Print
Return to online version

March 31, 2011

Why are Brazilian Greenhouse Gases Fine But Those Generated by the US Verboten?

Monique Chartier

Why are oil jobs created in Brazil desireable but those created in the US abhorrent?

Why should oil profits benefit another country and not the US?

Completely bewildering.

WHEN WAS the last time an American president stood before an audience in a foreign country and announced that he looked forward to importing more of its oil? Answer: Just over a week ago, when President Obama joined political and business leaders in Brasilia in hailing the fact that their newly discovered offshore petroleum reserves might be twice as large as those in the United States. Americans “want to help with technology and support to develop these oil reserves safely, and when you’re ready to start selling, we want to be one of your best customers,” Mr. Obama said.

* * *

The vast majority of U.S. shores, however, have remained off-limits for decades. This, too, is a policy made by two parties, with Republicans opposing drilling when it suited them; President George W. Bush prevented drilling off the Florida Gulf Coast in part to boost his brother Jeb’s 2002 run for a second term as governor. But it is tough to reconcile with U.S. eagerness to “help” Brazil pump oil off its coasts and ship it here.

Comments

Monique,

Could it possibly relate to the Obama administration decision to raise the limits on ethanol blended in gasoline, yet continue to keep the sugar quota-tariff policies that effectively block importing cheaper (and some would say better) sugarcane ethanol from countries like Brazil? Opening up the US market to sugarcane ethanol would be a huge win for Brazilian sugar growers.

If Brazil can sell us oil instead, then the pressure if off to reduce the very costly tax/subsidies given to domestic corn, sugar, and ethanol producers. When Obama won, Brian Jennings, executive vice president, American Coalition for Ethanol said: "Simply put, I think ethanol won in this election and I feel very good about where we're heading."

Got to pay back those Iowa and midwest states that might swing back red in 2012..follow the money Monique.

Posted by: COLRJ at March 31, 2011 5:22 PM

Political correctness and the contempt this disgrace of a president seems to have for his own country.

Posted by: joe bernstein at March 31, 2011 5:35 PM

I thought cokehead, scumbag and perpetual Obama fellator Bill Mahere said Brazil got off oil?

Posted by: Tommy Cranston at March 31, 2011 7:51 PM

This one is too easy: Because George Soros is a major investor in Petrobras, and is not one in the American oil companies.

Posted by: BobN at March 31, 2011 8:07 PM

Why "verboten"? Because our governors view the governed with schadenfreude. A full tank is a problem for their driver.

Posted by: Warrington Faust at March 31, 2011 10:18 PM

BobN-I believe Soros has sold out his interest in Petrobras.
He's probably on to some other destructive move as we speak.
The world will be a much better place when he shuffles off to Buffalo.

Posted by: joie bernstein at April 4, 2011 6:02 AM