[freedomtowernight_edited.jpg] 26th Parallel: Private Oil Bad, Government Oil Good

Sunday, June 29, 2008

Private Oil Bad, Government Oil Good

Last week, there was a very good column in El Nuevo Herald by Adolfo Rivero Caro that did a wonderful job of exposing the Democrat Party, liberals and radical environmentalists as anti-capitalists vis-a-vis oil.

Rivero Caro's column deals with the reaction in those sectors to the decisions of John McCain and Governor Charlie Crist to support oil drilling well off Florida's Gulf coast. Rivero Caro employs the logical arguments to support drilling, while at the same time calling out environmentalists, liberals and everyone else who is adamantly opposed to drilling.

The premise for calling those folks "anti-capitalists"? Simple. Rivero Caro cites the observations of the Wall Street Journal's Mary Anastasia O'Grady who noted that it's not necessarily oil that bothers environmentalists and their friends, but private oil:
Something that's worth observing is the attitude of the radical environmentalists and their representatives in the face of certain ecological "dangers". Mary Anastasia O'Grady, the brilliant journalist of the Wall Street Journal, recently observed that when the oil companies are state-owned, ecologists ignore the ecological disasters caused by said companies. Their socialist and statist sympathies trump any other consideration. No one protests the formidable inefficiency of Pemex. And we've seen the reaction to the discovery of the Tupi oilfield by Petrobras off the Brazilian coast. The examples are plenty and are easy to see.

On another note, according to O'Grady, when oil companies are state-owned, politicians can utilize revenues for their particular projects and interests. When oil production is private, however, they can't do this. Profits go to shareholders. As a result, politicians prefer to ingratiate themselves with powerful environmental lobbyists and convert themselves into ultra-jealous environmental guardians and fierce critics of private oil companies. This makes them appear to be defenders of the public cause. The Democrat Party's opposition to increasing U.S. oil and gas production is totally unjustified. It is a strategical problem. Although the results of a change in politics may take a while to materialize, the alternatives could take even longer and, at any rate, the market would respond favorably to a new American policy. Opposing this change is contrary to the interests of the nation.
For those of you who read Spanish, the entire column can be found here.

11 Comments:

Blogger Rick said...

Sorry, Robert, while there may be some opponents of offshore drilling who may be anti-capitalists, I suspect that most of the the opponents would be against drilling near environmentally sensitive areas whether it was Chevron or the State of Florida doing the drilling.

Just another opportunity for ultra-conservatives to unfairly characterize liberals as being one thing or another when, in fact, they're a diverse group.

It's interesting that you do this with liberals, Robert, when you harp so much about Cuban-Americans being such a varied group of people and how terrible it is that people don't respect or understand it.

.

4:48 PM, June 29, 2008  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

This comment has been removed by the author.

8:15 PM, June 29, 2008  
Blogger Jonathan said...

O'Grady has a point. The Democrats are the party of rich environmentalists, trial lawyers, unions and government employees. None of these groups benefits directly from increased petroleum production by private industry.

On the broader point, opponents of increased drilling in Alaska and US waters should explain:

1) why drilling is an environmental problem when it's already been done cleanly for decades in Alaska and the Gulf,

2) why environmentally sensitive drilling off the US coast shouldn't be encouraged as an alternative to relatively dirty drilling in places like Nigeria,

3) ditto for offshore drilling by Brazil and Cuba,

4) and the big one: why taking zero environmental risk is a non-negotiable requirement, while producing fuel for our dynamic economy and reducing the revenue flow to our enemies are luxuries that we can't afford.


I think the obvious explanation, aside from simple stupid ignorance about tradeoffs, is that a lot of people would rather punish groups they see as class enemies than see the country prosper if prosperity would help their enemies.

9:01 PM, June 29, 2008  
Blogger Henry Louis Gomez said...

Why does dingbat persist in coming here? Oh that's right, he has nothing better to do.

12:23 AM, June 30, 2008  
Blogger Rick said...

Why does dingbat persist in coming here? Oh that's right, he has nothing better to do.

I suppose the same question could be asked of you, Gomez.

Actually, my question would be why do you persist in responding to my comments? If I'm such a waste of time, Gomez, why bother?

.

7:38 AM, June 30, 2008  
Blogger Robert said...

Rick,

I get the feeling you kind of agree with the general point the column makes, but don't like the fact that the words "liberal" and "anti-capalists" are thrown together. Sure, not all liberals are anti-capitalists, but way too many have an anti-capitalist spirit which is embodied in the policies they support (and don't support). If the shoe fits...

I would love to see one environmentalist criticize Brazil, the country of ethanol, for their oil drilling off their coasts. Same for similar efforts by other countries as Jonathan mentioned. At least they would be consistent in their criticism. But you'll hear very little because it's all about an agenda. Everyone has one, especially the radical environmentalists.

1:07 PM, June 30, 2008  
Blogger Rick said...

...did a wonderful job of exposing the Democrat Party, liberals and radical environmentalists as anti-capitalists vis-a-vis oil.

You didn't just throw them together, Robert, you made them all equal. Qualifiers like "many," "most" or "almost all" might have least signaled to the reader that you don't think they all are one big group. Unless, of course, you do.

Sort of like if I said something like "Cuban-Americans are violent, boorish, foul-mouthed Neanderthals" when I only really mean a certain portion of Cuban-Americans share those characteristics.

Does that put it in a different light, Robert? Maybe make it a little easier to understand?

As far as the environmentalists in Brazil go, they have regularly protested the search for oil in interior areas of the country. I'm not sure that proves that they're not anti-capitalists but I'm not sure anything will for partisan purposes.

.

10:12 PM, July 02, 2008  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

This comment has been removed by the author.

12:09 PM, July 03, 2008  
Blogger Rick said...

Just giving a little back to ya, Georgie. BTW, keep on top of Bertha, champ. I'm counting on you.

WTF, you gotta a job at the NHC, too?

.

7:06 PM, July 03, 2008  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Just put up your shutters and leave them there. That'll about match the light in your mind...

10:16 PM, July 03, 2008  
Blogger Fantomas said...

as posted on babalu by Robert


The same anger you express could be applied to the majority of Cuban exiles and Cuban-Americans who have been betrayed by the Democratic Party throught the years. Bay of Pigs, Mariel, Brothers to the Rescue, Elian, etc

Why do you feel betrayed by El Mariel , please xplain?
Do you really understand why El Mariel ocurred , Robert

3:05 PM, July 08, 2008  

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