The US, China, Canada and the Keystone XL Pipeline

Recently Prime Minister Stephen Harper of Canada met with President Obama in Hawaii to discuss the proposed Keystone XL pipeline. The pipeline is to transport oil from Canadian oil fields in Alberta to refineries in Texas. The $7 billion project would create thousands of jobs for the US and also serve as lessining our dependence upon Middle Eastern oil sources decidedly unfriendly to the US. The Canadian PM called it a no-brainer.

Compared to the “triumph” the pesident is currently crowing about, the Boeing deal in Indonesia, it certainly is a no-brainer. Canada is our largest trading partner and shares a common history so the idea of entering into a project with positive aspects to both parties makes sense. The deal breaker seems to be an aversion to possible eco-system impact in western Nebraska.

The key word is “possible”. Every aspect of human endevor has possible side effects yet the positive gain is well worth the chance of “possible”. Considering the wretched state of affairs that exists in D.C. this project is truly a no-brainer. We are faced with a crippling national debt and intransigent lawmakers who cannot agree on what to have for lunch, much less a plan to deal with the debt.

As things stand now, the Canadians are seeking to strike a deal with China to sell their oil.The cost of end product at the refineries has to be less than that purchased from quasi-enemies halfway around the world. The potential impact on the Nebraska ecology is somewhat of a mystery.

What does Nebraska have that is so sensitive that North Dakota, South Dakota and Kansas don’t have? The oil fields in North Dakota would benefit from the proposed pipeline as would the newly discovered fields in South Dakota.

There is also the factor of creating new jobs in a society that is hovering at the 11% unemployment level. Do we not owe it to the citizens of this country to try to remedy a situation created by the chicanery of sub-prime mortgages and subsequent bail-outs? Our president seems to be more concerned with upcoming elections. As well he should be since his approval rating has been below water for much of his first term. The truth is many moderate Democrats are jumping ship.

There is the commitee that wants to keep loading money and sending it overseas to places like Libya and Pakistan whose friendship will last as long as the money does. President Karzai of Afghanistan, who owes his position entirely to the U.S., has started putting unreasonable conditions on our continued assitance and has stated that Afghanistan will not support the U.S. in attacks on border hopping extremists to the south of his country. People tend to forget that this whole country is tribal-centric and the idea of a true democracy is shaky and, in all probability, will revert to a warlord society soon after the U.S. has cleared the area.

The Keystone XL started this so it will end it. Canada is left with no other option than to seek outside markets for it’s oil. The president of China, Hu Jintao, has stated he approves of Canada’s reaching out to Asia for markets for it’s oil and has invited PM Harper to visit China and discus a potential deal. Are we going to let this prime opportunity pass us by or are we going to go ahead with this pipeline and it’s thousands of jobs and start cutting the bonds that make us beholden to the Middle East?


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