Forum Post: Occupy Big Oil

There will be no recovery until gas prices drop below $2 per gallon and stay there.

When Bush 43 was President, we were rightly pissed off that he and the Republican establishment allowed their friends in Big Oil, and friends who control investments in Big Oil, to rape America and destroy our economy.

When Obama took office, even those of us who are against him thought, "Well, at least this issue will be taken care of.". Because, Democrats had beat the drum loudly vs Bush and Republicans over exactly this problem.

But, Obama and other key Democrats have openly stated that it is in their favored interest to keep gas prices high, so that we are forced to develop alternate energy sources. They allow Big Oil to continue raping us, to support their own political agenda.

This might be a defensible stance if such a source were within reach. But, at this time it doesn't even exist. There is NO affordable, readily available, comparable source of fuel that can compete with gasoline. Ethanol is a sham. It delivers only 1/6th the power of gasoline and the cost savings at the pump is so small as to be meaningless. Hydrogen is no better and no more promising a replacement, nor are electric vehicles, or even any combination of the above.

Economists and politicians play a shell game with Americans. They wage a phony war with each other, alternately claiming that increased revenue (code for higher taxes) or job creation is what America needs.

All the while they pretend not to be aware of one driving force behind the destruction and continued depression of America's economy: Big Oil and crushingly high fuel prices.

Increase taxes on a pool of tax payers that unemployment continues to make smaller and businesses that are failing at an increasing rate to do the failed and failed economy? Create jobs for goods and services that won't be used or purchased because fewer and fewer people and businesses can afford them?

It's a propaganda war against the America people, making sure that our focus never lands where it belongs.

Both "jobs creation" and "higher revenues" are red herrings, intended to distract us from the real culprit that prevents America's economy from turning around: Big Oil and its protector politicians on both sides of the aisle.

When the cost of fueling our vehicles increased 5 fold, that rise didn't only affect American families, it affected every level of government, from the smallest towns all the way up to the federal level. It isn't only Jane and Joe Smith fighting increased gas prices as they try to keep their personal vehicles fueled so that they can get to and from work each day. It's mail delivery, police and fire vehicles, planes, tanks, Hummvies and car pool vehicles, every fleet maintained by any government or agency for any reason, all had to absorb the additional cost, and continue absorbing it.

Are we supposed to be happy that we're only paying 3.5X the price for a gallon of gasoline now above what we paid when George W Bush took office, rather than 5X of just a couple years ago, or the 4X of just a few months ago?

Big Oil is the force that collapsed America's economy and Big Oil is the force that keeps it depressed.

If you want to "Occupy" something meaningful, occupy the offices of Big Oil and the offices of the politicians who allow them to continue raping America.

Because, right now, you're wasting your time and effort, focusing your attention in a direction that can and will have no meaningful effect. If just being able to say that you did something is good enough, fine, keep showing off for the cameras while accomplishing nothing.

But, if you actually give a shit about making a difference, refocus your efforts. Aim at taking down Big Oil and those who protect it. That's how you're going to save America.