Showing posts with label supply and demand. Show all posts
Showing posts with label supply and demand. Show all posts

Monday, August 1, 2022

Op-ed:
A Failed Presidency Exposed
By: Diane Sori / The Patriot Factor / Right Side Patriots / Right Side Patriots Radio

Three and half weeks of escapism goes by way too quickly especially when it's your older son's destination wedding/vacation. But now it's time for me to get back to the real world and once again face the fact that the Democrats and their media cohorts...the very party and its propaganda arm who still refuse to acknowledge the differences between a man and a woman...continues on with the same old tired distractions from before I left. And it's all in a misguided yet ever so divisive attempt to divert our attention away from the undeniable fact that Joe Biden's presidency...his objectives, his policies, and his agenda...remains a total disaster, something we must focus on as the mid-term election draws near.

And said disaster encompasses both domestic and foreign policy issues. First, Biden's domestic disasters see soaring gas prices blatantly being manipulated to fall back down as the midterm election draws near while he ignores the basic principle of “supply and demand;and the now 40-year high in across-the-board inflation shows no sign of abating any time soon. Couple that with continuing supply chain shortages (with baby formula supplies reported to be worse off now than they were four months ago), and sadly recession has become the new reality as the GDP fell another 0.9% in the second quarter of this year, leaving one to easily see how our economy under Joe Biden is simply, to put it mildly, a mess.

But how could it not be when the ongoing crisis at our southern border is helping to drain our government's monetary coffers what with almost two million folks with their hands out for the Democrats promised “free stuff” having crossed our border ILLEGALLY last year alone with almost that many crossing this year, to date, as I write this. And yet DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas still claims that the border is highly secure and “getting securer by the day” while border patrol agents themselves state that, “Hundreds of thousands crossing every month is not the definition of secure,” and that, “They are liars and anyone who believes them are fools.” Could not have said it any better myself.

And surely not to be forgotten are the issues of “domestic terrorism” and supposed “insurrection” lurking not so silently in the background. And while “insurrection” coupled with “domestic terrorism” truly does come in the guise of government hating, America defaming groups like Antifa and BLM, remember as fact that neither group has yet to be called to task for the rioting, looting, mayhem, murder, and the burning of American cities all done in their name, let alone their outright government subversive agenda... true “insurrection” that's willingly being overlooked by their Democrat naysayers. 

And yet we only hear the word “insurrection” in regards to the “Trump Impeachment Hearings Part 3” otherwise known as the unfair and unbalanced televised House January 6th hearings. And really, how can the word “insurrection” even be bantered about in regards to January 6th when no one who was arrested or tried, to date, has had the charge of “insurrection” being levied against them, especially when many who were present claimed that the Capitol police quite willingly opened the Capitol doors to let the protesters in.

Also on Biden's failed domestic front we continue to see crime figures soaring as America's streets are turning red with the blood of innocent victims what with the police still being ordered to “stand down.” And while some in the political arena are now calling for a “refunding” of the police, their voices are being drowned out by those whose hatred of the police still runs as deep as the color of their skin. It's no wonder why we need the Second Amendment now more than ever before, after all we need a means by which to defend ourselves and our families, because if the police can't or won't do it we must do it ourselves. And with the rise in gun violence coupled with the federal government acting more like the Gestapo incarnate, perpetrators of crimes are turned into heroes or victims while crimes true victims are barely given lip-service at all.

And here let's separate gun violence into two categories with the first being when a firearm is used in the process of committing a crime, like robbery for example, from that what's now referred to as
“mass shootings” where killing is done for killing's sake alone. To try and take firearms away from both petty criminals and we law abiding citizens while not addressing the mental issues of those who commit mass shootings does no good at all for firearms...for guns...will not only always be gotten by those hell bent on doing bodily harm, but those of us “behind every blade of grass” will not nor must not give up our firearms willingly for to do so will lead directly to the downfall of American freedoms. Remember, it's only those of unsound mind who commit mass shootings, and besides guns themselves do not kill people...people knowingly and willingly kill people...gun free zones be damned.

And lastly on the domestic front, for this article anyway, we continue seeing both abortion and Covid on the front pages. So while Democrats are up-in-arms (pun intended) over the fact that their sanctioned killing of babies in the womb has been dealt a not unexpected blow with the SCOTUS' overturning of Roe v. Wade, Covid fear-mongering lingers on as Joe Biden, the man who just a year ago said, “You’re not gonna get Covid if you get the shots,” has (as I write this) Covid himself. Quite telling I'd say as “our bodies ourselves” in liberal-speak matters only when the killing of unborn babies is involved while the willingly “unjabbed” (like me) still remain healthy and Covid free. 

Now, as if on cue, enter Monkey Pox...the newest disease de jour...what with Covid scare tactics starting to wane.

And as for Biden's ongoing foreign policy disasters...of which I will highlight but a few...we must start with his foolishly ordered unilateral Afghanistan withdrawal that never should have been, most especially under what was then the current circumstances that presented in the country. Seeing the Taliban now winning the war that we should never have lost, left our troops returning home to find that it was more important for our military to become “woke” than anything else. What a sad commentary our men and women in uniform were now forced to face.

But Biden's forcing the leaving behind of millions of dollars of military equipment in what was a hastily conceived exit...an exit where the enemy dictated the timeline...led not only to a still ongoing humanitarian crisis, escalating starvation, and Afghanistan's general economic collapse...but to our arms being used against the very people we once proudly helped free. And not only does the media give little lip-service to this, but this only compounds the damage already done by Obama's “hearts and minds” directives...proving Joe Biden to be anything but a true commander-in-chief let alone one who is respected by both the military and we civilians alike.

And then there's Biden's recent trip to Israel, the Palestinian territories, and Saudi Arabia where in Israel he stated that he and his administration “won’t wait forever to get back into the (nuclear) deal.” In trying to placate Iran, Biden not only stabbed Israel in the back, but the self-called “messenger of peace” spoke out of both sides of his mouth when announcing America's “firm support” for Israel and that we would “ensure Israel’s military security” if Iran did obtain nuclear weapons. Empty words spoken for Biden then met with Palestinian leaders and announced a new $235 million aid package for the Palestinians, the very folks aligned with, financed by, and who receive the bulk of their weapons courtesy of Iran. And to add insult to injury, Biden repeated his support for a “two-state” solution ignoring the fact that the so-called Palestinians already have a homeland...it's called Jordan...proving that all Biden did while in Israel was to again channel his inner Obama.

Then it was on to Saudi Arabia to beg the Saudis to produce more oil. Unfortunately, the highlight of Biden's trip to Riyadh was a disrespectful “fist pump” with Saudi Prince and future King Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, who in effect is already Saudi Arabia's leader. And while no serious one-on-one oil negotiations took place between the two men Biden did promise...with fingers crossed behind his back no doubt...to “reconsider the decision to ban the sale of offensive armaments to Saudi Arabia.” And know this most likely will not happen what with Saudi Arabia now forging relationships with Israel as they share and must keep in check their common enemy, Iran. Simply, Biden’s attempt to cozy up to the Saudis has proven to be an embarrassment for our country as it has done nothing to ease let alone undo Biden and the Democrat's self-inflicted energy crisis.

And also not to be forgotten is Ukraine, a still ongoing foreign policy disaster for Joe Biden, what with the sum total of promised U.S. aid in regards to much needed equipment still not reaching Ukrainian hands out of fear of Russian reprisal. So while Zelensky and his loyalists continue their fight against Putin's forces, Biden shows weakness in not only his fear, but in his lackadaisical attitude towards Vlodimir Zelinsky himself, a man who has more courage in his little pinkie than Biden has in his whole body. But then again Ukraine is a sore point for both the "big guy" and his son Hunter, and blood always proves thinker than water...blankets anyone?

And lastly dare I not mention the misnomer known as Biden's “climate change” agenda...which in reality is but the “weather.” Remember, recorded human history itself has shown that the seasons run and will continue to run in cycles with summers always being hot while winters will always be cold...after all “Mother Nature” herself cannot ever be changed. And why do I now list “climate change” as a Biden foreign not domestic policy disaster...because what is now called  “climate change”...remember it was first called global warming then global cooling...is a key part of the globalist “Green Energy” agenda. And not only does Biden's “Green Energy” policies signal trouble here at home...both cost and common sense wise...but they do so on a global scale as well for failures here at home do tend to echo world wide.

And Biden's only success, if you can call it that, in all these aforementioned disasters is that he has allowed himself to become the willing puppet by which the left...by which Obama himself...can still openly try to destroy our beloved America. And Biden is oblivious to it all, after all, fools rarely know they are fools for the spotlight blinds them to the truth.

 And so reality continues on as my escapism and vacation time is now sadly over.

 Copyright © 2022 / Diane Sori / The Patriot Factor / All rights reserved. 

 
*************************************************************************************         For more political commentary please visit my RIGHT SIDE PATRIOTS partner Craig Andresen's blog The National Patriot to read his latest article, The Webb of Knowledge.
 
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RIGHT SIDE PATRIOTS...LIVE!

Tomorrow, Tuesday, August 2nd from 7 to 8:30pm EST, RIGHT SIDE PATRIOTS Craig Andresen and Diane Sori will discuss 'A Failed Presidency Exposed'; 'The Webb of Knowledge'; and important news of the day. Hope you can tune in to RIGHT SIDE PATRIOTS on https://rspradio1.com. Click 'LISTEN LIVE' starting at 6:50 pm EST with show beginning at 7pm EST.
 

Friday, June 8, 2018

Op-ed:
As Gas Prices Rise Democrats See Possibilities
By: Diane Sori / The Patriot Factor / Right Side Patriots on American Political Radio
 
"Politicians can say whatever they want about how much control they think they have on oil and gas prices, but they are just little swarms of market mosquitoes in the context of the massiveness of the overall set of oil markets."
- Paul Sullivan, economics professor at National Defense University and adjunct at Georgetown University

Let's start by saying our economy is booming; unemployment is at 3.8% the lowest level since early 2000 and the dot.com boom; the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 has workers seeing more monies in their weekly paychecks; the much-hated 'individual mandate' of ObamaCare is history; border security is now a top priority with ICE making more arrests then we've seen in years; and an important summit with North Korea happens next week...a summit that if successful could help set the doomsday clock back a bit....with a possible U.S.-Russia summit also on the horizon.

Simply, Donald Trump's first 500+ days in office has proven to be a success, and anyone who says otherwise never will give Trump credit for anything positive he's done.

However, with the important midterm elections looming ever larger there is one issue that must be addressed yet it seems to be swept under the rug, and it's the very thing Democrats are starting to latch onto that could well turn the expected red wave....blue. And if that happens...if Republicans lose control of the House...it will just about guarantee a Trump impeachment vote.

So what is this issue and why is it so critical? It's the nationwide rise in gas prices...a rise in some areas of the country that is high enough to almost negate the extra monies folks have been seeing in their paychecks thanks to Trump's tax cut plan. In other words the middle class...the working class...are getting hit hard in their pocketbooks yet again. And with the current $62 per barrel of oil...with that number being projected to possibly increase to $68 per barrel (with some experts saying it could go as high as $80 per barrel) by summer's end...our reality at the pumps through at least the end of 2018 is not a pretty one...meaning this issue must be addressed post-haste or it will come back to haunt at the midterm election.

First a few facts: it's being projected that gas prices will average $2.90 per gallon for regular gas...with the price of high test being much higher something the media seems to ignore...through at least the end of September if not longer...with even higher prices in certain areas of the country. And $2.90 per gallon of regular is indeed a large price increase considering that in 2017 the average price of regular gasoline was $2.41 per gallon, which has led the Energy Information Administration to project that the price could jump even higher...maybe even inching upward of $4 per gallon by year's end. Blaming it on President Trump pulling us out of the Iranian nuclear deal, these folks are projecting that the glut of Iranian crude oil that flooded the overseas markets when sanctions were lifted will now be cut back as new sanctions settle into place, thus seeing Iran's oil exports diminishing by between 200,000 and 600,000 barrels per day.

Remember, a spike in gas prices usually happens as refiners work off stocks of fuel blended for winter months and start to blend specially formulated, cleaner burning, but more expensive fuels for the summer months...the peak driving time. And it's not just the ingredients in the summer blends that cost more, but thanks to the E.P.A. refiners must produce more than 20 different summer blends, which must then be transported to specific regions in specific volumes at specific times, adding higher costs to distribution on top of the higher costs of production. And with crude oil prices rising at the same time, it costs refiners more to buy the crude needed to make the summer formulated gasoline blends...a vicious cycle where the consumer...as always...must pay the price in the end.

And with everything boiling down to high crude oil prices...OPEC literally holds us over the gas barrel...as oil itself accounts for a whopping 72 percent of the price of gasoline with the remaining 28 percent coming from increasing distribution costs, refining costs, and plant maintenance fees. And the later translates into higher taxes being tacked on to help cover said costs...meaning that whenever crude oil prices rise so does gas taxes which together raises the price at the pump.

So our dependency on Arab oil...our dependency on OPEC...screws us yet again...as does but to a much lesser degree Venezuela's drastic cutback on its oil exports due to its own internal economic problems.

And while we sadly remain dependent on Arab oil...a dependency they use to their advantage when setting per barrel prices...know there are other entities at work as well that are causing this latest price increase at the pump. Enter center stage the commodities traders who buy oil and gasoline at the commodities futures markets...markets where company buyers speculate what the price of gas or oil will be in the future allowing them to buy gasoline contracts for future delivery at a set agreed-upon price. But the fact is that most of these buyers have little to no interest in taking ownership of said gasoline, instead choosing to sell their purchased contract for a profit, which in turn raises the price at the pump...and we get screwed again.

And let's not forget that gas prices and oil contracts are decided in dollars which allows gas prices to rise when the value of the dollar declines. Remember, between 2012 and 2014 oil prices rose when the dollar lost 40 percent of its value, but oil prices fell in 2015 and 2016 because a strong U.S. dollar allowed OPEC members to make more money while keeping supply constant. And right now, unfortunately, the U.S. dollar decreased 0.1400 or 0.15% to 93.8800 on Tuesday June 5th from the previous released number of 94.0200, and while it's a small decrease it's enough of a decrease to directly affect prices at the pump.

So where does rising gas prices leave us in regards to the midterm election...with the blame game of course. And we all know Democrats relish in saying...with the media reporting of course...that gas prices surged 50-cents-per-gallon since Trump took office. But what they both willingly forget is that it was Obama's and his cohorts misguided policies that set the stage for the now being seen increase at the pumps.

Refusing to admit that it's Democrats who have for years tried to permanently enforce a number of gasoline price increases through the initiating of various tax hikes...like Obama's Carbon Tax, Nancy Pelosi's wanting to double the federal gasoline tax, and with California Democrats successfully pushing through a 12-cent-per-gallon hike in the state's gas tax...now sees the Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer actually saying it's, “President Trump’s reckless decision to pull out of the Iran deal (that) has led to higher oil prices,” and that, “These higher oil prices are translating directly to soaring gas prices, something we know hurts middle-and lower-income people.”

NO...Chuckie...it's you and your fellow Democratic ilk who have caused the problems we are seeing today at the pump.

Ignoring the all-important fact that while U.S. presidents have little if any power to set global oil prices...prices that are for the most part driven either up or down by the simple economic principal of supply and demand...the taxes Democrat leaders and their party so love to impose on 'We the People' do help jack the price at the pump up. And with OPEC now cutting oil production they're able to raise the per barrel price as countries like China are demanding more and more oil...the above stated supply and demand as well as price manipulation in action.

In other words, the rising prices have absolutely nothing to do with President Trump or his pulling us out of the nuclear deal from hell. And Chuck Schumer also forgets that as per my previously stated change in the gasoline formulas required for summer driving...required thanks to the Democrats and their wacko environmentalist cohorts initiating even more totally useless E.P.A. air quality regulations...that gas prices indeed do go up every year at this time but do tend to settle back down come the fall.

And if truth be told, if it wasn't for the huge increase in U.S. oil production thanks to the so-called “fracking revolution” and Trump's support and encouragement of fracking, the prices would be going up even higher than they already are...something Democrats dare not say. And also something they dare not say is that last year under President Trump we became the world's largest producer of oil and natural gas, and we're on track to become the world's top oil producer this year as well...if only we could keep all that oil of ours here...oil exporting be damned.

So knowing all this what is Chuck Schumer's solution to the 'supposed' but so untrue Trump caused rise in gas prices? In a letter written in conjunction with three fellow Democrat senators, Schumer asked President Trump to “pressure OPEC” into increasing the world's oil supplies. Saying that, “The current run up in world oil prices is effectively a tax on every American family’s discretionary budget...” what Schumer and the Democrats forget is that 'We the People' do not want to pressure OPEC into increasing anything...what we want and need is to increase “drill baby drill” right here in the U.S. along with increasing fracking to completely cut our dependency on Arab oil...something the islamic-condoning Democrats absolutely do not want to do.

But as for the current price increase possibly affected the November midterms to such an extent that it could turn the 'red' wave 'blue'...what Trump needs to do is “cut them off at the pass”...so to speak...by getting those pump prices down. And while the price at the pump is but one issue that's on voter's minds, it's an important issue as it can wipe out all the monetary gains garnered from last year’s tax cuts...a possibility the Democrats will surely use against all Republican candidates running.

So how can President Trump get the price at the pump down in the short run? With most fixes even “drill baby drill” and fracking being long term fixes...the only way to get the price down now is by tapping into the Strategic Petroleum Reserve...an emergency stockpile of more than 700 million barrels of crude oil stored along the U.S. Gulf Coast. And while most experts agree that these emergency reserves should only be used for emergencies and not as temporary relief to what is a market-driven problem, releasing even small amounts does lower pump prices. One case in point, President George W. Bush tapped into the reserves to a tune of a mere 21 million barrels (out of the above stated 700 million barrels) in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, which helped to lower gas prices 10 to 15 percent across the board...a big help to the average consumer.

So if President Bush can do it so can President Trump while still having more than enough petroleum in reserve to handle any and all emergencies that might arise. And besides, if Democrats get to successfully use the rise in gas prices that have occurred on Trump's watch as the reason the middle class lost any monetary gains garnered from the Trump tax cuts, it will surely make it harder if not impossible for congressional Republicans to place their reelection chances on touting the tax breaks.

And if Democrats have even a remote chance of taking back the House that's reason enough to release some reserves to get and keep gas prices down, especially since Democrat experts are claiming that gas prices are expected to come down early next year after this critical election...how convenient is that.

But whether President Trump acts on this or not, what must never be forgotten is that only when we control both our own oil destiny and energy needs...can we really control the price at the pumps no matter whom the president might be.

Copyright @ 2018 Diane Sori / The Patriot Factor / All Rights Reserved.

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For more political commentary please visit my RIGHT SIDE PATRIOTS partner Craig Andresen's blog The National Patriot to read his latest article Immunity for McCabe? Let the Canary Sing

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RIGHT SIDE PATRIOTS...LIVE!

Today, Friday, June 8th from 7 to 9pm EST on American Political Radio, RIGHT SIDE PATRIOTS Craig Andresen and Diane Sori discuss 'As Gas Prices Rise Democrats See Possibilities; 'Immunity for McCabe? Let the Canary Sing'; and important news of the day.

Hope you can tune in at: http://listen.samcloud.com/w/73891/American-Political-Radio#history