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Tag(s): Boycott; Congress; Egypt; Government; Impeach; Iran; Media; Oil Crisis Global Disruption; Oil Demand Supply; Oil Foreign Ownership; (more...) Oil Policy; Oil Price Fixing Manipulation; Organize; Rights; Syria (less...)
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June 5, 2008 at 14:50:20

Big Oil or Big Strike

by chris rice

www.opednews.com

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To understand how the price of gas got to $4.20 a gallon, we first need to throw out everything the government & corporate media have told us about Big Oil.

Second, we need to understand that if we don't act now, gas will go to $7 or $8 dollars a gallon or $200 a barrel.

Third, we are not suggesting a one-day gas strike or a boycott of certain stations. To reach a solution you must first understand the problem. So let's examine how we went from about a buck fifty for a gallon of petro when Bush took office to our current $4.20 a gallon.

What happened?

The two major changes in oil supply since Bush has taken office are:

1. Bush has been driving tanks & Humvees all over the desert which get 5 to 8 miles to the gallon; and
2. China's & India's oil consumption has increased.

Increased demand restricts supply unless output is increased, which raises prices. OPEC has said that they will NOT increase production to meet increasing demand. They have figured out that they have a dwindling resource & when it is gone their children will be living in a desert with no other natural resource to replace it.

Big Oil profits are due to the billions of gallons of crude the Marines, Air Force, Army and private contractors have used hauling all of that equipment plus hundreds of thousands of troops overseas.

When the price of gas goes up so does the price of EVERYTHING. Especially, anything that requires transportation. Congress just hauled in the oil exec's to make themselves appear useful. But the true purpose was to obscure the war's effects on supply & demand.

So far, what are the solutions being offered?

1. We can all cut back by riding bicycles, motorcycles, walking, taking less trips, driving hybrid's, etc.;
2. China and India need to cut back;
3. Drill in Alaska, California, etc.; and/or
4. Offer a summer gas tax break.

But what is the only solution that could realistically happen in just a few months and not cost us a dime? What can we do as a nation right now to bring back $1.49 a gallon?

We could end the war. Send in a peace keeping force and let the rebuilding begin. Billions of barrels of crude would be back on the market in about a year or so. China's & India's increased demand would bring the price up but that could be offset by buying American. It takes less fuel & carbon emissions to produce products in the US, which are destined for the US, rather than to import them half way around the globe.

But is this all just Pollyanna?

Neither Bush nor the newly elected Congress have been able to find an 'exit strategy' and instead have increased troop levels, funding and future commitments. We've seen the highest gas prices due to the surge. McCain promises this might drag on for another hundred years or so, and will likely spill over into Iran and Syria, involving Israel, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, etc., if we let it.

Exit Strategy

If 70% of the American population wants this war to end - as has been widely reported by mainstream media - and if only half of them- 35% of the general population agree to a General Strike starting on 9/11/08, and an Economic Strike beginning now, we could Shut the War Machine Down. Our economy is 75% consumer spending, but in a recession our 35% will make it impossible to carry on war abroad.

We all remember Bush telling us 'to go shopping' to support the war effort. And Congress just passed legislation in record time to pass out tax rebates. Why? To save the New World Order. This is our last chance to bring Bush to justice. To send a clear message to the next president: 'Enough is Enough'. To end this insane war and prevent further attacks on non aggressive nations. To end $4.20 a gallon gas. And to prevent $7 or 8 a gallon.

The only way for a General Strike to be successful is to get enough people involved. We only have a couple more months to get the word out. Please help. If we make this a global effort, a Global General Strike we can win. Otherwise, it's war as usual.

"Sooner or later all freedom loving Americans will realize that the only way to stop those who would bleed our nation dry, dismantle our constitution, and dissolve our national sovereignty is to say I will not work for you, buy from you, fight for you, or die for you, until the criminals are gone from the halls of our government."

In order to get involved, here are the five best steps to take now:

1) Sign up with your email address HERE in order to get updates, e-alerts@votestrike.com;
2) Mark the day on your calendar and plan to be at a protest in your community;
3) Send this URL to all your friends, post it to forums, put it on your personal pages, http://www.votestrike.com There will be zero mainstream media discussion of this General Strike before it happens. So, we must be our own media and promote it. Link to this site from sites and blogs. Mention it with links in your comments on blogs;
4)  Join the Consumer Fast already underway. Click here: Shut'EmDown;
5) Take the lead and help organize a protest on 9/11.

A web tool being used for practical organization is meetup.com. You can just type in your ZIP code, join a group with which you share ideas/feelings and which meets near your location, and start organizing. Use these key words to search for meet-up groups near you. There's bound to be some!

9-11; peace; impeach Bush; civil rights; grassroots; stop PATRIOT Act; democracy for America; human rights; against Bush; election reform

"It was not by accident or coincidence that the rights to freedom in speech and press were coupled in a single guaranty with the rights of the people peaceably to assemble and to petition for redress of grievances. All these, though not identical, are inseparable. They are cognate rights, and therefore are united in the first Article's assurance."
- Judge Wiley B. Rutledge

Take action -- click here to contact your local newspaper or congress people:
Impeach or We Strike

Click here to see the most recent messages sent to congressional reps and local newspapers

www.votestrike.com

I created a website www.votestrike.com for you the voters because whichever party you belong to they have failed you. The website has ambitious goals of how to end the two party system & the third party myth. Modeled after the fall of the Berlin wall, the Polish overthrow of the communist government & the Phillipines removal of Marcos. All accomplished without firing a shot. But we do not rely on the failed tactics of the past instead we use the election system & the very votes & voters this system relies upon. And the site also offers campaign funding sources- who's bought off your candidate? As well as your solutions to education, lobbyist, healthcare, illegal immigration, the war on terror, the war in Iraq, crime, drugs, pedophiles, taxes. And a link page with 1000 links to more on these topics. I'm here to ask you to check it out, it's free. And you can submit content. Thanks for your time, my name is chris.

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5 comments

I am nothing more than a patriotic American that is doing whatever I can to further the cause of democracy, the rule of law, and am absolutely outraged on how the Bush administration is defying our Congress, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights! Footnote: I write in a style that I believe is appropriate in today’s world where we can’t trust the Mainstream News Media, and rather than concentrating on one article alone, which may or may not receive the exposure and emphasis it should, I prefer...

to see more of bio, click on member name
William CormierI am nothing more than a patriotic American that is doing whatever I can to further the cause of democracy, the rule of law, and am absolutely outraged on how the Bush administration is defying our Congress, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights! Footnote: I write in a style that I believe is appropriate in today’s world where we can’t trust the Mainstream News Media, and rather than concentrating on one article alone, which may or may not receive the exposure and emphasis it should, I prefer...

to see more of bio, click on member name

My Support is there!

Chris;

You know that I support a general strike; In fact, I've been waiting for someone to program a widget so I can run a tower ad on my site in support of this cause. I admit that I worry that September will be too late, as the war machine is geared-up to attack Iran in the very near future.

Further, I attempt to measure the mood of the people, and I do that by looking at the response to articles I write, and the most recent on where I questioned Representative Conyers on his meaningless threats of impeachment has gone over extremely well. Op-Ed News published it, and this morning, BuzzFlash also published it, and the mood of the people seems to indicate they are sick and tired of this administration!

A recent poll indicated that only 7% of Americans support an attack on Iran, and in comparison to the public mood prior to attacking Iraq, this percentage speaks volumes to how the people perceive this administration and their constant warmongering. We're tired of it, and we're tired of the lies coming from the White House. We all know the only way Bush has to avoid prosecution for war crimes is to bomb Iran and declare Martial Law, so I still question the September date for the general strike. I won't go against the majority and will support the cause; in fact, I will reproduce this article on my site later today.

I'm also taking Justanothercoverup off of the auction block later today; there has been too much traffic and support in regard several pieces I have written that criticize Congress for their cowardice and inaction, and even though we know we will suffer because of it, the family has decided that we must bite the bullet and pay the hosting fees to keep Justanothercoverup online! As I have said before, my Mother is dying from colon cancer, and even as bad as she feels, she is adamant that I keep writing and attempt to spread the message so more and more people will become involved with taking back our country! To me, that is true patriotism - and I cannot go against what may be one of my Mom's last wishes. I though I was helping to make her more comfortable, but she insists that fighting for what we believe in is far more important than other pressing matters we face, and I have been humbled by her courage.

It is the actions of each and every one of us that will eventually bring-down the Bush administration, but I worry that they will jump the gun to speed-up their intended war just to stay in power. I believe that with gas and food prices approaching the ridiculous, people could be convinced that now is as good as any time for participating in a general strike. What have we to lose??? It's already hard to survive as it is, and to put it in perspective, so far this month 10% of my Social Security income has gone into my gas tank. Think about that, and my situation is far from unique, which is why no donations have come in. People all over the country are going broke, and as far as the economy goes, we are preaching to the choir!

I use WordPress 2.5.1. If you know how to code a widget for the above cause, please contact me via private message or just email me at wjcormier@bellsouth.net. We must stand together in solidarity, and we must stop Bush and Cheney from attacking Iran. Our survival as a nation may depend on it, and it's not something we "should do", but our obligation as American citizens who believe in our Constitution and the rule of law!

Remind Congress how worthless they are and demand impeachment, now, while it's still an option. I believe that time grows short, and inaction will seal our doom, while action will at least allow us to go down fighting as our forefathers did - and that does not mean violence! Constant phone calls and letters are much more powerful than violent protest, and we cannot allow the radicals to destroy our beloved country. Those that speak-out for violent revolution must be shouted down, while we continue to encourage anyone and everyone to become active in legal means of pressing Congress to do their damn jobs!

I sincerely believe a general strike will accomplish our goals, but I wish it were planned for the 4th of July, on the day that we originally declared our Independence! As corny as it sounds, wouldn't it be wonderful to make the 4th a real day of independence again - a day that will be embedded in the memory of everyone that stands-up for equality, freedom, accountability in government, and most of all, sending out a strong message that no one is above the law, especially a sitting President!

William Cormier

by William Cormier (127 articles, 7 quicklinks, 17 diaries, 307 comments) on Sunday, June 8, 2008 at 11:05:46 AM

I am a senior citizen tremendously interested - and alarmed - at the way the world is turning.
Jean BraunI am a senior citizen tremendously interested - and alarmed - at the way the world is turning.

Subject: Big oil or big strike?

This is a powerful presentation, but I see some problems with it.

1. The jump in the price of oil is caused not only by the factors you have mentioned, like, especially, what is happening because of the occupations. Price is controlled not only by supply and demand. The price of oil and the price of food shot up very quickly after the Federal Reserve Board pumped money big time into the economy to prop up the stock market in the early months of the year. It's the classic dictum: too much money chasing too few goods ends up in inflation of the money supply. Watching the value of the dollar going down and the cost of gold going up are two important meters of Federal Reserve policy. This is a root cause of our problems, one that has been ignored by government and media for at least 40 years.

2. I agree that a strike, with the blow it would deliver to our fragile economy, would be fully justified to stop the war. However, we still have less drastic measures. One would be a mass movement to hold federal legislators accountable for aiding and abetting a crime by continuing to fund an illegal war and illegal torture. The second is to force Boards of Elections to provide for public witness to the vote counting at every precinct, immediately after elections. (Providing for voter photo IDs to those who do not have them, and rendering voter receipts are almost as important (right to vote; integrity of the vote). If public sentiment against the war and against the Presidency is as strong as we think it is, these two measures should do the job, without the trauma of a general strike.

P.S. to William Cormier: It may seem like a silly experiment, but you might try applying moist heat (a hot towel enclosed in one or two sturdy plastic bags) to your mother's areas of pain.

by Jean Braun (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 22 comments) on Sunday, June 8, 2008 at 12:33:27 PM

I tried to send a comment with my email to my Senators

I tried to send a comment with my email to my Senators, and the message I received was that what I was attempting to send was illegal!

This is the message I attempted to send to my local newspaper.

"In order to protect this nation from another President defying our constitutional mandates and the rule of law, it is a necessity to bring about immediate impeachment hearings against President Bush and Dick Cheney! How can we define ourselves as a "nation of laws" when our own Presidency defies Congress, international law, and the laws of our own nation? A recent poll indicates that only 7% of Americans support an attack against Iran, yet the Bush War Machine appears intent on attacking Iran whether the people or our Congress approve of it, like it or not! This is not the "America" I grew-up in, nor should it be the America that we will bestow on our children! It’s time for our Congress to act rather than sending out meaningless letters threatening impeachment, and the mood of the people is in favor of impeaching Bush and Cheney – and our Congress should respect the will of the American people, not the delusional wishes of a President that respects no man or law except those who are wealthy or the corporations who support the destruction of America’s Middle-class while all the while enriching themselves. When is “enough is enough?” How much shall America suffer at the gas pump and the grocery store before our Congress will come to the aid of the people? Americans should support the constitution, not a President that disrespects anything and everything that our forefathers fought and died for…"

Can anyone tell me what was "illegal" in regard that message???

Thanks,

William Cormier

by William Cormier (127 articles, 7 quicklinks, 17 diaries, 307 comments) on Sunday, June 8, 2008 at 12:36:55 PM

I created a website www.votestrike.com for you the voters because whichever party you belong to they have failed you.

The website has ambitious goals of how to end the two party system & the third party myth. Modeled after the fall of the Berlin wall, the Polish overthrow of the communist government & the Phillipines removal of Marcos. All accomplished without firing a shot.

But we do not rely on the failed tactics of the past instead we use the election system & the ve...

to see more of bio, click on member name
chris riceI created a website www.votestrike.com for you the voters because whichever party you belong to they have failed you.

The website has ambitious goals of how to end the two party system & the third party myth. Modeled after the fall of the Berlin wall, the Polish overthrow of the communist government & the Phillipines removal of Marcos. All accomplished without firing a shot.

But we do not rely on the failed tactics of the past instead we use the election system & the ve...

to see more of bio, click on member name

I Agree

But how would you achieve an accurte vote count, etc without a General Strike?

Immediate Consumer Fast from all non essentials.

It is the only thing that will make a change. Look what happened to GMC

when for the last few weeks SUV sales dropped- they have shut down

four plants. Best example to predict what a movement like this will do.

Or...continue impotently complaining.

It's getting to be crux time. The evidence is right on your TV set. Another group of embedded reporters doing amazingly slanted reporting on another set of US-backed war crimes.

Got a better idea?

I don't.

by chris rice (59 articles, 39 quicklinks, 15 diaries, 164 comments) on Sunday, June 8, 2008 at 12:46:11 PM

I have worked as Union Electrician in a good part of this land. And the Union Brothers taught me well about how things should work
Michael DeweyI have worked as Union Electrician in a good part of this land. And the Union Brothers taught me well about how things should work

Right With Ya

Just here to tell you Chris that I am right behind you and talk to the people in my life about it. It doesn't seem like much rigth now, but each seed we sow will grow sooner or latter. I perfer the sooner. If we could get someone like Yko Ono behind this, who just started an acorn seed sowing site, we could get lots more people involved.

by Michael Dewey (4 articles, 1 quicklinks, 3 diaries, 186 comments) on Sunday, June 8, 2008 at 4:11:19 PM