I use to be on the domestic drilling bandwagon but after 9/11 I began an intensive study on middle eastern sociology and discovered 9/11 was motivated by and funded by American oil addiction involving a geopolitical region that is very volitile and has major anti-Americanism in the popular mindset. Then I actually became even more supportive of domestic drilling falling for the false notion that if we drilled domestically, it would replace our use of petroleum from middle eastern suppliers. However, shortly after that, I discovered just how far advanced electric cars had come and disturbingly, there were concerted efforts that had been made to suppress their development by those who stood to lose trillions of dollars if oil had any significant completion. Meanwhile courageous Americans were being killed and having their limbs blown off in order to preserve the status quo and the insanely wealthy's gravy train. Not long after that, I learned about the oil futures market and how there is no such thing as our own oil, as its sold on the global market. If a US refinery is willing to pay 100 a barrel and China is willing to pay 110 a barrel, it will be sold to China regardless if came from the Gulf of Mexico, Venezuela or or Iran.
All that needs to happen, in my humble opinion, is for the pumped to be primed on electric cars. The drop in the bucket tax credit people get for buying a plug-in is nothing compared to the costs of the War on Terror, where sadly we are funded BOTH our side and the enemy because of oil and in some cases direct funding. There's no secret the Pakistani Military was protecting Osama Bin Laden. Guess who funds the Pakistsni Military? Look on your check stub the next time you get paid; its you.
A monopoly having absolute control over a vital American commodity is not healthy in the best of circumstances. Oil holds a monopoly over American personal transportation. And it's not in the best of circumstances. An international anti-trust cartel engages in what would be criminal activity if OPEC were in America. Even though most of our oil now comes from Canada (it actually fluctuates between Canada, the Mid East, etc. depending on who is cheapest at the moment), OPEC sets the global price including what Canada charges. Oil is funding brutal dictatorships. Oil is funding nuclear proliferation. Oil is indirectly responsible for North Korea's nuclear program. The oil futures market allows wealthy investors to buy oil worldwide before its pumped out of the ground then resells it to the refineries at a greater mark up than what even OPEC charges, taking even more money out of the budgets of American families struggling to make ends meet. Electric cars, by the way cost the equivalent of $1 a gallon to recharge seen on your electric bill.
I know electric cars are not as cost effective to operate as gasoline cars but its only temporary. The first cell phones costs way more than they do now too. Once on the market, every years model is better than the previous. Meanwhile market forces continually drive research to bring down costs and improve the product.
