Reward our Friends, Punish our Enemies

National Review ^ | April 14, 2008 | Lindsey Graham

[moderatewolverine]

There is little doubt that our reputation and motivations are under siege by demagogues around the world.

Only a few work as diligently at undermining the United States and threatening neighboring democracies as Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. Chavez’s recent efforts to destabilize Latin America by amassing troops on the Colombian border in response to the killing of a terrorist leader cannot be ignored. Nor can we look the other way after a captured computer reveals Chavez’s direct funding of the notorious terrorist group FARC.

Ecuador, where the strike on the FARC camp took place, has frozen relations with Colombia. Meanwhile, another fellow Marxist. Nicaraguan president Daniel Ortega, has followed Chavez’s lead and has also ended diplomatic ties to Colombia. Battle lines are being formed in Latin America; we need to look for ways to marginalize Chavez and reward our allies. One way to accomplish these objectives would be to pass the Colombian Trade Promotion Agreement (TPA).

Supporting a free-trade agreement is not easy. Global economists bring forward complex technical analyses and reams of mind-numbing statistics to back up their claims that free trade helps lift all boats. But I know from real-world experience that while some boats do rise, others sink. And it only takes one tour through the South Carolina communities where textile mills and manufacturing facilities have closed their doors because of unfair, foreign competition to realize there is a real-world human cost to supporting bad free trade agreements.

[Einigkeit_Recht_Freiheit]

“Reward our Friends, Punish our Enemies”

Start Drilling and Start Conserving. If you drive a big gas guzzler you are propping up dictators and making America less safe.

[Seaplaner]

Nice article by soon-to-be-former Senator Grahamnesty (who is choosing to be a conservative for today).

[The Pack Knight]

Colombia has finally started to get its act together, and her neighbors are doing everything they can to reverse that trend.

This is bigger than just Colombia. If we fail to stick up for our allies in our own hemisphere, we're going to have a lot of trouble getting people to help us fight Islamic terrorists elsewhere.

[SoConPubbie]

If you drive a big gas guzzler you are propping up dictators and making America less safe.

Oh please, give the DU tactics a break already!

The only people propping up Middle East and South American dictators are the environmentalists, and their supporters in congress, that will not allow Americans to drill our ABUNDANT oil reserves in the US.

If I, or any other american, are willing to pay the price of gasoline to drive around in a Hummer, if that is our choice, then so be it.

[tcrlaf]

“The only people propping up Middle East and South American dictators are the environmentalists, and their supporters in congress, that will not allow Americans to drill our ABUNDANT oil reserves in the US.”

BINGO!!!

What does the price have to be before ENVIRONMENTALISM, INC. allow us to start drilling in AMERICA?

Take note that the Arizona Clean Fuels Refinery is STILL in doubt, after being on the design boards for NINETEEN YEARS...
(it was supposed to an 18-month project!!)

[AuntB]

“
Reward our Friends, Punish our Enemies
National Review ^ | April 14, 2008 | Lindsey Graham “

That’s nice. Problem is Mr. Graham wouldn’t know an enemy if it bit him in the butt. He thinks Mexico is our friend.

[Einigkeit_Recht_Freiheit]

Gosh, with your attitude that your actions have no consequences, one would think you were a liberal.

Have you ever done a calculation of America’s so-called “abundant” resources?

American proven reserves (including ANWR and the gulf, etc) are about 21 billion barrels total.

The US current produces about 7 million barrels a day and burns 21 million barrels per day.

If the remainder were to be made up by immediate drilling of those additional 21 billion (which also includes reserves that are already being drilled, but I am being extremely loose in your favor just to show you how little thinking you have done) than that would mean an additional 14 million barrels per day.

Let’s forget what this would do to global demand due to a price drop and assume the US uses all of it itself and demand remains stable.

An additional 14 million barrels per day means about 5.1 billion barrels a year. that means if the US were to drill all available resources it could be independent of foreign oil for 4 years.

Is that long enough for you?

The drilling option is a Conservative myth - get over it. Geology is reality no matter what you wish.

Don’t tell me about shale because the energy balance makes wind and solar look cheap.

Gas guzzlers prop up dictators.

Your willingness to abscond from responsibility is simply a sign of an immature mind.

[SoConPubbie]

American proven reserves (including ANWR and the gulf, etc) are about 21 billion barrels total.

And yet every month, or so it seems, there is another study telling us of more preserves of Oil, in fact, there have been some studies lately that point to the idea that oil fields once abandoned because they seemed to be exhausted have replenished themselves.

You might want to do some research yourself even here on FreeRepublic.

[Einigkeit_Recht_Freiheit]

And yet every month, or so it seems, there is another study telling us of more preserves of Oil,

Wow, citing "studies" without posting links. Classic tactic of either someone who has no clue and/or liberals. Moreover, how much more oil are we talking about? 1 billioin more barrely. That lasts 100 days. I am beginning to think that math is not your strong point.

in fact, there have been some studies lately that point to the idea that oil fields once abandoned because they seemed to be exhausted have replenished themselves.

The "oil is a naturally occurring substance produced by the processes of the earth and not the result of the decay of bio-matter" theory is pretty much the preserve of wackos. I challenge you to find legitimate sources on that. Otherwise, I suggest you take off your tin-foil hat. Using new technologies to take out the last drops of oil is standard practice, but they are still the "last drops" and not signficant with regard to current levels of consumption.

[utherdoul]

That’s only in proven reserves, if federal lands were opened up for drilling and environmental regulations were relaxed we could produce significantly more oil than we do now. Not enough for energy independence but enough that we could cut off countries who piss us off.

[TChris]

That’s only in proven reserves, if federal lands were opened up for drilling and environmental regulations were relaxed we could produce significantly more oil than we do now. Not enough for energy independence but enough that we could cut off countries who piss us off.

While you're dreaming, remember that a significant quantity of US refining capacity has vanished over the years due to government enviro-regulation as well. Relaxing those regulations would go a long way toward solving that particular bottle-neck.