Courtesy of MoveOn.org:
President Obama says he’ll veto the latest attempt by Congress to push through the Keystone XL pipeline, but he hasn’t yet committed to rejecting this dangerous proposal outright.
That’s where we come in. Tell President Obama that he should stop Keystone XL for good—and do it now.
As usual Robert Reich explains something complicated in a way that makes it simple for even those a little slow on the uptake to understand.
Probably helps that he was a professor at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government.
I hope the President is listening and takes his advice.
O/T but Facebook page Billoreillymolestedandreamackris has many examples of his "truthiness."
ReplyDeleteRobert Reich is a national treasure.
ReplyDeleteI love how he breaks everything down in easy-to-understand points. All I hear on the right is how Obama doesn't want to create jobs by vetoing this project; I heard on NPR that it was about 35 jobs this project would create. I wish more regular folks would get this info instead of the Fox talking points.
I wouldn't t mind if he was HRC's VP choice.
DeleteMore than once in recent years, we've experienced a surge in gasoline prices that was blamed on a refinery shutdown (or at least a partial shutdown) for repairs or maintenance. The crux of the issue being that our overall refinery capacity was stretched close to its limits by our own demands for gasoline. I've never heard any discussion of how it is that we now have the excess refinery capacity to process the Koch Bros crude from Canada for export from the Gulf coast. Is building another refinery in the vulnerable Gulf coast area the other shoe if the XL were to be approved?
ReplyDeleteGood question.
DeleteI've read that this pipeline would actually RAISE gas prices in the central US instead of lowering them. I wonder if that may be partly due to the refineries being used to handle the tar sands oil instead of refining oil for domestic use.
With the Kochs and Boehner being heavily invested in this pipeline, you know which oil will go to the front of the line if refineries go out of commission and they have to cut down on what they're processing. And it won't be ours.
This Keystone boon-to-the-Kochs-and-their-pals is a perfect example of how hard 90 % of the media is working to dumb down the American electorate. The pipeline does absolutely nothing good for the US. It would transport dirty oil from Canada to the Gulf coast to be shipped away. It would pass through the middle of the country, threatening pollution all along the way. It would cut through valuable agricultural land, travel close to major geologic fault lines and too close to major waterways. Imagine the spill if an earthquake split the pipeline! And all for a measly 35 jobs! What fools the 1% think we are and how well media outlets like Fox News have conned the American people! Our local paper has a really good letter today schooling a previous letter writer on the real facts of the pipeline - and none of the real facts are good. It's bad for the environment, for the economy, for the future - just what makes it perfect for the Kochs and their friends.
ReplyDeleteBeaglemom
If most of the oil is going to China (through the Panama Canal?) and a new refinery will have to be built, why not build the pipeline to Vancouver Canada which is closer by 1/3, process and ship from there?
ReplyDeleteBy the way,I do agree the oil should stay in the ground.
The Canadian Rockies are not pipeline friendly.
DeleteAnd the Canadians do not want it.
DeleteBeaglemom
No, we certainly don't want any pipelines going through the US.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.theodora.com/pipelines/united_states_pipelines_map.jpg
I swear to gawd Reich is retarded.
HE'S retarded? You're contradicting something he didn't even say.
DeleteWTF does veto a pipeline mean, you jerk?
DeleteI know what veto a pipeline means. Do you?
DeleteDo you think that just because we have a bunch of pipelines in the country, that's it's a free-for-all? Do you think this video is telling the president to remove all the pipelines that are already in the country?
How about we propose putting a pipeline ride down the middle of your street. Then, when you bitch and moan, we'll just show you the map of all the pipelines in the US.
There is a pipeline down my street. It takes your bullshit to the sewage plant.
DeleteThere is a pipeline in my yard. It brings gas to heat my house.
DeleteThere is a pipeline in my yard. It brings water to cook, wash, flush the toilet.
You're right we can't just have pipelines everywhere, like hundreds of millions of them connected to every single house, building, and business in the country.
.
Man, it's regular pipeline free-for-all here.
Is that your "aha!" moment? You got me! Hahaha. You were talking about pipelines in general while Reich and I and everyone else was talking about OIL pipelines. I fell right into your genius trap.
DeleteYou're a very angry little man, aren't you?
Natural resource are a danger to the environment.
ReplyDeleteBrilliant analysis.
DeleteThat is liberal think. That is exactly what Reich is saying.
DeleteUse your brain, numb nuts.
Your statement is so unbelievably broad as to be completely ridiculous.
DeleteYou obviously have no idea what Reich is saying or what liberals think. You have an overdose of Rush, or Briebart, or Alex Jones, or whatever other shit you're listening to.
Take a map of North America.
ReplyDeleteMeasure the distance from Alberta to Houston.
Measure the distance from Alberta straight west - through Canada - to the Pacific.
(It is about 1/3 the distance)
WHY doesn't "Trans-Canada" run the tar-sands oil through a much shorter pipeline that transverses their own country?
Because everyone (except for Fox News viewers), including those who will get rich from it, knows it is a terrible idea and their politicians aren't for sale - and ours are.
Gee, I wonder
Deletehttp://www.theodora.com/pipelines/canada_pipelines_map.jpg
I sent an email to both of my senators (MI) to veto Keystone, both did. I received an reply from Senator Stabenow in which she stated not only would there be only 35 jobs created, but Trans Canada does not have to chip into the fund created for clean up of any spills!!!
ReplyDeleteIf this pipeline should leak it would be up to the US taxpayers to cover the costs!
We already had a Trans Canada pipeline leak near Kalamazoo and Trans Canada has been advertising like crazy on tv trying to brain wash us that "the river" is cleaner now than before the spill-which it isn't.
Also a foreign country will be taking property to build a pipeline that is a potential major disaster waiting to happen with no benefits for the US.
Also I want to know who is going to secure this pipeline from terrorists? Who is paying for that?
We are still waiting for our power stations to be secured, like Bush "promised".
I hope Obama keeps his word and doesn't back down on vetoing this bill.