Caruso-Cabrera vs. Energy Independence

So I’m sitting around on this overcast Friday pondering topics to blog about and a few ideas come to mind. I thought about going a bit in the gutter by comparing the babes of CNBC vs. those of Fox Business. Or maybe a top ten list of the hottest ladies on all news channels combined. Can anyone say Michelle Caruso Cabrera? Wowzer!

But I settled on a topic that is a bit closer to home when it comes to our wallets. I’m watching CNBC and listening to an oil analyst at Oppenheimer discuss the risks in the Middle East that could impact the cost of oil. There is a possibility that the unrest in other parts of the region could spill over into Saudi Arabia, although slim. However, let’s consider the result if it did happen. Currently the U.S. gets just under 20% of its oil from Saudi Arabia, according to various web sources. If that country came to a standstill it would certainly throw a shock to the system.

If Saudi oil production stopped then most analysts seem to agree that oil prices would double very quickly. If that happened then how would you, Joe Citizen, feel about another war in the Middle East involving American troops while those of us at home are paying $7 a gallon for gas? Let’s assume the perfect storm happened over there and Iran develops nuke’s and halts oil shipments out of the Strait of Hormuz. Israel and Iran would be on the brink of war, and that would also lead to American military action. How about $250-$300 per barrel of oil and $10-$12 per gallon of gas? This isn’t outside the realm of possibility.

The thing that bothers me most about our energy situation is that we have so much energy here in America that we don’t need to spend a dime in that part of the world. It sucks that when we fill up our tanks some of that money goes back to that region and falls into the hands of governments that hate us. Some of that money falls in the hands of terrorist groups that are hell bent on killing you and me.

It sickens me that since I was a kid every politician for high office has promised American energy independence. Every single one of them has lied to America. Their reward for lying and pushing our country to the verge of economic collapse…they continue to get paid for life even long after being booted from office. Isn’t it ironic how someone gets elected to congress as a middle class attorney, getting a salary for elected office of around $130,000 a year but miraculously are worth untold millions when they are defeated for re-election or retire? Corrupt bastards.

With all the oil, coal, and natural gas we have we have no excuse to not achieve energy independence within two years. But, no political will. Hell, no one can even get a permit to drill for oil back in the Gulf regardless of their safety record and the current administration has shut down over 100 coal fired plants since coming into office. No wonder heating our homes in the winter is breaking the bank of the middle and lower income families.

Oh, sure there are a handful of the newer elected congressmen that want the same thing. I thought my previous congressman who served nearly 30 years gave a crap about the issue, but turned his back on his district that is comprised of families relying on home grown energy. His votes during his last term put families out of work, put our country at risk, and then he moved back to D.C. after losing to take a job with a lobbying firm…or so I have read.

Does anyone really think the current administration or the one that will come in in January do anything to actually make us energy independent? I certainly don’t.

Maybe I should have blogged about Cabrera and the other CNBC babes. At least I would be in a better mood now.