This one is the drill deal!

So, as with most things, once you study the drilling for oil option, you find that there is much more depth to the topic that there appears to be. Don't get me wrong, I am still a huge supporter of drilling for oil in ANWAR, but mainly for my capitalist ideals. I have found 3 reasons why drilling may not be the answer to high gas prices. These 3 reasons are the supply/demand curve, the nationality of those who drill, and, the big ugly--capitalism.

Oil, like most other things on the market except food (which is regulated by a global communistic organization), is controlled by the supply and demand curve. In essence, production and price are regulated by the supply and the demand for oil. The problem we face is that oil companies have now tested out the economy and found that we, as Americans will indeed pay $4.00 for a gallon of gas. People are still driving, and maybe some have changed their habits, but all the oil produced is still sold. So here is the million dollar (or perhaps billion dollar) question. Suppose someone drills for oil here in the great U.S of A. and begins to produce more oil for a cheaper rate. Do you think that, out of the goodness of the oil baron's heart, he is going to pass those savings on to you? I will tell you my thought process. I want the money in my hands so I can control where the money goes. If I am truly philanthropic, will those I care to help be better off paying $2.00 les per gallon of gas, or will they be better with me using the money to help them out with new businesses, additional training, etc. Things that can help them become more financially independent! I understand that the argument from the other side is that I am assuming the oil baron is philanthropic, but, even if they are not philanthropic, that money will most likely end up in investments for the person to make even more money, and we all know that the money used for investments would be much better off feeding some--sorry--loser with no ambition who will need that help again tomorrow. Anyway, my point is that producing more oil is not necessarily going to cause anyone to lower gas prices. Only government regulation will do that...can you say communism!

My second point is that those who will be drilling for the oil will not necessarily be American. From what I understand, Americans are very small players when it comes to the oil drilling industry. Erego, where will the oil go? I guess if the person is patriotic, he or she will send the oil to his or her home country, but most likely it will go to the highest bidder.

That leads me to my third point--assuming that those who drill are American, is someone going to play the patriotic card on them? I imagine some liberal, maybe John McCain, will approach that individual and tell them that the oil really needs to stay here in the United States. Ultimately, money speaks louder than the mother country (and of course the wife speaks louder than them both--happy wife, happy life, right?!) and my bet is that the person would instead decide to sell to the highest bidder and leave America and purchase an island somewhere in the Carribean and start his or her own country! Anyway, you can, and in my opinion should, allow drilling in the U.S., but you can not control where the oil or money goes, and you can not control the charge for the gas. Well, I guess you can control all of that, just like Stalin did!

I really like my friend Ted's idea. We start a new 'Moon Shot' program for energy. I hate NASA because it is beyond me what studying rocks from Mars is going to net, aside from a larger national debt. However, he makes a great point that so much technology, including the personal computer and internet came from the rush to beat the Russians to the moon. The problem is that we would be competing with ourselves and that just isn't as effective as having a good old fashioned nemesis to compete with. So maybe China could try to power the T.V. sets of the world before us. Maybe I will send a letter to China's emperor...