Obama Disastrous Energy Policy. Or Is It!

By Semperpapa

The explosion, sinking and subsequent oil spill of 2010 in the Gulf of Mexico, fitted perfectly with the overall energy policy of the White House.
On the surface, the April 20 2010 disaster of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig was a negative mark on Obama's presidency on so many levels: from response time to the President's lack of action in accepting aid from other countries.

The reality of things is that even after the American public was bombarded with images of the underwater gushing of crude, the actual extent of the spill still remains somewhat of a mystery, as the oil appears to have disappeared.
Also real was the immediate, and opportunistic step to issue a ban on all oil drilling, citing the potential danger for similar disasters.
And the fact that the government had allowed the very same oil rig to waive some of the safety procedures was quickly swept under the carpet by the media.

The banning on all drilling was met by protestations from many directions: Louisiana's Governor Bobby Jindal was one of the most vocal, mentioning that the ban would have a devastating impact on the local economy.

It has now been more than two months since the ban was lifted, but records show that the Dept. of Energy is dragging its feet in issuing new permits for oil companies to start drilling in areas where they have had leases granted. Large oil companies are marginally affected, as their attention is directed at other zones of exploration, but smaller oil companies are not able to weather the storm without laying off thousands of employees.
According to government predictions last September, 8,000 to 12,000 people could lose their jobs. If the Obama administration puts out such number, we can be sure that the actual number is close to double.

To add insult to injury, the Gulf of Mexico will see oil exploration from just about every other nation, including China. And we are all aware of the great importance China places on safety!
Moreover, Obama was quick in guaranteeing billions of dollars loans for Brazil's offshore drilling operations, showing that it is not an ideological position Obama holds against oil drilling, but more an opposition to the United States moving toward energy independence.

So is the President's energy policy just a disaster, or is it a win-win situation for him?

I hate to see conspiracy in my government, but I see nothing less in the actions of the White House.
In the first place, Obama is sparking a little of the old enthusiasm among the environmental terrorists that helped him getting elected. These terrorists, in fact, have hailed the DoE slowness in granting new permits as the right thing to do. With the current rate of action, more like inaction, on the part of the DoE, new oil drilling will not resume before the latest part of 2011 or even 2012 (of course, Presidential election year!)
Secondly, remaining dependent on foreign oil, especially Obama's good friends the Saudis, will continue to create enormous revenues for others at the expenses of the American taxpayers. The excuse of creating a demand for foreign oil will allow the government to impose ever increasing taxes and energy consumption. Obama himself stated that he wants the price of gasoline to go up to $6-$7 per gallon.
Lastly, making fuel prices unaffordable for people, will cause the migration of people out of the suburbs back into the cities where most of jobs are and where the government can keep a more vigilant eye over the population.
This was the strategy used by Stalin during the Russian Industrial Revolution. Stalin achieved his goal by force, Obama wants to achieve it by strangling the ability of the people to live their lives the way they see fit.

Just my thoughts!