Posted on 09/13/2014 5:14:39 AM PDT by Kaslin
If Americans want some cheap fuel for the economy, it would be best to vote GOP this time around because only the GOP has a plan for inexpensive, reliable domestic energy production. Combined with a lifting of restrictions on exportation of unrefined oil, fuel prices could be significantly lower than they are now.
And where they are now—lower—has helped the economy greatly in the last month.
For years I’ve puzzled over how so many Americans have lost the connection between inexpensive, reliable energy sources and a robust economy. But this month’s retail sales numbers make the connection clear. Retail sales were up in line with expectations. The rise in sales largely reflected lower gas prices, which meant that more money was available to consumers to spend on something besides fuel.
“U.S. retail sales rose in August as Americans bought automobiles and a range of other goods,” reports Reuters, “which should ease some concerns about consumer spending and support expectations for sturdy growth in the third quarter…. While sales at service stations fell 0.8 percent, that reflected declining gasoline prices, which should free up income and support discretionary spending in the months ahead.”
While the economy has adjusted to the reality of higher gas prices and higher taxes under Obama, an economy that has lower gas prices and lower taxes does better than one that does not. Money moves from fuel costs and tax receipts when those costs go down into, say, electronics purchases like the iPhone 6.
That’s simple math and common sense.
That of course is why the GOP skunks the Democrats when it comes to energy policy: math and common sense are never liberal strong suits.
If you want an overarching bureaucracy dedicated to slowing down the economy, sapping its vitality and drive, and denying consumers choice in the marketplace, then the Democrats are definitely for you.
That’s been fairly obvious since 2006.
But if you want the best post-Obama recovery the world will ever see, then vote GOP.
Since Obama was elected in 2008, a revolution in energy has transformed the world. The United States has never, ever had more proven reserves of cheap so-called fossil fuels. Even with the government doing all it can to stop energy production, there is a massive glut of some types of oil because refineries are running at capacity to process that fuel. To some extent however this increase in production here at home has yet to be felt in worldwide oil markets. The oil produced here at home won’t go into the open market, but will stay here due to the oil exportation ban.
We can buy oil from foreigners; we just can’t sell them oil.
Yeah, the ban is stupid; the ban is shortsighted; the ban is non-economical. And that of course is why the Democrats like it.
If there were a single policy area that our next president could concentrate on to right our economy it would be in supporting domestic energy production. And lower taxes. And repealing Obamacare. And reforming welfare. Oh, and don’t forget education: fixing education would be huge. We could also use labor union reform to be honest with you. And a better funded military.
So please, vote GOP.
Better yet, help the GOP. Because the GOP needs all the help it can get, even with these generous assists from Democrats.
The conversion of energy into goods and services is the source of true wealth in this country. It is also the most equitable means of distributing that wealth to the largest number of people.
Relatively cheap energy is the engine that drives the production of goods and services, and with this flood of product, prices everywhere drop, as a result of the much increased productivity for every working person. Higher productivity provides a much more stable and reliable source of revenue for higher wages to be paid to the individual worker, and with the higher wages, more people are attracted to employment.
Capitalism at its finest. And yet, there are those who will not, cannot, bring themselves to look at RESULTS, not promises, when it comes to equitable treatment in the market place. Striking for higher wages, when there is no commensurate increase in productivity, is self-defeating, as the employer will simply discharge the excess workforce, to keep his expenses for hiring to an economically viable level, and expect the remaining workers to provide more output per person to justify the wages they are being paid. The employer, for his part, provides these remaining workers with sufficient innovative tools to gain this greater productivity. The workers still have to be smart enough to be able to competently apply the new technology to their work product, and achieve the greater productivity.
None of this knowledge is new or arcane in any way, it has always been that increases in productivity, through the use of energy, have resulted in increases in the average standard of living. But the employee still has to be willing to apply himself (or herself) to the rudiments of learning the job, and to gain expertise in the discharge of duties, reliably and consistently.
One problem, once the GOP gets elected, they sit back grinning and slapping each other on the back and saying “yes we were right all along, thank God the people finally see that” and doing nothing.
The choir hears you Johnnie baby. But this message has to be boiled down to a campaign slogan that rings with the Lofo's. Because the Dems are lousy at math but very good at demonizing the good policies with idiot slogans like "war for oil" and "destroy the environment" and "killing the polar bears".
That first sentence right there is really part of the problem. Who says that anyone is entitled to "cheap fuel?"
The real question should be: What does the fuel cost, regardless of whether a consumer feels like it's "cheap" or not?
The problem is the GOP believes in a GuvCo that's every bit as big, and almighty powerful and just as intrusive and invasive as the demonrat's vision of GuvCo.
It's what they each build when they have the power to do so.
The only difference is the GOP is still less blatantly socialist than the full strength demonrats are and that makes them somewhat better managers, at least for now.
At some point, what difference will it make? And is that point already in the rear view mirror?
Why are the only two choices Socialism and Socialism Lite?
Bring back the Whigs!
There is far more to American success than simply oil.
America became a great country, by making things.
We have currently outsourced a large part of our economy, to a massive communist country, China.
America needs to pay attention to jobs, in America.
Bring back American manufacturing. GOP get with America. Fight for American jobs.
Neither party is standing up for American jobs.
China is about to take over, and nobody is standing up for America.
GOP get with it.
No country ever grew and prospered without a plentiful and very reasonably priced source of energy. The past several years have shown what the opposite does. This is an undisputable fact!
Boom in Energy Spurs Industry in the Rust Belt
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/09/business/an-energy-boom-lifts-the-heartland.html
Rising U.S. industrial production builds LTL tonnage, revenue
http://www.joc.com/trucking-logistics/ltl-shipping/rising-us-industrial-production-builds-ltl-tonnage-revenue_20140910.html
Fracking boom moves production industries back to US
http://www.indmin.com/Article/3372325/Fracking-boom-moves-production-industries-back-to-US.html
Repeating my first sentence:
“There is far more to American success than simply oil.”
The price for oil or natural gas will not go down, regardless of what political party is currently in control. US energy production policy is too fickle, too prone to disruptions from enviromental groups, special interests, and commodities manipulations. Most of the cheap-to-extract oil and gas has already been pumped out of the ground. We now have to rely on fracking and tar sands for reserves, and it is a very expensive process. A barrel of crude has to stay above $80 just to make any profit. Add to that the leftist war on electricity generation (coal, nuclear, hydro, etc.), and you can see why nobody wants to engage in any sort of heavy industrial venture in the US, which is why heavy industry is still moving offshore at a breakneck pace.
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