Bring It On!

King Abdullah to Bush… Screw You, Again!

May 17th, 2008 | by Papamoka |

On President Bush’s second trip to Saudi Arabia in four months time the King once more is not buying what Bush is selling. President Bush asked the King of Saudi Arabia to raise production to ease concerns over supply and the King basically told him that the Kingdom is meeting the supply needs of its customers and would not increase production. AKA… Go away little boy, you are bothering me and don’t know what you are talking about. Over at MSNBC they have this from the Associated Press on it…

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia - The White House said Friday that Saudi Arabia’s leaders are making clear they see no reason to increase oil production until customers demand it. President Bush was in the oil-rich country to appeal to King Abdullah for greater production to help halt rising gas prices in the United States.

But his national security adviser, Stephen Hadley, said Saudi officials stuck to their position that they already are meeting demand.

Gas Snippet…

When Bush met Abdullah in mid-January, the president also asked Saudi Arabia to raise production to ease high prices at the pump. But he got a chilly response to that plea. The kingdom said it would increase production only when the market justified it, and that production levels appeared normal.

Oil prices climbed to a new high Friday, above $127 a barrel. At the pump, gas prices rose to a national average of $3.78 per gallon, according to a survey of stations by AAA and the Oil Price Information Service.

Dem Snip to Da King…

Withhold weapons?
Also, as Bush prepared to leave Washington, Senate Democrats introduced a resolution that would block $1.4 billion in arms sales to Saudi Arabia unless Riyadh agrees to increase its oil production by 1 million barrels per day. The Democrats said they introduced the measure to coincide with Bush’s trip to send a message to Saudi Arabia that it should pump more oil to reduce the cost of gas for Americans.

High energy costs are a major drain on the U.S. economy, which is experiencing a slowdown that some think is already a recession. Gasoline threatens to go to $4 a gallon this summer. - MSNBC

One of the things I hate to see, even though I detest George Bush, is a foreign nation telling him to screw. As an American it is my right to call him to task for what I believe are political mistakes and somewhat illegal moves on his part. It pisses me off to no end to see the King of Saudi Arabia basically tell the American people to screw. I would love to see a picture of the SOB telling my President “No!” with a smirk on his face. Then I could justify saying that the next time the House of Saud needs our American Military to defend their oil fields against a rogue dictator to go pound sand! Something the oil rich kingdom has plenty of so they will not run out of that commodity as well.

In this same article was a little piece about the stopping the fill of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve and the Democrats pushing it through to Bush’s desk where he will sign the legislation. Something I’ve argued against as a fatal move to the future of our nations energy needs on my post here.

Stopping the SPR is a dumb idea and it fits right into the hand of the Saudi’s. 70,000 barrels a day is nothing to them when they can blink and raise production ten times that amount per day. No, I think we have to face the facts that the Saudi government that used to be a friend to America is no longer a friend. In that respect I have no problem halting all military weapon sales to that former friend.

Makes you think that the boys on the Soprano’s would be better friends than the sheiks and Kings of the Middle East.

Pay attention, Hillary, Barack and Johnny Maverick, the friends your nation had yesterday are only as good as the threat they face from the dictatorship neighbors they once had.

In the interest of fairness, if the Saudi’s are meeting the demand of their customers then who are their top customers? Is it China, is it India or Japan? Maybe it would be a wise thought to have an energy summit with the folks that are Saudi Arabia’s best customers and have a little chat? That is what I would do but I’m just a political writer.

Papamoka

  1. 6 Responses to “King Abdullah to Bush… Screw You, Again!”

  2. By rube cretin on May 17, 2008 | Reply

    Papa,
    Sorry man, but i don’t agree. Most of the data i have seen is that KSA has a real problem. The problem, they may not be able to increase production even if they wanted too. Many believe they have abused their fields for many decades and that something called Peak oil has occurred. During the past 3 years the total world wide production has been in the area of 85-86 million barrels/day. This does not mean that we are out of oil. Oil will be around for many decades in the future. However, the maximum rate at which oil can be produced has been reached. Peak oil worldwide was projected back in the 1950’s. It was projected to occur in the 1970’s in america and guess what it happened. It is my POV that if they could produce at these prices they would, because they saw what happened to their neighbor Iraq, and there is lots of money to be made. It is not a comfortable position to be in to be sitting on lots of oil when some of the most powerful nations in the world want it. Wars have been initiated for much less. Also i believe even if they could produce more oil, they are doing us a favor. Of the 85 million barrels produced everyday, 20.6 million barrels, about 25 percent, is consumed by the united states, which has about 5 percent of the worlds population. My guess is that we are about to have to trim back a bit. At about $6 a gallon we ought to see a little demand destruction. Many are now projecting $5 a gallon gasoline by the end of the year. I already see some cutbacks among my friends and neighbors and more is on the way. Do you know anyone in the market for a SUV?

  3. By Jersey McJones on May 17, 2008 | Reply

    I agree with the Rube. The Sauds are facing the peak. Unlike the US these days, they’re thinking ahead. And despite popular opinion, they don’t need us any more than we need them. We’ve got Canada, Mexico, and Venezuela, and of course, eh,hem…, Iraq. (sordid “LOL!”) They’re investing in the post-oil future. We’re financing that. I’m glad they turned Bush down. It’s better for all of us.

    JMJ

  4. By nodsavid on May 17, 2008 | Reply

    Rube,
    You are so correct. I think that “the hunker down and get used to short rations approach” is exactly what is gonna happen. But what about technological break throughs? Tomorrow the theories of Tesla may be implemented. Electrical power from space may be forthcoming. Hope, we must hope.

  5. By rube cretin on May 17, 2008 | Reply

    Nodsavid,
    I agree we must hope. “The road that is built in hope is more pleasant to the traveler than the road built in despair, even though they both lead to the same destination.” Marion Zimmer Bradley:

  6. By steve on May 17, 2008 | Reply

    $4.30 a gallon for Supreme is better than the $8 bucks most of Europe spends for gas so quit yer bitchin! If I wanted a Prius I could by one right now…

    Personally, I think the Sauds said, “Fuck you… you are out in November and we’ll take our chances with the dark one.”

    Also… during the periods of time when oil is expensive and the oil companies are making huge profits, there is a hunt for more oil. There is a belief out there that the largest oil reserve in the world is off the coast of Brazil. The problem we have is, how to get it!! We need to face the fact however, that the world needs to use more before it can use less. I am all for alternative energy. My house relatively “green” for 100 years old. I have fluorescent lighting and the stuff. I recycle. I have upgraded the heating and cooling to lower my electric usage. I am all for alternative energy sources but the shit has to work!!

  7. By Paul Watson on May 17, 2008 | Reply

    Dammit, steve, what’s the point of being a token European on BIO if I can’t even tell you all to quit bitching about paying for a gallon what we pay for litre?

    Are you deliberately trying to spoil my fun? ;-)

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