One Oil Supplier That We Don't Consider
Preface to people that are new to this blog - I live in Ontario California, thank you very much. Which explains why I say "we" rather than "they" when reading this Sandwich Shop post. Excerpts:
It isn't often that I agree with the Canadian far left, but I do think that Canada should go much, much further in making our displeasure [about a lumber dispute] known to the Americans....
Many Americans cutely insist that Saudi Arabia and Venezuala are the largest importers of oil to the United States. They're wrong, Canada is. Since my source for that cute little factoid comes from the Department of Energy's website, I presume that President Bush knows that, even if his citizens do not.
And I didn't. Continued:
Let's look at this through American eyes, shall we? On September 11, 2001, 15 Saudi nationals were involved in highjackings that took the lives of 3,000 American citizens. There is evidence that the House of Saud continues to finance terrorism (or the sources of it) to this very day. And what has the United States government done in retaliation? Nothing is what. Why? Because they fear an oil shock more than anything else.
Yet the American government has no compunction about screwing it's closest friend and neighbour - and LARGEST supplier on oil - on a matter of vital importance to one of our largest provinces. Ever wonder why? I don't. They do it because they know it's cost-free. They know that we won't retaliate.
Well, those days should be long over. As I understand it, Americans are less than enthused about their current gas prices. Canada supplies, they consume. Basically, we have them by the balls. Americans tend to forget that they aren't the only people on Earth with an endless thirst for oil - China and India does, too. And like the United States, they're exempt from Kyoto, too.
Of course, we couldn't do that within the confines of NAFTA. And Canadians are a honourable people. So we should announce our intention to withdraw from NATO. Just to be good guys, we'll give lots of notice. But I find it increasingly difficult to justify remaining in a partnership with a country we can't trust to follow their own deal.
Will this hurt Canada? Yes, yes it will. In fact, it would probably trigger the worst recession since the Great Depression. But it would hurt the Americans a who lot worse. Given how the President has desperately mismanaged his own economy, I'm not sure the American people can withstand paying even MORE for gas. If oil prices go too much higher, their entire economy can collapse.
And yes, the Americans could massively retaliate. But Canada has other trump cards. Most American "domestic" cars are now built in Southern Ontario. We also have other things Americans need, like clean water and electricity. Will we get hurt? Sure, but we'd bring them to their knees in the process.
I'm not even suggesting that it even go that far. The credible threat of it should be enough. All evidence to the contrary, I do think that modern Republicans are aware of how basic math works. But we should let the Bush adminisration know that they can no long afford to screw us.
And I'm not asking for a perfect world. I'm not even asking for favouristism. All I want is the treatment that the Saudis have come to expect. 15 of the 19 9/11 highjackers were Saudi nationals. Are Saudis currently subject to entry visas in the United States? No, but some prominent "conservatives" would like to subject Canadians to them....
This tirade might sound like an anti-American rant. It isn't. Generally speaking, I like and respect Americans a far sight more than I do Canadians. But if there's anything I know about Americans, it is that they respect strength. Canada hasn't shown any....
I'm also not directing this missive at the administration. I'm not sure that they understand a whole lot of anything. I AM writing this for American conservatives - the real ones - who understand the importance of open and free trade, the conservatives who proclaim that a person's word is his bond and that fair business is the soundest business of all. Those conservatives are the Republican party's financial base and they are far from happy with the administration....
Here's some more information about Canadian fossil fuels:
US demand for natural gas is increasing, and production in many long-time prime producing areas (e.g. the Gulf Coast) is diminishing to the point of near-total depletion. Without significant increases in drilling (well beyond anticipated levels), demand is predicted to significantly exceed supply soon. By 2000, US demand (22.2 tcf/year) exceeded production (18.7 tcf/year) enough that about 14% of our natural gas was being imported from Canada. This may provide a window of opportunity for explorationists and producers (especially smaller operators), and may improve the domestic market for geoscientists. Note that it is currently impossible (without complex liquification) to transport natural gas across oceans -- so huge gas reserves in the Nile Delta, for example, are irrelevant to US needs....
In 2002, Canada led the world in our sources of [oil] imports, at 17%, with Saudi Arabia (13.7%), Mexico (13.5%), and Venezuela (12%) in a virtual three-way tie for second. The year before the percentages were Canada - 15.4%, Saudi Arabia - 14%, Venezuela - 13%, and Mexico - 12.1%. Canada has been the leader since at least 2001. In 2002, US imports from the Persian Gulf region amounted to 19.8 percent of our total imports. The same year, a total of 40% came from OPEC member nations -- which include countries such as Venezuela and Indonesia that are outside the Persian Gulf....
And this little tidbit comes from the same source:
Why are gasoline prices so high?
THEY AREN'T.
Compared to 1981, inflation adjusted-prices today are 27 cents CHEAPER than the $3.11 all-time high (inflation-adjusted) gasoline cost in March 1981.
Comments