Saturday, May 31, 2008

High Oil Prices Rock the Globe


Although the effect of soaring oil prices is generally discussed at a local or national level, the fact is that it's affecting every corner of the globe. And though you're most likely to hear about how if affects gasoline, diesel fuel, and airline ticket prices, the effects go much deeper indeed.

The Ripple Effect of Soaring Energy Prices

When the price of petroleum rises, so does the price of all products which use oil components as ingredients. Synthetic fabrics? Going up. Plastics? Up as well. Even the already high price of blood used in transfusions is getting ready to soar. You think the price of your health care insurance is steep now? Get ready for a shock.

Add this cost of finished goods and services to the rising cost of distributing them and you start to get some idea of where we're headed. It's not pretty.

Asinine Technology and Environmental Restrictions

Here in the U.S., we face an ornery set of challenges. First, the liberals won't let us drill our own resources. They also won't let us increase our refining capacity; they hamstring us with regulations that only a politician could dream up.

Take the Lyondell refinery on the Houston ship channel for example. It's mind-boggling how much of its infrastructure is mothballed. The existing equipment is old and patched for the most part, although a new unit for producing low-sulfur gasoline was built recently. (This refinery handles most of Venezuela's extremely sour crude.)

Global Petroleum Ramifications

But the problem is global. In England, residents are finding it increasingly difficult to heat their homes. In France and Spain, fishermen and truckers are blocking roads in protest.

Meanwhile, in Asia, protests are erupting daily. Korean Air, feeling the pinch, has announced plans to cancel flights on twelve international routes. Three Chinese cities have had to begin rationing diesel fuel.

South Africa has its own woes. The government has increased the price of gas by thirty three per cent, and the price of diesel has soared by 49 per cent. Diesel fuel is used extensively in heavy industry and farming.

Aid organizations, always crucial to the survival of one part of Africa or other sees no way out but cutting some of its services.

Is There a Solution?

The question now is what must be done to avoid a global flash point. While the Saudi Arabians sit grinning in their palaces, refusing to increase production and let the law of supply and demand take effect, some oil-less Arab nations are getting hammered as hard as the rest of us. And they're loosing patience with their neighbor.

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Will Bush Lead an Attack on Iran?


The Israeli army radio has been reporting that President Bush will attack Iran before the end of his second term. The question is, is this a fact, or simply a sideways warning to the Iranians to cease and desist with the nuclear weapon program?

There's no doubt that the Iranians are stirring up trouble. Iran controls Hezbolla, which in now securely in control of Lebanon. It's just another staging point for exporting terrorism and provides expanded opportunity for weapons trafficking.

Bush's official stand in dealing with the Iran problem is that all options are still on the table. But are there any indications that the military option is gaining more than its share of attention? Some think so, and the following is why.
  • Another aircraft carrier has been added to the Persian Gulf. Saber rattling?
  • An Aegis-class class destroyer has taken up position of the coast of Lebanon. Ostensibly to guard Israel from missile fire?
  • The Air Force has just recently completed upgrading its fleet of B-1 bombers.
  • Israel itself has been getting battle-ready, lending some credibility to the Army radio's reports.

The latest estimates are that Iran can have a viable nuclear bomb as soon as 2009. Expect the spit to hit the fan.

Monday, May 12, 2008

Mexico's Drug "Civil War" Rages On


Mexico is experiencing what is being called a civil war. It's the Federales versus the drug cartels. And yet, who's paying attention? Certainly not us; we're far too wrapped up in the sordid details of Britney Spears continuing drama. Who's winning the war? The smart money says the drug cartels.

Edgar Millan, Mexico's Federal Chief of Police, was one of the most recent to be gunned down, followed quickly by Esteban Robles Espinosa. Espinosa headed up the police detective force in Mexico City.

These gangsters are moving with a vengeance, and they're anything but lightweights. They are so well armed that many times the police and military have had to retreat and simply let the cartels carry on as usual.

Since the police and military have joined forces to try to get things under control, more than 3000 Mexican citizens have lost their lives in the struggle.

And yet, one of the most disturbing aspects of this situation is that both the U.S. administration and Congress is turning a blind eye to this conflict. They seem to lack the resolve and backbone to seal the borders - first against the illegal aliens that are stealing our jobs and social services. And now against a battle that not only threatens to spill across our border, but also funnels in meth, cocaine, and heroin.

Bush's idea of a "solution" is to award the Mexican government $500 million of our taxpayer money to beef up their military. What is he thinking? In the first place, the Mexican government is so openly corrupt that most of "our" money won't even go towards the drug war.

In the second place, doesn't it make more sense to use that money to seal up the border? This would keep the money in our economy and supply jobs to Americans. Just a few weeks ago, Bush was interested in stimulating our economy. Now, not so much.

And finally, one of the biggest sources of income in Mexico is money wired back from illegal aliens. Hmm, so in addition to all that money not being spent domestically supporting the economy, we're going to not loan, but give them more.

I'll tell you, sometimes I don't know whether to laugh or cry.

Sunday, May 11, 2008

Hillary Refuses to Concede

Certainly, Hillary Clinton refuses to concede that Obama has whupped her soundly. The question is, why? Well, there are several likely explanations; whichever one/ones you like are fair game. Let's look at a few...
  • Dick Morris (who knows her and hubby Bill well), hints that she might be looking at a long term goal, knowing that the current race is lost. If Obama wins, he will be incumbent in 2012. Incumbent presidents are hard to beat. If she "helps" McCain, she increases her odds in the future.
  • Hillary's campaign has borrowed a lot of cash from herself recently to keep her campaign afloat. Obama is planning to announce victory after the next round of primaries later this month. This gives Clinton a widow of opportunity to fund-raise to repay herself; whether she chooses to stay in the race or not. Being married to the master fund-raiser of the universe has its perks.
  • She has an out-of-control ego. Perhaps she just feels that throwing in the towel isn't an option. I don't say this as an insult - this trait is common among high-scoring athletes as well as CEO's and government types. That's why they get results.

The bottom line is that the looming chaos in the Democrat political machine could be their un-doing. While John McCain is busy campaigning for the top job, the Democrats are ripping their own flesh with gusto.

Even seemingly-normal citizens are threatening to riot in Denver. And these are folks that want to get out of the war in Iraq because they don't agree with violence. Uh-oh, can you say Democrat-political-convention-conscientious-objector?

Obviously, many fed up liberal party loyalists don't get it either...

Thursday, May 8, 2008

Is it Time for Hillary to Step Down?


Indeed, has the death knell sounded for Senator Clinton? Should she exit, stage left, for the good of the party? We've been here before, and the answer is still, "When pigs fly!" As we know, the Clinton couple relationship is not so much a blissful marriage as it is a domineering political machine.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but if anything, Billary is smelling the barn and forging a new strategy. She has three things going for her: Florida, Michigan, and a handful of uncommitted super delegates.

Either one of those things could be her ace in the hole. And don't underestimate the Clinton's ability to "persuade". Just as they have an uncanny knack for making people shut up or go away, they certainly know how to call in favors. One or two super delegates might just succumb to their charm.

Now Hillary is hinting at an upcoming "October surprise" in the Obama camp. Surely something more damaging than an anti-American racist pastor or an unrepentant home-grown terrorist buddy?

None of that has stuck to Obama yet. So what could be in the works? If the Clinton camp has some more devastating dirt on Barak, has she been holding it back just to use it at an appropriate time?

Her biggest challenge is not Obama, however. Her biggest challenge is getting her husband to shut the pie hole. Certainly she has to let him off the leash to raise money, but it would help her immensely if he could stop trying to derail her.

One thing is for certain - there has been a lot of water under the bridge in this democrat primary, but the real fireworks haven't even begun.

Tuesday, May 6, 2008

Clinton Campaign Juggles North Carolina, Indiana


It's all nail-biting for Hillary Clinton in North Carolina today. Her staff is feeling pinched by their own prediction of a 15 point defeat there in favor of Obama.

Her one spot of optimism is the Indiana primary. There are 72 delegates up for grabs in the Hoosier state and staffers feel optimistically that she can take roll over Obama there by a full 10 points.

Currently, Clinton owns 1,586 delegates and Obama has 1,719 in his camp. The magic number needed to win is 2,025. This turns up the heat on the super delegates, some of whom are in a sweat, knowing that their political future might depend on which way they sway.

It's likely that Rush Limbaugh's CHAOS operatives will give her a boost, as will her own revelation to George Stephanopoulos, speaking of Rush, "He's always had a crush on me." Talk about trying to woo conservatives!

Monday, May 5, 2008

Tom Hanks Endorses Barak Obama?

I suppose it's true - I just saw the short on Youtube. Yes, I know it's trendy when a Hollywood type makes a political endorsement but I'm not too sure about the credibility here. The reasons Tom Hanks gave for the endorsement were as empty and nebulous as Obama's speeches.

That's the problem I have with Obama. Granted, he's a suburb orator, but there's nothing of substance in his speeches. Even when he outlines a policy he hopes to implement, it's usually a vortex of bloated social programs.

The problem is, how will he pay for it? Oh that's right, tax rich folks and corporations. Well, the problem there is that rich folks already pay almost all the taxes in this country. And guess what? They are the ones that create jobs for the rest of us. I've never been hired by a poor man.

And corporations? We already have the second highest corporate tax structure in the world. That's why jobs are being outsourced overseas. Want to see more of that? Put Obama in the White House.

Hanks says he wants to elect Obama because "he has vision". Then, because of that, he equates him to F.D.R. and Ronald Reagan. Hey Tom, put down the Kool-Aid! I have a vision too, but I don't have executive experience. And neither does Obama.

Another reason for Hank's endorsement is because the country needs a "seismic shift". I'm all about seismic shifts, but:
  1. Not just for the sake of having one, and
  2. I don't want to put my money on the shifter before he explains, in detail, what he's going to shift, and how.
Again, Tom, put down the Kool-Aid and ask some questions.