IT’S THE OIL, STUPID

December 7, 1941. As President Roosevelt stated. “A  day which will live in infamy.” Japan had bombed Pearl Harbor. More than 2,400 American lives lost. The U.S. Navy’s Pacific fleet destroyed.

How did the day come about? What caused Japan to conduct the heinous act?

Oil. Plain and simple.

Japan became a warmongering nation in the early 1920’s. In 1931, it invaded Manchuria. Various events caused Japan to enter into an all out war with China in 1937.

It was Japan’s invasion of French Indochina in July 1941 that broke the camel’s back. The invasion set the stage for the invasion of Pearl Harbor in December.

President Roosevelt felt Japan’s invasions had reached the “too much” point. He sought to temper Japan’s war activities.

On July 26, 1941, Roosevelt froze all Japanese assets in the U.S. The result was that Japan lost access to three quarters of its overseas trade and 90 percent of its imported oil.

Britain followed suit.

The oil deprivation was a killer in the making. Japan could not survive without oil. It imported its oil. Japan’s oil reserves at the time would last no more than 3 years. One and a half years if war with the U.S. was commenced causing its fuel supply to be consumed at a faster pace.

Roosevelt assumed/hoped Japan would back off certain of its conquests. Then the U.S. would cease the freeze and permit the flow of oil to Japan again.

Japan faced a dilemma. Back off its invasion of Southeast Asia and hope the oil embargo would be eased. Or, continue its invasion policy and seize the oil in Malaysia and other Pacific locations. Such would further antagonize the U.S. and the West. Perhaps even lead to war.

Japan decided its future. It opted for a preemptive strike “before its oil gauge ran empty.” The preemptive strike Pearl Harbor.

Japan believed its overwhelming strike at Pearl Harbor and other U.S. and British holdings in the Pacific within a few days would bring the U.S. to the peace table. If not, Japan still would have secured the oil reserves it needed by occupying southeast Asia.

Even today, oil continues to be gold. A necessity of life for most nations. Wars still fought with oil the real reason for invasion or contemplated invasion. Syria, Iran, Venezuela, and Saudi Arabia examples.

It’s the oil! Not one country wanting to help the abused peoples of another.

One of the visiting law professors before the House Intelligence Committee monday was Jonathan Turly. The sole representative for the Republicans.

Turly is a law professor at George Washington University. In addition, he has frequently been involved in representing one side or another in governmental matters.

Do not assume Turly is a rock hard conservative Republican. Far from it. Turly understands the function of an attorney. A lawyer represents a position in the law. Many disputes arise as to what the law means, was intended, etc. Close calls. Turly does his best to represent the position of his client as the law might be.

He understands and does his job as an advocate.

I do not know his political party. Could be either of the major ones. Or, perhaps independent. His legal positions lead many to believe he is a liberal at heart.

He once argued for the legalization of polygamy.

He has often in recent years expressed his worries that the Supreme Court is injecting itself into partisan politics. He has frequently expressed the view that recent nominees to the Court hold extreme views.

Turly argued an opposite view from that he expressed monday in a previous impeachment proceeding. The Clinton impeachment trial before the Senate. Turly spoke at the time, “Crime is contagious. If the government becomes a lawbreaker; it breeds contempt for the law; it invites every man to become a law unto himself; it invites anarchy.”

The world is catching up with Trump. Democratic nations are moving ahead without him. His opinions finally seem to have no value.

Due to Trump’s actions, thought process, etc., other leaders are losing respect for the U.S. The U.S. can no longer be depended upon.

Lack of respect for Trump was evident at the recent NATO meeting in London. He was laughed at in a private chit chat between several leaders at a social function. Macron told him to be “serious” when he attempted to make a joke at what Maron considered a serious matter. He referred to Trudeau as “two faced.” The pot calling the kettle black? He left the conference early. Failing to attend a news conference scheduled for him alone.

It is basic. If one wants respect, he must give respect. Trump does not understand this. He is a bully. Beats up on people. When he does, which is often, he cannot expect those same people to look upon him favorably thereafter.

Joe Biden said it right after Trump’s embarrassing performance at the NATO meeting: “The world is laughing at President Trump.”

No question about it. The only problem is it means they are laughing at the U.S. also.

Some parents no matter how good have a wayward child among their brood. So it appears with Joe Biden. His son Hunter.

Our children are our children. Parent don’t pick their children, nor do children pick their parents. The child the result of nature. An act of God.

In some instances, the child a cross for the parent to bear.

Hunter’s most recent escapade occurred this week. He failed to show up for a child support hearing regarding his out of wedlock child. The mother a Washington stripper. Her name Lunden Roberts.

Lunden in court seeking $11,000 in legal fees and child support. A DNA test recently revealed that Hunter is the father.

Hunter previously had told the court he could not pay. He was broke. Additionally he wanted the court to seal his financial records because of his “significant debts.”

Being broke an amusing defense. Recall all of what is going on with Hunter, the Ukrainian company Barisma, and Hunter’s consulting firm being paid $83,333 per month for his services as a director.

Homelessness unquestionably a major U.S. problem. When we think of the homeless, we generally think of adults. It must be remembered children are among the homeless, also.

New York City recently reported that there are 114,000 homeless children in the New York City school system.

It is the same across the U.S. Nothing to be proud of!

Genocide always in eh news. Thousands, even millions, killed here and there.

Mass killings not a today thing alone. In 1240, the Mongols under Bata Khan occupied and destroyed Kiev. A one day battle. Only 2,000 survived of the 50,000 who lived in Kiev prior to the battle.

Finally! Santa Claus is coming to town! Tonight! The annual Key West Christmas Parade. On Truman and Duval. Tonight at 7.

The best anywhere in the country!

Enjoy your day!

 

 

 

20 comments on “IT’S THE OIL, STUPID

  1. Right, oil is king, let’s burn more of it so we can get even higher oceans.
    In brief. Ocean water expands as it warms, filling larger volumes. The ocean absorbs more than 90 percent of the heat that greenhouse gases trap in Earth’s atmosphere, making thermal expansion a significant contributor to global sea-level rise — about one-third of the total observed.

  2. STOP, you are making sense.

    You should also add the problem about how the outer atmosphere has been compromised and causes these man made additional warmings to be trapped and exacerbate the problem.

  3. The atmosphere goes up about the same distance as Key West to Marathon. After that comes outer space. That doesn’t seem like too big a container to fill up with our waste gases after all the years we have been pumping them out.

  4. The U,S. Is now a net exporter of oil, both refined and crude. So we are no longer dependent on the Middle East when the oil markets are disturbed by manmade or natural calamities. But because oil is a major global commodity, we will continue to be a player in the markets, and will help our allies maintain their supply.

    • You do know that this is not news, right?

      The US has been a ”net exporter” of oil and thus independent on the Middle east when the oil markets are disturbed by man made or natural calamities, since about May of 2011 (during the Obama administration).

      This is one of the major reasons many people say it makes no sense to be building yet another dangerous overland pipeline to import foreign oil from Canada, especially through sensitive environmental areas, like the Dakotas, when there already exists pipelines to do that very job.

      If we are self sufficient, why then are we risking almost certain disaster to import more oil?

      Go ahead, spin it Patrick!

  5. According to the WSJ, the US became a net exporter in November of 2018. I’m not arguing that we need the Keystone pipeline. We don’t. But Canada needs it because they have only a limited ability to refine shale oil. Their refining would be done in Texas and Oklahoma. The first 3 phases of the pipeline are already completed. Only Phase 4 construction is in dispute. As to safety, I wonder which is safer; a pipeline or trucks and rail cars.

    • Spin this any way you want, big guy, but the facts (truth) are that this pipe line has ALREADY had the 2nd largest land based oil spill disaster in US history. All for something (oil) the US doesn’t own, something the US doesn’t need (we’re completely self sufficient), something that won’t even be used in the US (it is to be exported – to China). So, your questions about oil transport safety seem to me not only moot, but absurdly diversionary as well.

  6. Really not sure what the argument is about here. The main pipeline, phases I thru III, are completed and carrying oil. Both the pipeline and the oil are owned by the TransCanada Keystone Pipeline Company, not a US company. The further construction of phase IV does not seem necessary. If your argument is that pipelines leak, well duh. Of course they do. The moot point here is that the pipeline exists and is operating, and is extremely unlikely to be shut down over any environmental concerns.

  7. The Keystone Pipeline is transporting Canadian Oil through the United states. This oil is owned by the Canadians and will not be used by Americans, but rather exported for profit to it’s owners.

    The transportation of that oil within the United States is risky.

    The apparatus used to transport this Canadian oil goes through some particularly environmentally sensitive areas.

    The apparatus used to transport this Canadian Oil has ALREADY cause a catastrophe in the form of a maszive oil leak, the second largest land based leak in the United States.

    Since we do not need this oil for our use, why are we doing this?

    Stop your BS spin on this, if you are not sure what the argument is about here, then you are either corrupt or lack even the most basic of comprehension skills.

    The fact that it is unlikely to be shut down (at least voluntarily) has NOTHING to do with the argument, apart from how a better informed people can often influence action.

    We are self sufficient as a country when it comes to our energy (particularly oil) needs, it is time to stop this stupid vulnerability with further environmental disaster, for no good reason. Stop trying to obfuscate this issue.

  8. “Since we do not need this oil for our use, why are we doing this?

    You answered your own question. It’s simple stupidity.

    Americans are generally uninformed or uncaring about a great many issues that they should be more concerned about.. As a population we are self absorbed, unaware and uninvolved.

    It’s the same reason why the US will NEVER properly address the issues of climate change, gun control, or corruption in government. It’s too hard, and a lot less important than texting with our friends.

    • I do not agree with your defeatist dismissal. This issue is a good example. There has been significant opposition and discussion, yet enough blind support from those who are willing to do what they’re told by others with self serving political interests, without which things like this could not be gotten away with. Defeatists, such as yourself, are as bad as those with corrupt self serving interests.

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