How BP Gulf Oil Spill should effect Comprehensive Energy Policy in America

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Now that we have heard all the chest beating claims of the liberals and conservationists and the crescendo of photo ops and sound bites from our politicians making all kinds of nonsensical claims about the effect this spill Must Have on energy policy, are we ready for a taste of the truth?

The truth is this. America is dependent on oil to grow and survive. We are not the greatest user of energy per capita, that is Canada. The United States ranks number 7 in per capita consumption. Because of our population we use the most energy.

We use about 100 quadrillion BTUs a year, of which 40% is fossil fuel. In the category of fossil fuel petroleum is 23%, 23% natural gas, Nuclear provides 8.4%, and renewable 7.3% which is mainly from hydroelectric dams. Overall per capita consumption in the US has remained stable since the 1970's.



The alternative fuels being pushed by Obama and others are a viable long term solution but to put them ahead of an aggressive program to secure energy independence from foreign sources through expanded use of oil, natural gas and coal, is simple nuts. With the primary renewal sources of energy providing less than 5% of our total energy needs, the most liberal of development projections would not result in US energy independence with renewable fuels until the end of the 21st century if then. Remember we have to allow for economic growth.

The truth is the only short term investment that can lead to energy independence is use of the oil, gas and coal reserves in an environmentally friendly manner. Meaning, we need regulatory enforcement which did not happen in the BP oil spill case, improved regulations in terms of the back up plan for any future off shore oil drilling, and expanded drilling areas.



With the BP experience we can protect our environment while expanding drilling. We have already seen hundreds of wells drilled off shore in deep water with no problems. We can always improve the back up plans and permit process but should not strangle the use of oil, gas or coal as a result of the BP and Interior Department problem. BP drilled the well but Interior approved the plan and permits.

If we do not do this, or if we get caught up in environmental radicalism we will strangle the American economy and never have the growth necessary to support long term alternative energy development. Make no mistake, alternative energy development is going to result in far more expensive energy and the American public cannot support huge increases in gas and electric costs.

Obama has already embraced the liberal clean energy movement to the point of threatening the short term economic growth of our nation. If we go green today we will go broke. It is that simple. Yet we can start the transition process of going green without going broke by a two tiered energy policy, the aggressive development of fossil fuels to seek energy independence thus lower energy costs while we give incentives for a long term transition to a green energy economy.



Right now most money invested in green energy is going into the pockets of investors, Wall Street firms like Goldman Sachs, pseudo environmental groups like Al Gore and his Goldman Partners, and not for the benefit of the industry or to lower energy costs for people.

As for the lesson of the Gulf oil spill, it should serve the same purpose as Three Mile Island. The 1979 TMI nuclear disaster was unexpected, not covered by federal regulations, and brought the nuclear industry in America to a standstill. A cost of billions of dollars were involved in the clean up though no lives or jobs were lost. It is the price you pay for new technology which is exactly what happened in the deep water drilling. We discovered problems never anticipated before.

While nuclear provides just 8.4% of our energy, it supplies up to 70% of the energy in some countries. An unexpected disaster like TMI or the Gulf spill should enable us to learn and make sure it does not happen again. Right now there are far more off shore oil wells, over 2,000, than nuclear plants in the USA, 103 commercial plants, and for the short term oil can be in service in far less time and at far less cost than new nuclear or alternative sources.



Use the BP Gulf experience to learn and grow, not to strangle the future economic growth and independence of America. It is time for the president and congress to do what is right for America, not just what is politically expedient.

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Dark Clouds over the Middle East - Is Israel Going to War?

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Late yesterday, after the White House enjoyed the signing of the health care bill, there was a 90-minute closed-door meeting between US President Barack Obama and Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. It was extended another 70 minutes after the formal meeting. Then Israeli and White House support staff met until after 1:00 am this morning.



Just 24 hours before the meeting between the two heads of state Netanyahu spoke to the pro Israeli AIPAC, one of the most powerful lobbying groups in the United States. AIPAC stands for the America Israel Public Affairs Committee and was in Washington for its annual convention where over half of the United States Congress trooped through its doors to attend the Gala Banquet.

For those of you not familiar with AIPAC, their lobbying clout in Washington is second to none as proven by the $3 billion in US foreign aid going to Israel, a new record and up from $2.4 billion last year. At this meeting Netanyahu again defied President Obama and said Israel would build 1,600 more homes in the contested East Jerusalem settlement.



You may remember that Vice President Biden was embarrassed on his recent trip to Israel to restart the Middle East Peace negotiations when Israel announced the housing construction the same day he arrived. Obama had been adamant in his request that Israel stop all settlement construction in disputed territories in order to start the peace negotiations.

This curious action by the Israeli Prime Minister is the latest in a series of actions that seem to be burning bridges with the most ardent supporters of Israel in the world, the United States and Britain.



International outrage against Israel was already in evidence because the Israeli Mossad secret service was accused by the Dubai police of using fake passports from a number of allies including 12 from Britain to send 27 assassins to Dubai and assassinate a ranking leader of Hamas, Mabhoub al-Mabhouh, on January 19, in Dubai. The investigation and disclosures led the British to expel an Israeli diplomat from Britain in protest against the murder.

To date Israel has not commented on the Mossad role in the assassinations but did say they were pleased with the outcome, the death of al-Mabhouh. Relations between Israel and the United States led the Israeli ambassador to America to say they were the worst in 30 years. After the Biden incident the US canceled a visit by US peace envoy George Mitchell.



Could it be the Israelis are threatening relations with their two prime allies because they have decided to go to war with Iran over the nuclear capability of that rogue state? It is becoming clear that the United Nations will never take effective action to stop Iran from developing a nuclear weapons capability. There is no way China or Russia will ever approve tougher sanctions against Iran and earlier attempts by Obama to negotiate with the Iranians failed miserably.



Israel is armed with hundreds of nuclear weapons even though they refuse to sign the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Agreement and right now they are the only nation in the Middle East with such a stockpile of weapons. They have consistently insisted if diplomatic negotiations fail they will destroy the Iranian nuclear capability.



Could it be the perceived conflicts between Israel and the United States and Britain are a precursor to an attack on Iran by Israel, staged to put distance between the attack and their allies? It would not be in the interest of the United States or Britain to encourage such an attack and this is a rather simple way to show they were at odds with Israel, thus preventing them from being blamed for any consequences.



Stranger things have happened in the long history between the United States and Israel.

So the Obama and Netanyahu meeting took place in the shadow of these diplomatic controversies. Unlike past meetings between the two, it was held behind closed doors with no news media allowed. There were none of the usual photo ops, formal handshake photos, press briefings or public announcements on the meeting. In fact a veil of secrecy not seen often in our nation's capitol was tossed on the whole affair as if it never really took place.

To recap, these are the actions that happened.

Secret meetings between leaders and staff last long into the night.
Obama gets his proposals rejected by Israel.
Netanyahu defiantly defends East Jerusalem settlements before AIPAC.
Biden gets embarrassed by Israel.
Obama cancels a trip by George Mitchell to Israel.
Israeli Mossad accused of assassination in Dubai.
Forged passports are used by assassins.
British expel Israeli diplomat in protest of 12 British passports being used.



Dark clouds are indeed on the horizon casting a foreboding shadow on peace efforts in the Middle East and the chain of events would indicate that something far more serious may be underway. Do not be surprised if Israel does attack Iran and that may only be the beginning of a new wave of horrific warfare in the Holy Land.

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Obama's Sputtering Foreign Policy - Israel and Iran - Is Tactical Nuclear War Next?

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With the spotlight finally off the perpetual health care debate and attention focused on the opening of the United Nations at last we can talk about some of our foreign activity. Then again, the way things are going perhaps Obama doesn't want to address foreign affairs.

So far after taking the world by storm in the election Obama has gotten pretty much nothing from our friends and enemies around the world as they are so deeply engrossed in their own problems they have neither the time nor the desire to be concerned with ours.

Don't forget, they still blame us and our capitalist greed for the world economic meltdown and it is most likely deserved. Still the world remains interlocked and what happens here does impact everyone around the world so what are the concerns?

Israel & Iran




Iran continues to stir the pot in the Middle East. With their flawed elections, persecution of Iranians, and nuclear threats it is as if they are baiting Israel to do something. They better watch out. Recent events could indicate the way is being cleared for Israel to attack Iran and there is a real chance it will happen before the end of the year if not sooner. First Obama asked Israel to stop building settlements and defiantly they kept on building. In fact there is nothing he asked them to do to help pave the way for peace talks that got done.




It is a strange sequence of events that has surrounded this peace effort as at first Obama was suspected of being much too supportive of the Muslim positions. Of course he did receive strong Jewish support in the election so his relationship to the Muslim world was a concern to the Jewish community. Until recently he seemed to be taking a much more neutral position on the Israeli - Palestinian issues.




However, one should never underestimate the impact or ability of his two closest and most influential advisors, Rahm Emanuel, White House Chief of Staff and David Axelrod, White House Senior Advisor as both are Jewish and have strongly supported Israel. In fact Emanuel even volunteered to fight for Israel during the first Desert Storm war.

As you may recall, in the campaign Obama promised to reach out to the Muslim world and all our enemies and nothing has come of it. His campaign promises to lead the way in building a better world have been locked in the vault of things I never should have said as reality sat in.

Russia and the Missile Defense Shield

One recent event seemed unrelated to the Israel - Iran issue but makes some sense in the larger picture. When Obama stunned the world last week and unilaterally cancelled the missile defense shield the US had promised Poland and Eastern Europe, it might well have been an action meant to appease the Russians. Now Russia was justifiably upset by the prospect of the shield, but to give away something like that without getting anything in return seems to be a strange way to conduct foreign policy.




It was almost as if Obama was saying Eastern Europe doesn't count. The fact he cancelled the agreement on the 70th anniversary of the invasion of Poland by the Soviet Union only added insult to injury. Before Stalin and Hitler were done with Poland nearly six million Poles died (civilian and military) during World War II, ranking Poland third behind the Soviet Union and Germany for the most deaths in the European sector of World War II. This represented nearly 22% of the entire Polish population before the war.




So what did the move by Obama mean? Well Russia was Iran's strongest ally. Would the action by Obama open the door to an attack by Israel on Iran nuclear facilities? Russian support for Iran was a factor in Israel not attacking. As for Israel, while never admitting they have a nuclear weapons capability intelligence estimates say the Israeli's have between 100 and 200 nuclear warheads, at a minimum. They also have a multitude of ways to launch them including missiles and jets.







Then there is the oil situation. Russia is a growing economy and oil reserves make Russia #7 in the world in proven oil reserves. With oil prices being kept high by firms like Goldman Sachs, expanding the oil sales would go a long ways toward financing the Russian economic recovery. But five of the top six nations with oil reserves all are in the Middle East while the last is Venezuela in South America, whose government makes it an unreliable provider to the markets.

Iran happens to rank #2 in the world in oil reserves behind Saudi Arabia and just ahead of Iraq though in spite of American occupation Iraq still cannot get oil production to a decent level. Should Israel attack Iran and happen to disrupt the Iranian oil production in the course of destroying the Iran nuclear sites it would be a financial windfall for Russia and might keep them from retaliating for the attack on their ally.

Such an attack would be consistent with previous attacks by Israel to protect their homeland and would be consistent with the worldwide Zionist movement, of which Emanuel, according to his parents, is aligned. It would no doubt result in some kind of retaliation by other Muslim nations but the prospects of becoming a major war would seem unlikely. However, it would certainly strain USA military resources as we would be the only nation to come to Israel's defense.




One can only hope diplomatic efforts, unsuccessful in terms of Iran's nuclear capability and stymied in terms of the Israeli - Palestinian peace process could progress and eliminate the need for such an Israeli attack but time is rapidly running out.