Explain to me why corporations should lay claim to oil that is under federal lands.

[peace13]

If it has truly come to war for oil then I say national security dictates that all oil now under federal lands, that is not under contract with the oil tycoons, should be placed in a National Oil Trust to be refined and used in the US by and for Americans.

[DangerDave921]

1. Because

The government has given permission to drill on that land.

[groovedaddy]

2. omg - you must be a socialist! ;->

But I actually agree with you...Why is it more important to invade other countries for oil rathern than extracting from our own land?

[peace13]

6. Great now I'm a Communist and a Socialist.

We had a creepy guy video our peace vigil and put us on youtube as Communists. My work here is done. At this point I feel like if I have to live in a military state at least that state should be smart enough to use the national natural resources for the good of the people. Silly me. peace, Kim

[lurky]

3. Govt owns the land, Corps own the government.

Thus, by the transitive property of ownership, the corps own the land.

See... It's simple!
;)

[jobycom]

5. Corps, especially the oil corps, own most of us, one way or the other.

Everything that ships is dependent on fuel costs. Agriculture, even when not corporate owned, uses corporate fuels to grow. Most of us live far from our jobs... Our whole culture and our very lives are wrapped around energy.

Of course, they are also dependent on us for income, so they can only throttle us so far before they themselves pass out.

[jobycom]

4. Good argument. One glitch--the gov has to hire someone to get the oil out

or it does us no good. Also, the oil is not all easily extractable. Geologists claim that when they drill into an oil field, only about a quarter of the oil there is recoverable by current methods. The oil companies are working on new ways to extract all the time. If we nationalize the federal oil not already under contract, then we will have to either pay the oil companies to continue to extract it and to do the research, or the government will have to pay for it out of fees for the gas, or out of taxes. One reason we use so much foreign oil is simply because it is cheaper to buy it from them than to extract it ourselves.

But it still might be worth it. Or, alternatively, we could raise the fees on federal lands and, as Clinton proposed, install a windfall profit tax on the oil companies to make it unprofitable for them to pass those increases to the consumer. Either way might even lead to cheaper oil, as oil companies would have to increase profits by increasing output and lowering prices to sell more gas. A more aggressive progressive tax on the oil companies might just force them to stop controlling supply to raise prices. Supply and Demand might come back into play for determining price.

That's off the top of my head and I'm not an economist, so I don't swear to any of it. :)

Of course, the transition period could be expensive, and candidates receive too much oil money to seriously consider it.

[peace13]

7. Sounds a bit like the the argument of why we don't have National Health Care.

It seems to me that if we implemented a solar/wind program and gave incentives to auto manufactures to sell efficient vehicles then we would have some time to decide what to do with the oil under Federal lands. I know that * will not leave office until he has given contracts to all of his buddies. Alaska and the coastlines, the spoils of his administration, must be divided before he leaves office. Hence we will be subjected to Martial Law and worse. Too sad.

[jobycom]

8. Not sure I'm following you completely here.

Are you saying we stop giving new contracts to oil companies now, then implement solar/wind programs and increase efficiency, planning on demand going down as the current oil leases run down? Or are you saying we keep things as they are until alternative energy and auto efficiency bring demand down, then cease oil leases and drill ourselves? Both of those leave oil in the hands of the oil companies until we no longer need them, it seems, so I'm obviously not following something.

BTW, I wasn't shooting your idea down, just saying there might be some things to work out.

[peace13]

9. Sorry that I wasn't clear, I know that you weren't shooting my down.

I would honor the contracts that are written. I know that oil companies have many contracts out there that have yet to be drilled on. I view those as done deals. I think we should implement wind/solar/conservation programs and work on a good plan for those US oil fields that are not under contract at this time. I think we really need to get back to taking control of those things that are vital to the security and success of our country. Energy is something that has been talked about for over 35 years and quite frankly we are not any further down the road with a solution to our problems. It is clear that the corporations will not be looking out for our interests.

I don't see a time when we would never need oil. Even if we didn't need oil to run our cars we still need petroleum products to provide the plastics that give us vital medical supplies and other components of our daily lives.

My fear is that * will be divvying up all available oil fields before he leaves. I see him panting on TV and whining about Alaskan oil and the Dems being responsible for high gas prices. I hope that someone in the Congress is watching and willing to stop the thievery. After the FISA debacle this afternoon though I have little hope. Peace, Kim

[jobycom]

10. Makes a lot of sense. nt

[undeterred]

11. They lay claim to oil in other countries

so claiming it in the US is no big deal.

[peace13]

12. I hear that but...in my new America where Americans stand up and speak out

I foresee infrastructure, self dependence and security. I want to say just kidding but if I do the tears will come. As the saying goes...I can always hope. Peace, Kim

[HummanaHummana]

13. Who is going to get the oil out of the ground.

Our government? All the people who know how to locate, drill and refine petroleum already work for Big Oil. How do you propose getting this oil out of the ground and into this mythical National Oil Trust? Maybe the oil companies will drill for it for free and just give it to the citizens of the USA. By the way, the acronym for National Oil Trust is NOT. As in NOT ever going to happen.

[peace13]

14. Wow...........

You are one rude person.