Wallowing in the gutter of mainstream media, I found myself glued to the television a few weeks ago when Paris Hilton was sent to jail.
It was one of those instances where you find yourself yelling at the idiot box because what you're seeing and hearing is so absurd, silence just isn't an option.
The dirty princess was hauled off to jail after, get this-breaking the law.
My favorite part was when she screamed, "It's not right!"
Surprisingly, the drunken heiress' cries didn't seem to rally the sympathy troops here in the U.S.
In fact, most were quick to call bullshit on her dramatic pleas.
Unfortunately, few have mustered up the same energy to call bullshit on something much more important: OPEC's announcement on Wednesday that it may have to reduce supplies because of repeated calls by industrialized countries to reduce dependence on oil.
Are you kidding me?
If this ain't a shakedown, I don't know what is.
But it gets better.
OPEC president, Mohamed Al Hamli said...
"OPEC members are developing nations with limited resources and it would be a waste of badly needed funds to invest heavily in oil production if demand is unclear"
They already have us by the short hairs. And that's with or without renewables.
Do they really think demand is unclear?
Any idiot can look to the market for that answer.
He also said that he welcomed diversity in fuel sources, and added that fuels derived from petroleum have become cleaner over the years.
Really?
Well that's good. Because obviously, we want the cleanest fuel for our vehicles.
So let's take a look at our choices:
"Cleaner burning" petroleum products or zero-emission vehicles that don't use a single drop of gas.
Pardon me if I don't buy the "cleaner burning" fuels argument.
But here's my favorite...
To continue his ridiculous rant, Al Hamli stated that oil was a force for alleviating poverty because many people lack access to modern fuels for cooking and heating.
But you know what they do have access to?
The sun!
And that resource is free. Which, by my calculations, is actually cheaper than "cheap" oil.
OPEC and the oil industry as a whole have done an excellent job at keeping alternatives, like solar and win, out of the picture through price manipulations, misinformation campaigns and good old-fashioned muscle.
If anything, it can be argued that the strategic suppression of cleaner, cheaper energy sources have actually helped perpetuate poverty...not alleviate it.
But hey, Paris Hilton was release from jail this past Tuesday.
I hear she's doing great!
Until next time...
Jeff
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