Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Pipe Dream



Only a few short weeks ago, a wee-wee'd up Barack Obama called a joint session of congress, told them that he had a plan for creating jobs, and demanded loudly (and repeatedly) that they "pass it now!"

Which is why it's more than a little jaw-dropping that this same president has taken a look at a plan to create thousands of new high-paying jobs which wouldn't cost taxpayers a penny...and decided to "pass on it now."

The Keystone XL project would build a pipeline to bring oil to the United States from lovable, maple-syrup distilling, beaver-pelt wearing Canada instead of sending our oil money to the "Death to America" lunatics in the Middle East... thereby giving us more of that "energy independence" that Mr. Obama usually can't shut up about, while creating jobs out the wazoo.

But despite the president's usual dedication to "the fierce urgency of now," he's decided to postpone a decision on the pipeline until
after the next election...for fear of losing the votes of environmentalists who are terrified of long pipes for reasons only their Freudian psychoanalysts can understand.

And he's softened the blow by implying that Americans really wouldn't be up to the job of building the pipeline anyway...recently referring to us as soft, lazy, and lacking in the will and imagination to tackle "big jobs."

Unfortunately, Canada can't afford to wait to sell their oil...and so they're preparing to sell it to
China instead. Which will be disastrous for the environment that Mr. Obama claims to be so concerned about...and probably disastrous for the United States since China is devoting a lot of their energy use these days to building up their military.

But the job of the president is to make tough decisions, and Obama has decided that his re-election is
far more important than jobs, energy, or national security.

And unsurprisingly, he didn't find it a tough decision at all.



While controversial, the president's decision is not altogether unpopular.
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25 comments:

CenTexTim said...

Stilton - I just posted something along the same lines, but with a slightly different ending. I don't want to steal your thunder or hijack this thread, so I'll leave it up to you as to whether or not to publish this comment. Either way, no hard feelings.

Coon Tasty said...

@SJ - The One and His royal entourage are now in Australia. Why is this country cursed?!

Angry Hoosier Dad said...

We invited this snake into our tent. Why are we pissed that it bites us? The isn't the change we were expecting?
Clearly, those million jobs don't count because the people who would have them aren't the right people. You know, Obama donors or union members whose dues flow back to Obama as campaign contributions. If you aren't AFL-CIO, SEIU or UAW you aren't sh!t.
I wonder how many of those million people who won't be working will still vote to reelect this vile skidmark.

Old Fort Howard Guy said...

Statistically, if Alger...oops, I mean Obama, were merely incompetent, at least SOME of his actions would be in our country's best interest. If he's not on the Chi-Comms' payroll, he's getting gypped.

Jim Hlavac said...

What's even more amazing is that the president and his environmental buddies want to pave over tens of thousands of acres with solar panels -- which require rare earth metals to make -- imported from China! China produces 90% of these metals, and they're cutting off the supply to us. Phoenix has a plan to pave over 200 acres of fragile desert -- to provide 1 or 2% of the city's needs -- how many acres will they befoul with the panels?

Then the enviro-nuts want to put up thousands of 300 foot tall unsightly wind turbines -- made from metals mined and leaving big pits in the ground -- with dirty factories to smelt the stuff -- negatively impacting birds flying on migration -- and the ghastly amounts of new transmission wires and towers that would be required to move the electricity from windmill to home -- and they worry about a thin pipeline?

Not to mention, why is the president involved in this at all? Supposedly he and his minions despise crony capitalism -- and yet they require the oil companies -- and every other company for that matter -- to go become cronies with those who have arrogated to themselves the power of saying yes or no on a business decision.

Oh, it's Keystone alright; cops, that is.

Pete(Detroit) said...

Speaking of snakes, perhaps he'll have time to encounter some of Australia's fauna!
http://blog.hotelclub.com/the-10-most-dangerous-animals-in-australia/

I mean seriously, spiders that bite through your shoe? How cool is THAT?!

Meanwhile, if enviro's are too worried about piping crude acros Nebraska, perhaps a better solution is to build a new refinery, or six, up near the Canadian border, say in North Dakota, where OUR oil is being exploited? Not like we need more refinery capacity anyway, right?

Suzy said...

Sigh. Can't we just impeach him now?

Stan da Man said...

CenTexTim - Nice summation! Buffet. No Sh*t...

Stilton Jarlsberg said...

@CenTexTim- I really like your post (readers, follow his link) and the interesting conclusion. And now that I know where your blog is, I've added "Bergheim Follies" to my blog list in the left column. Good stuff!

@Coon Tasty- Be strong...he'll soon leave the Land Down Under and get back to turning our country upside down.

@Angry Hoosier Dad- Interestingly, many of those jobs WOULD be union jobs, and the unions desperately wanted this project to go through. But Obama was caught between Scylla and Charybdis: if he approved the project, he pleased the unions and pissed off the environmentalists. If he killed the project, he pleased the environmentalists and pissed off the unions. So instead, he voted "present" and delayed making any decision until after the election.

@Old Fort Howard Guy- I agree that if Obama was only inept, the law of averages would suggest he would occasionally do something good for the country by accident. It never happens, so the only logical conclusion is that his plans are proceeding exactly the way he wants.

@Jim Hlavac- Good points about the hypocrisy of this administration's environmental/energy policies, and bonus points for the Keystone cops line!

@Pete(Detroit)- The link showing Australia's poisonous critters is definitely worth following, and it officially made my butt cranch.

Regarding the creation of a new refinery in the United States, it can't happen because there's far too much danger of someone making a profit.

@Suzy- At this point, Election Day will arrive before the impeachment wheels could turn a full revolution (so to speak). It isn't easy, but we'll have to wait.

@Stan da Man- For readers who don't know what Stan is talking about, go follow the link to CenTexTim's site to see how Warren Buffet, Obama's pet billionaire, might benefit from the president's seemingly inexplicable decision.

Kencor04 said...

Awesome Stilton. Nobody sums up the lunacy better than you.

Cornhusker Conservative said...

You have entirely the wrong take on this. First of all, the pipeline WILL still be built. Just not where it would inevitably leak many thousands of gallons on poison into the water supply for three states. Secondly, the jobs will still occur.

graylady said...

When are the liberal idiots in this country going to realize that if Obama's plan to destroy the US economy and Constitution works, the government he will herald won't allow their idiotic behavior to continue. Surely these idiots read 1984. Do they think the repressive, totaltarian regieme that he is planning for us will allow them to squat in parks? Carry protest signs? Do anything except what they are told? If they think anything else, they won't survive very long. I, for one, won't consider them a great loss but the concurrent ruin to every thing this country once stood for, not only to its citizens but to the entire world, is unthinkable.

Chuck said...

I suspect that all elements of today’s commentary coupled with those of CenTexTim’s apply.

Anonymous said...

Now, if this had been his crack pipe from back in his Larry Sinclair days...

pryorguy said...

You know, I hate say this...
but our 'president' should have his ass kicked! AND HARD!! What a jerk!!!!

Anonymous said...

Cornhusker- I'm guessing you have some top-secret insider info that nobody else is privy to? Please Tell!

Stilton Jarlsberg said...

@Kencor04- Thank you. Lunacy and I have always been closely associated.

@Cornhusker Conservative- Wow, it would "inevitably" leak poison? Is that because Americans can no longer (as the president argues) build anything more impressive than #OccupyYourTownHere tent cities? And if the leaks are inevitable, why would you want the pipeline built anywhere? I'm genuinely confused here, and hope you'll favor us with some more information.

@Chuck- The "Buffet factor" has a nagging plausability, doesn't it?

@Anonymous (three above)- Well, we DO know that the president has admitted his fondness for pretty much every drug short of heroin...

@pryorguy- I think asskicking day falls in early November next year.

@Anonymous (directly above)- Again, I'd like to know more, too. I'm all for protecting the environment and appreciate that there are risks with a project of this scope... but I haven't seen anything which suggests that the proposed pipeline would "inevitably" poison the water in three states.

pryorguy(NE OK) said...

Hey!!! Who all felt the earthquake a couple weeks ago? Did you, Stilt...I know youre south of me a little ways!

Stilton Jarlsberg said...

@Pryorguy- Others in my neck of the woods say they felt it, but I didn't. However I was in Hawaii a few years ago for a 6-point quake, and it certainly caught my attention!

Coon Tasty said...

Mr. Soetero has now left our shores. The country feels cleaner already.

Stilton Jarlsberg said...

@Coon Tasty- The shrimp is off your barbee.

John the Econ said...

Dear unemployed American: Yes, it's true. You are a pawn in the Democrat's feeble plan to retain power. The longer you remain un/under-employed, the more likely you are to become dependent upon the Progressive dreamstate. Hope you understand.

Colby said...

The only poison leaking here is the Obama administration's rhetoric and lies, and unfortunately, it is leaking on all 50 (or is that 57?) states.

Wake up people! You are being fed shit every day by BO, labor unions and the sad entity that used to be refered to as "the press." They are starting to see their decades of deceit unravel, and the only recourse is to sling mud and point fingers like never before.

Thank God true Americans are beginning to see the underlying truth, and if things keep going, we will be living in America once again in a year or two.

Stilton Jarlsberg said...

@John the Econ- I hope the unemployed start to understand, too. They are being kept out of work to foster the very dependency you're describing.

@Colby- Your reference to the role played by the press leads straight into tomorrow's cartoon and commentary. Not to reveal any spoilers, but the mainstream media was predicting "tens of thousands" of Occupy Wall Street protesters today, in hopes of encouraging tens of thousands of protesters to show up (and of course, they didn't). The media is now taking a disturbingly active role in encouraging anarchy and anti-capitalism. No doubt because they know they'll be safe from whatever damage they create as long as they can deliver eyes and ears to those who lust for power.

Pete(Detroit) said...

Stilt - fortunately for all of us, more and more are becoming aware that w/ both the MSM "predicting 'millions'" AND the POTUS, the emperors have NO clothes - nor food, nor tents - naught but fleas, syringes, rapists and scabies.