit, so it didn't happen. It has to come from SOMEWHERE, kids....

EDIT: Holy smokes! All this time I thought it was the leftists and the environmental groups that were blocking development...apparently not. So, kids, who *does* block development in America?

Sky, with all due respect, I disagree. I live in a state where oil is a major part of the economy - I follow this issue pretty closely. The LEFT consistently blocks any exploration or building of new refineries.

Answer 2

And how is destroying ANWAR for that paltry 2% of the world's total oil supply going to help things?

Mmm?

BTW: You should REALLY pay attention to the news. It's not Democrats who are against new development. It's those same OIL COMPANIES which are in the pocket of George Bush--whom have shown no real interest in building new refineries over the last 30 years.

The sad truth is, is that these old refineries are obsolete and broken down half the time. And these same companies have shown that they don't really care what happens to them--so long as they make PROFIT.

So when they break down, are you going to sit there like a dumb cluck and blame lefties, liberals, and Democrats for it?

Answer 3

because of the fact China and India are wanting their piece of the puzzle. additionally, the fields have been pumping for a protracted time now, and that i think of world oil manufacturing is approximately to height sometime quite quickly (next 10 years or so). as quickly as that occurs one hundred funds will seem as though a pipe-dream. Obama is powerless to do something to diminish the charges of oil, if something he's increasing it by using blocking off American drilling (which bush became for). They blamed bush because of the fact they might, and as the left has a tendency to be whiny lol.

Answer 4

The oil companies stand to make more profits by not building refineries and limiting supply, really you need to try and thing logically about this and stop mindlessly blaming liberals for everything, the simple fact is that oil companies aren't interested in building refineries, the want to limit supply

How did the Liberal magically prevent the construction of refineries during the years of a republican congress and president?? Bush and the republican congress could have passed legislation favorable to the oil companies, unopposed at any time.

Answer 5

Good question. Lefties that I know are always talking about raising gas prices to force a switch to alternative sources. So I can't understand why they are complaining about high oil prices since that accomplishes the same thing. I think they are mostly pissed because the oil companies are making record profits instead of the government taxing the people the same amount (if not more) to raise the price of gas.

Answer 6

For the same reason that they keep bringing up the draft. It's just political rhetoric. High gas prices really impact the average american who commutes to work. That average american may not be a democrat, but, if the democrats can convince him that the republicans are the ones raising his gas prices, he might vote democrat, anyway.

In reality, high gas prices are an unalloyed good for the liberal/environmentalist agenda. They discourage driving, which reduces emmissions, they make alternative fuel technologies more competative, and, they slow down the economy (for which the sitting president generally is blamed).

Answer 7

You're nuts if you actually believe the left is controlling the oil companies.

Answer 8

First of all, I doubt if there is little if any Liberal influence on the oil industry...Second of all, we all need to start moving away from fossil fuels...I know the right wing doesn't want to give up their profits, but enough is enough...