Its funny how the national conversation determines good vs. evil. Nowadays (and for some time in fact), dependence on foreign oil is seen as a great problem. It gets us into wars and is allegedly a central factor in terrorism. Of course, not all foreign oil is bad. The republican party has been fighting for years to expand the Keystone pipeline, a pipeline that runs foreign (Canadian) oil through the US down to Texas where it is refined. Whats the difference? This project is seen as American and very pro-american, despite the fact that it is entirely Canadian and has only limited benefits to the U.S.
The Keystone pipeline already exists. The Keystone XL project represents phase 4 of a decades long project to bridge America with a super pipeline that brings the oil sands down from the north to the plants that refine and distribute it in Texas. I openly question why the refinement cannot happen in Canada or closer to where the oil is extracted. The only logical answer I’ve been given is that once the oil is refined in Texas it is often exported to other countries. So, we’re putting a pipeline through our country to export oil to other countries while all the while importing oil from other countries. On the surface this doesn’t make much sense. In financial terms it makes a lot more sense if you consider who owns what oil and who they have contracts with. However, none of it is constructed in a fashion to benefit the U.S.A. The ‘people’ who benefit are the multi-national corporations that stand to make a profit off of the endeavor. Meanwhile, politicians who are lining their pockets off of the endeavor open claim that Keystone XL will result in significant jobs and boost the U.S. economy. However, an independent report by Cornell University states that, “KXL will not be a major source of US jobs”
Lies upon lies upon propaganda.
The fact is KXL is about a handful of people getting very rich doing something that doesn’t advance our country at all. I have no right to be upset about that however, because as I’ve come to understand, doing things for the benefit of you at all costs is the American way.