To be fair, releasing oil from the National Strategic Reserve *can* be an effective way to lower prices.
But not in isolation.
It works to deal with some temporary spike in prices, like if a major oil producer decides to halt production, or a refinery blows up.
It works because it signals to the speculators that this POTUS is committed to increasing the supply of oil to lower prices. So future prices are most likely to be lower, so they short oil futures, and the price drops.
But if EVERYTHING else you say and do signals that you aren't committed to increasing supply, that you kinda actually *want* higher prices, then it does nothing to convince any speculators. They still expect prices to rise.
The release from the Reserve doesn't last, prices rise.
Because everyone, and I do mean *everyone*, recognizes it is just a deception.
Everything Biden has done regarding the energy industries has been to reduce supply. He cut off drilling permits. He cancelled pipelines. He supports CA's regulations on gas vehicles.
His energy secretary states the goal is to transition to electric cars and "green" debacles.
With these actions and these statements telegraphing intent, releasing oil from the SPR is a contradiction. Being a contradiction, it is for perception only. It is a flat-out lie.
They do not intend to encourage lower prices.
They just don't want to be blamed for higher prices.
They think you're stupid. They think you can be fooled by this.
It's just a bonus for Democrats that it also damages our preparation status for Defense.
In a thread recently, I came out in favor of the Wisdom of Crowds.
I firmly believe in it.
Not that I believe the crowds are always right, but that it is a principle that *must* be embraced and adhered to.
Wisdom of Crowds is either based on or underpinned by or related to the most basic foundation of the philosophy of the United States' Experiment in Liberty.
We all have the individual (and universal!) right to Pursuit of Happiness.
We *all* have agency.
The US is not a Free Market Capitalist nation by Constitution.
But it inevitably ended up there, because Free Market Capitalism (the sum of individuals making individual decisions on the value and exchange of good and services) is agency writ large.
If you care to, you will be able to watch me make a political paradigm change in real time.
Basically, with the ascendancy of @AOC and The Squad, and the obvious intent of The COVID Lockdown to get more people hooked on Govt subsidy, and then correspondingly increase taxes, I just figured the US Left was pretty clearly Socialist.
However comma...
Someone made the argument yesterday or the day before that Democrats have no understanding of what the means of production are, have no intent to seize it, don't want a classless society, etc., etc., etc., yadda yadda.
Meaning, they are agnostic about several Socialist elements.
Fellow conservatives, moderates, and GOPers:
The Left thinks their *best* (and maybe *only*) chance to win is to run against Trump.
They are going to use the same playbook to get him nominated, and then shift to lying about him to re-toxify him afterwards.
IF THIS HAPPENS, don't fall for it.
Don't let your dislike of Trump sway you.
As much as you dislike Trump, they loathe him a million times worse.
If they manage to get him nominated, PUNISH them with another Trump administration.
There are plenty of reasons another Trump administration would not be ideal.
Set that aside.
First, Democrats being in power is an Existential crisis for the US. As @AndToddsaid the United States is at war with America. The Deep State is trying to destroy the American Dream.
A thread in which I muse about writing, including why I can't seem to do it. @Jringo1508@WriteGrlProbs you can help me figure out where I'm right or wrong, but don't just blow "You can do it!" smoke up my butt.
A few days ago I mentioned that I had started reading a book that was already clearly going to be filled with bad writing, but also had a decent enough plot to keep me reading.
And, boy! The writing *was* bad.
It was using the "Replay" concept of going back to a previous point in life every time the main character died, including the fact that things were slightly different each time.
Brainfertilizer's/Gitabushi's 4th Law:
Every insult/dis that leaves a mark on Leftists will become THE go-to insult for the Left to use within 6 months.
This one is too wordy, and kinda too stupid to be a law, but the applications of it matter enough to still explain.
At one point, someone responded to some stupid Leftist proposal saying "That won't work, because Math".
It became popular.
Then a few months later, Democrats/Leftists would criticize a tax cut or respond to some conservative criticism with "because math".
It took a few months before Democrats took up calling conservatives "snowflakes" and asking us if were "triggered" or telling us to "cry more".