Another Industry Talking Point Laid To Rest?

[GoLeft TV]

From DeSmogBlog -

It is hard to believe that it's been almost four years since Americans were bombarded by the cry of “Drill baby, drill” that echoed throughout the halls of the Republican National Convention in 2008. That slogan became a rallying cry for conservatives who believed that increasing oil drilling – in spite of the environmental costs – would lead to an economic boom in the United States, and would also help ease prices at the pump for American consumers.

So today, nearly four years after those words were uttered to millions of conservatives, we have domestic oil production reaching a 24-year high, according to new reports. By industry and conservative logic, this should also mean that economic productivity has risen while consumer gasoline prices have fallen. But nothing could be further from the truth.

It turns out that increased oil production has nothing to do with the prices Americans pay at the pump. While industry leaders point to increased production in 2008 that was followed by lower prices, experts counter that the drop in price was due to simple market fluctuations: specifically, a drop in demand due to the global recession.

Read the rest of the story here.

[badtoworse]

1. That is certainly true, but producing the oil domestically does have benefits

It reduces our trade deficit. It reduces our reliance on the Middle East and others that hate us. It creates jobs.

The price for crude is determined on the world market, which is as it should be.