Re: [lro] Fwd: Public service announcement

From: Peter Ogilvie (roverhi@yahoo.com)
Date: Tue Feb 25 2003 - 00:42:13 EST

  • Next message: Patrick Parsons: "[lro] Death Valley Challenge"

    The US does not import much of its oil from the middle
    east. Something like 15% is all. Most of the 50%-55%
    of our oil that we iimport comes from Venezuela or
    Mexico. Much closer and cheaper to transport.

    Europe, with the exception of Britain and Norway is
    almost totally reliant on Mid East Oil, however. Much
    more important is the development rights to mideast
    oil. The French oil giant PetroFina (sp) has
    development rights for vast tracks of Iraq's oil
    fields. We're talking gazillion dollars of potential
    profits. When the numbskulls claim it's all about
    oil, they are right on. It's the French who are the
    beneficiaries, however.

    Wouldn't make a difference where we get our oil from,
    in any case. Oil is fungible. If you stop trading
    with the middle east, they sell it elsewhere and
    whomever we start buying it from, stops selling in
    another market that the middle easterners step in and
    fill the void. OPEC still controls pricing and
    production. To a large extent they set the price but
    are nondiscrimintory in who they sell to. Back in the
    '70's when they pulled their embargo, they seriously
    affected supply. There were not enough supplies to
    fill the OPEC void and the whole world went into
    shortage. OPEC's power has been diminishing a little.
     Russia is turning into a major supplier that is not a
    member of OPEC. Russia cannot make up for an oil
    embargo from the Middle East, unfortunately. The
    world's economy, not just the US, is still very much
    in the hands of a very few Petty kings, dictators, and
    mullahs.

    The only way we could have a real effect on the oil
    market is to stop buying it. We are the biggest world
    wide oil importer. If we stopped importing oil, the
    bottom would fall out of the market. A lot of
    countries in the world would suddenly be thrown into
    chaos as a wave of revolution swept over them. Not a
    pretty site, though could be a boon for the population
    of these countries.

    So put your Rover up on blocks, buy a Vespa or other
    100mpg+ vehicle. If a enough people did it, there'd
    be a lot smoke in the air.

    Aloha
    Peter O.

    --- "James G. Wolf" <elvenwood@whro.net> wrote:
    >
    > >Date: Mon, 24 Feb 2003 16:48:24 -0500
    > Seems like a good idea to me!!
    > Jim Wolf
    >
    > >I mostly try to keep this list entertaining and
    > apolitical (unless it's
    > >funny... or rude), but this makes too much sense to
    > deprive you of the
    > >logic. 250M car-loving Americans is a lot of
    > free-market spending
    > >clout. In my humble opinion, we could use that to
    > our substantial
    > >advantage and do what we do daily to any merchant
    > who provides a product we
    > >don't believe in or which has grown too
    > unreasonably expensive - vote with
    > >our dollars:
    > >
    > >**********
    > >GASOLINE SOLUTION
    > >
    > >As most of you know, many people throughout the
    > world believe the
    > >US wants a war with Iraq so we can control the oil
    > reserves in the
    > >Middle East. This is the area where America gets
    > most of its oil
    > >anyway.....but we do have an ECONOMIC choice.
    > >
    > >We CAN buy gasoline that's not from Middle East.
    > >
    > >The Saudis are boycotting American goods. Perhaps
    > we should return
    > >the favor. An interesting thought is to boycott
    > their GAS.
    > >
    > >Every time you fill up the car, you can avoid
    > putting more money into the
    > >coffers of Saudi Arabia. Just buy from gas
    > companies that don't import their
    > >oil from the Saudis. Nothing is more frustrating
    > than the feeling that every
    > >time I fill-up the tank, I am sending my money to
    > people who are trying to
    > >kill me, my family, and my friends. I thought it
    > might be interesting for
    > >you to know which major oil companies import Middle
    > Eastern oil (stats
    > >are for the period 9/1/00 8/31/01):
    > >
    > >Shell............................205,742,000
    > barrels
    > >
    > >Chevron/Texaco.........144,332,000 barrels
    > >
    > >Exxon /Mobil................130,082,000 barrels
    > >
    > >Marathon/Speedway...117,740,000 barrels
    > >
    > >Amoco...........................62,231,000 barrels
    > >
    > >If you do the math, at today's rate of
    > $36.34/barrel, these imports amount
    > >to almost $24 BILLION/year they're making off "the
    > infidels."
    > >
    > >Now, here are some large companies that do not
    > import Middle Eastern oil:
    > >
    > >Citgo....................0 barrels
    > >
    > >Sunoco............. ..0 barrels
    > >
    > >Conoco............. ..0 barrels
    > >
    > >Sinclair................ 0 barrels
    > >
    > >BP/Phillips.......... 0 barrels
    > >
    > >Hess....................0 barrels
    > >
    > >All of this information is available from the
    > Department of Energy and each
    > >is required to state where they get their oil and
    > how much they are
    > >importing, and they report on a monthly basis.
    > >Keep this list in your car;
    > >share it with friends,
    > >and use it (or don't) as you see fit.
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