Gas price uptick a result of mainly Democrat federal policy

President Barack Obama (D) is not the first president to face criticism when American families hold a thinner wallet after filling up the tank. I still have memories dating to former President Jimmy Carter’s administration when prices went up and tempers as well—as a young adult I witnessed actual fights at gas pumps when someone tried to cut in line because the oil supply was disrupted.

It’s worth noting US consumers have dealt with federal whimsy for a very long time—the offshore drill ban Obama endorses has been endorsed by both Democrat and Republican presidents before him. Fox News and other media say the offshore ban dates to 1981 when Congress rammed through legislation to squelch drilling.

Obama policy, however, is a mixed bag and it does bear resemblance to Carter policy.

Our president admitted the Cap and Trade plan he wanted would cause energy prices to skyrocket. [Newsbusters]

Obama’s energy secretary Steven Chu said in January, 2011, he wanted gas prices to be more in line with those in Europe—around $7-8 a gallon. The Heritage Foundation blog The Foundry traces energy policy and offers a comparison of gas prices under different presidents.

Democrats tried to stick US consumers with a Cap and Trade plan but the bill failed in Congress. In my opinion, that plan would have done nothing to help the environment but it would have benefited the carbon trade financiers and economies in China and India.

This administration has also implemented a policy of ungluing the Middle East, abandoning allies in countries like Egypt and participating (by NATO proxy) in a war on Libya. That echoes Carter’s policy—he abandoned a loyal ally and handed Iran over to the regime in power today rather than working to convince our ally to modify harsh domestic policies in that country.

Speculators are smart people. If financial entities believe supply will be disrupted or decreased and if the product is an absolute necessity, the profit potential is obvious.

Much of the blame for rising energy prices can be placed at the feet of environmental preservationists who take the museum approach to any resource—keep it where we can look at it but do not touch it.

I’d say the environmental preservation movement has killed or harmed more people than all the war hawks combined.

Wise use of natural resources and prudent conservation practices make good policy. Getting a group of leftwing ideologues together to sue power companies is not, yet this is the norm today when leftwing groups seek to turn power over to the courts rather than to the people where by law it resides.

Everything our president has done points to an interest in causing energy prices to rise at all levels. What few realize is that rises in costs for any necessary resource don’t just affect our driving habits—an anti-oil and anti-petroleum policy affects everything from food prices to our home energy bills.

Meanwhile third world countries continue to cut rain forests, having been lured to the global warming table with promises of wealth if they’ll just plant a few more groves of fast growing trees. Children still die in other third world countries because of diversion of food crops for fuel, because some of those countries won’t allow genetically altered food crops and because some of those countries are not permitted to use the most effective chemicals on insects that carry vector-borne illnesses. That’s okay, Tinselati tell us on public service ads. We can buy those kids some mosquito nets!

Oil is in big demand—any product necessary for energy and manufacturing is. For nearly 3 decades leftwingers have controlled the management and supply of natural resources in the interest of political dogma and bank accounts of those who stand to profit by schemes like carbon trading. Advantage has gone to China, India and Russia.

If you want to see the U.S. regain former glory, unleash the power and energy that can make that happen rather than capitulating to leftwing environmental groups whose loyalties are in my opinion extremely suspect.

I have serious doubts that those in power now or for that matter, during select other administrations, have the best interests of the U.S. in mind.

I do not believe the current administration really cares about the prices we pay for anything on Main Street. Nor do I believe any long term remedy will be achieved until there is a change in Congress and the White House where those we elect actually look out for the interests of the American people instead of pushing social justice and wealth redistribution policies to benefit other countries.

Energy prices are a direct result of failed domestic and foreign policy dating back to 3 decades of mismanagement influenced by Democrats in power. That mismanagement has in recent years come to resemble a catastrophe, one that countries like China applaud even as they manufacture windmills to ship to the U.S.

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(Commentary by Kay B. day/April 25, 2011)

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