Biden Did Something Good


Carborendum
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Although, I think it was sheer luck rather than foresight, Biden did something good for the oil supply.  He released 50 million barrels from our Strategic Petroleum Reserves so the Democrats could win elections.  He said that he'd buy oil when it was cheaper (it was at historic highs).  I was afraid that this would leave us without power or heating oil during the winter.

Well, the price went from very high for Summer (I believe the high was around $137/bbl) to very high for winter (we're down at around $75/barrel). Now he's buying the dip to refill the reserves.

What I'd really like to know is if the US government "sells" the oil or "gives it away" when "releasing."  If they sell it, that's a good way to make money.  If it was "given" away, SMH.

Edited by Carborendum
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2 hours ago, Carborendum said:

Although, I think it was sheer luck rather than foresight, Biden did something good for the oil supply.  He released 50 million barrels from our Strategic Petroleum Reserves so the Democrats could win elections.  He said that he'd buy oil when it was cheaper (it was at historic highs).  I was afraid that this would leave us without power or heating oil during the winter.

Well, the price went from very high for Summer (I believe the high was around $137/bbl) to very high for winter (we're down at around $75/barrel). Now he's buying the dip to refill the reserves.

What I'd really like to know is if the US government "sells" the oil or "gives it away" when "releasing."  If they sell it, that's a good way to make money.  If it was "given" away, SMH.

Some things about the oil industry that few seem to understand (especially politicians of both parties).  There are two recent technical improvements to the petroleum industry that has led to a massive worldwide increase available of crude oil.  The first most have heard about, and it is called fracking.  The second is horizonal drilling at depth.   One thing this has done to the industry is change the equipment that is needed to remove crude.  In times past, one would see, sometimes hundreds of these rocking pumps in oil fields and now only one is needed.

 

This has caused some problems in keeping track of who gets the $$$ from the pumped crude.  This is because the crude in ground reserves is not in a basin like water is at the surface.  Crude resides at various strata layers over different depths underground and could be compared to more of a giant patio chip.   (Maybe even a crinkled patio chip).  Pressures in rock is much greater than pressures in water.

 

Fracking injects lubricant (not a liquid lubricant) into a stratum of rock which will allow the pressure in rock to move the liquid crude to where drilling has taken place.  The second technical improvement allows a drilling hole to move in many directions at once when the needed depth has been achieved.  Because a particular crude reserve can go for miles (like a river) in many directions the oil rights that are determined at the surface can not pumped out of other locations.  It is important to understand that for practical reasons directional drilling and fracking is under the same umbrella politically.

 

Now to the great problem.  The drilling equipment necessary for directional drilling and fracking is completely different than what is used for past methods of drilling.  Not only is it different it is complex and requires an experienced and advanced drilling team to do it.  When the current ministration mandated that no new fracking drilling could not be done on public lands companies were forced to moth ball their sophisticated equipment as well as their more expensive fracking labor force.

 

What this means is that the equipment is no longer available even though it exists.  Before it can be used again it must be checked out and prepared (a very expensive process) by a crew of trained and highly paid and experienced workers (that have found other means of making a living).  Going back to an energy producing friendly government is not a matter of turning on a spicket.  It could take as long as 10 years or longer – and the longer before going back takes, the exponentially more expensive it will become.

 

The USA has for a long time been the industry's leader in fracking including the manufacture of necessary equipment.  Because crude is so necessary for a global economy – many other countries are being forced to develop their own abilities (mostly by raiding what they can from the USA’s dormant workforce and expertise).   For whatever reason this country insists on exporting it knowledge and capabilities in a manner of least benefit.

 

The Traveler

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I feel the need to expose this subject so apologize in advance for de railing the original post.

The damage the Biden administration is doing to this country far outweighs this one minor positive thing.  They have done many things that are not good for America but I wish to point out and focus on only one subject presently.

The worst thing this administration has helped encourage across America from what I have discovered in my research has been done with cooperation of the Democrat party in many States.  They are doing great harm to election integrity in many States.  And many of these voting changes have not been passed by State legislators and signed into law.  They are seeking to render election day almost irrelevant in many States by legalizing millions of early mail-in ballots, (voting done without showing any identification).   Some States have also normalized ballot harvesting and ballot curing.

Voting should be done from the polls where participants have registered at least a few weeks in advance and where valid identification is shown to help ensure integrity.  Same day election voter registration can be easily abused.  If participants wish to vote by mail they should be required to solicit for an absentee ballot at least 28 days before each election unless they are in the military and voting from abroad to help prevent fraud.  Voting machines that count votes also should not be connected to the Internet to ensure security and be guarded to ensure audits can take place if needed.  Paper ballots or receipts should be used to help with election integrity even if voters use voting machines.

Ballot harvesting is the practice in which political operatives collect absentee ballots from voters’ homes and drop them off at a polling place or election office. It may sound pretty innocuous, but this practice can and has been abused across the country.  There is very little security ensuring that a ballot has not been tampered with, discarded or voters bribed or illegally influenced if operatives are allowed to collect absentee ballots and then cast them.

Ballot curing should also be done away with.  Ballot curing allows mail ballots that are typically rejected and left uncounted largely as the result of voter errors help voters fix their mail ballots if they do make a mistake.  If you cannot correctly fill out a mail in ballot without errors show up at the polls and vote.

 

Edited by Still_Small_Voice
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5 hours ago, Still_Small_Voice said:

 

Ballot harvesting is the practice in which political operatives collect absentee ballots from voters’ homes and drop them off at a polling place or election office. It may sound pretty innocuous, but this practice can and has been abused across the country.  There is very little security ensuring that a ballot has not been tampered with, discarded or voters bribed or illegally influenced if operatives are allowed to collect absentee ballots and then cast them.

 

 

In my opinion, this single thing changed the outcome of elections and if Republicans don't get with the program, they're going to be left in the dust.

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6 hours ago, Grunt said:

In my opinion, this single thing changed the outcome of elections and if Republicans don't get with the program, they're going to be left in the dust.

If Republicans also begin ballot harvesting our elections will become simply a matter of who can cheat the most by using this process to cast ballots.  (Maybe if Republicans began to do this and began to win elections perhaps the Democrats would want to go back to old system with showing up at the voting polls with identification to cast a ballot.)  As I said before, I believe mail in voting without a voter soliciting for absentee ballots makes it a lot easier to commit voter fraud and never be held accountable for it.

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5 hours ago, Still_Small_Voice said:

If Republicans also begin ballot harvesting our elections will become simply a matter of who can cheat the most by using this process to cast ballots.  (Maybe if Republicans began to do this and began to win elections perhaps the Democrats would want to go back to old system with showing up at the voting polls with identification to cast a ballot.)  As I said before, I believe mail in voting without a voter soliciting for absentee ballots makes it a lot easier to commit voter fraud and never be held accountable for it.

By "get with the program" I didn't mean "start cheating".  I meant start closing these stupid fraudulent loopholes.

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For the record I left the Republican party during the Nixon era - not because of Nixon but because the Republican party was deep into election cheating.  I made every effort to become a Democrat but found that the Democrats were better at election fraud.  It may be hard to swallow but even if a particular party knows they will win an election they will still make concerted efforts at fraud.  During the last presidential election there was a rather odd statement made that even if there is fraud there is not enough evidence for further investigation because it was claimed there was not enough fraud to change the election.  Wow -- are you kidding me?????

Fraud is not just about winning an election - it is also about creating a mandate.   The more a particular party can convince citizens of their win the more they claim a mandate and justification to implamate their agenda without compromise.  I believe that election cheating is more likely when a particular party is convinced, they will win.

Campaigns and elections are the engines of corruption in our government.   Here are my suggestions:

1. No non-voting entity can contribute to any campaign.  Only individual citizens registered to vote in a specific election can contribute.  (Please note the period at the end)

2. All expenders of campaign funds must go through a third party not related or involved with the person running for office.  Any connection will result in immediate removal from office.

3. Eliminate all pension funds for elected officials – including the president – they can draw SS benefits like the rest of us.

4. Limit that amount of aggregate time that any individual can serve in elected offices.

5. Elected officials receive the same medical benefits at the same medical facilities as those active in the military. 

6. All elected officials wear a tracking device 24-7 while they are in office and provide a complete and accurate list of everyone they met with; on a daily basis.  There can be an exception for listing individual at public meetings open to the press.

7. All voters must regester for each election they vote in - no automatic regesteration.

 

The Traveler

Edited by Traveler
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I agree with you Traveler on the following points:

* Eliminate all pension funds for elected officials – including the president – they can draw social security benefits like the rest of us.

* Limit that amount of aggregate time that any individual can serve in elected offices.

* Elected officials receive the same medical benefits at the same medical facilities as those active in the military. 

* All elected officials must provide a complete and accurate list of everyone they met with; on a daily basis.  There can be an exception for listing individual at public meetings open to the press.

* All voters must register to vote - no automatic registering to vote

 

It would probably also be a good idea to purge the voting rolls every five to eight years.  People would then need to re-register to vote with proper identification and papers that show a person is a United States Citizen such as a birth certificate or naturalization papers.  

I 100% agree Congress members should have limited terms.  Senators can serve up to twelve years and they are done.  House members can serve eight years and they are done.  Once a person reaches eight years total in Congress (House of Representatives or the Senate) they can no longer run for office in Congress.

Edited by Still_Small_Voice
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13 hours ago, Traveler said:

For the record I left the Republican party during the Nixon era - not because of Nixon but because the Republican party was deep into election cheating.  I made every effort to become a Democrat but found that the Democrats were better at election fraud.  It may be hard to swallow but even if a particular party knows they will win an election they will still make concerted efforts at fraud.  During the last presidential election there was a rather odd statement made that even if there is fraud there is not enough evidence for further investigation because it was claimed there was not enough fraud to change the election.  Wow -- are you kidding me?????

The Traveler

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FCC_fairness_doctrine

A few months ago, I saw a lot of people whining about the abolition of the FCC's Fairness Doctrine. According to the pundits - including cartoonist Stephen Pastis of "Pearls Before Swine" - the Doctrine purportedly required that American networks broadcast the truth and only the truth. 

In reality, 

1. Radio stations were required to give "equal time" to opposing sides in a controversy, not broadcast "the truth and only the truth"

2. Television stations were never under the same level of mandate, and are only required to give equal time to political candidates

3. Back when JFK and LBJ were in office the Democrats made it a point to weaponize the doctrine by having operatives identify stations that lacked the resources to fight "nuisance" FCC complaints and wait for them to violate the doctrine (that is, for them to air a right-wing or pro-GOP host without a left-wing or DNC host as counter-weight)

4. This tactic led to the decade-plus of legal action that caused the FCC to conduct an internal review in the mid-1980s, the same internal review which found that the FCC may not have had the actual legal authority to issue the mandate in the first place. 

Thus, because the Democrats were using it to suppress smaller, weaker radio stations, the Fairness Doctrine went away. 

Rush Limbaugh's show went national the very next year, and right-wing hosts would ultimately dominate talk radio within a decade. 

Oops...

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On 12/13/2022 at 11:28 AM, Still_Small_Voice said:

Voting should be done from the polls where participants have registered at least a few weeks in advance and where valid identification is shown to help ensure integrity.  Same day election voter registration can be easily abused.  If participants wish to vote by mail they should be required to solicit for an absentee ballot at least 28 days before each election unless they are in the military and voting from abroad to help prevent fraud.  Voting machines that count votes also should not be connected to the Internet to ensure security and be guarded to ensure audits can take place if needed.  Paper ballots or receipts should be used to help with election integrity even if voters use voting machines.

Ballot harvesting is the practice in which political operatives collect absentee ballots from voters’ homes and drop them off at a polling place or election office. It may sound pretty innocuous, but this practice can and has been abused across the country.  There is very little security ensuring that a ballot has not been tampered with, discarded or voters bribed or illegally influenced if operatives are allowed to collect absentee ballots and then cast them.

Ballot curing should also be done away with.  Ballot curing allows mail ballots that are typically rejected and left uncounted largely as the result of voter errors help voters fix their mail ballots if they do make a mistake.  If you cannot correctly fill out a mail in ballot without errors show up at the polls and vote.

 

I actually agree with this, WITH one addendum.

Influencing the vote is not just being done from one side, but both sides.  If we want people to vote at the Polls the Republicans need to stop closing polling locations and make sure to open MORE polling locations and make it easier for people to actually get to the polls.  Leave the Polls open longer (yes, it will mean we won't get our instant results by the end of the night, but if we can help people vote, leave the polls open till 9PM rather than closing at 7PM as they do at some places...etc).

I am all for having people vote in person at the polls, but they need to be able to HAVE the polls to get there and vote.  They need polls available.  I have seen an awful lot of Republican actions trying to shut down polls or close them entirely in areas where they are not expected to have the majority.  It doesn't matter if you expect to win or lose an area, everyone needs to have equal access to the polls if we want them to use polls as the locations where they vote rather than trying to get other ways of voting. 

Other than that, I am all for requiring someone to have a government issued picture ID to vote (it's actually normally free for the ID, sure, you may have to pay if you want a drivers license, but the cost for an ID is either low cost or free in most of the United States) and having them vote in person at the polls.  I think it would be good for voting security.  I think that the polls need to be available though.

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18 hours ago, Still_Small_Voice said:

It would probably also be a good idea to purge the voting rolls every five to eight years.  People would then need to re-register to vote with proper identification and papers that show a person is a United States Citizen such as a birth certificate or naturalization papers. 

I would change that to Voters need to register with the proper identification papers EVERY election.

I'm not a big buyer into the idea that there was election fraud, but I DO think we could have more secure and more equal elections if we implemented some of these types of changes. 

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10 hours ago, JohnsonJones said:

I actually agree with this, WITH one addendum.

Influencing the vote is not just being done from one side, but both sides.  If we want people to vote at the Polls the Republicans need to stop closing polling locations and make sure to open MORE polling locations and make it easier for people to actually get to the polls.  Leave the Polls open longer (yes, it will mean we won't get our instant results by the end of the night, but if we can help people vote, leave the polls open till 9PM rather than closing at 7PM as they do at some places...etc).

I am all for having people vote in person at the polls, but they need to be able to HAVE the polls to get there and vote.  They need polls available.  I have seen an awful lot of Republican actions trying to shut down polls or close them entirely in areas where they are not expected to have the majority.  It doesn't matter if you expect to win or lose an area, everyone needs to have equal access to the polls if we want them to use polls as the locations where they vote rather than trying to get other ways of voting.   Other than that, I am all for requiring someone to have a government issued picture ID to vote (it's actually normally free for the ID, sure, you may have to pay if you want a drivers license, but the cost for an ID is either low cost or free in most of the United States) and having them vote in person at the polls. 

I think that is being done by Democrats and Republicans in many places across the country.  We should be putting many restrictions on mail in voting and opening the voting polls in many, many places.  Early voting should also be allowed for up two days prior to election day if you are showing up at the polls with proper identification.  (No same day voter registration either.  Voters should be registered to vote fifteen days or earlier before an election.)

In my opinion allowing early voting for more than five days prior to the election is just not needed.  But I am also for making election day a paid holiday for all workers except emergency personnel and poll workers.  Almost everyone gets the whole day off from work to show up and vote if they wish.

Edited by Still_Small_Voice
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  • 4 weeks later...

OK, I gave praise to Biden too soon.

We're now down over 200 MM barrels.  That's roughly 1/3 of our reserves.  And prices are going up.  The Biden DOE has refused the latest deal on oil prices to re-fill the reserves.

Prices are headed towards record highs.  By "record highs" I mean above what we experienced just 7 years ago.  Saudis are set to $125 as a target.  If it dips down below that number, they'll cut back on production.  They're hoping for it to go to $180.

So, when I thought there would be a net economic benefit, it looks like Biden decided to NOT take advantage of it.

And, here I thought I was giving Biden the benefit of the doubt.  Meh.  Win some, lose some.

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