[lazide]

The US is (and has been for a long time), an exporter of refined petroleum products such as Gasoline.

In 2021, it also happened to be a net exporter or petroleum overall, but usually it bounces around.

https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/oil-and-petroleum-produc...

Saudi Arabia is key in keeping global energy prices lower by increasing global supply, and is also a key ally in a historically unstable region which impacts those prices.

[cmh89]

>Saudi Arabia is key in keeping global energy prices lower by increasing global supply, and is also a key ally in a historically unstable region which impacts those prices.

The key to keeping energy prices low for the US is to stop giving away our oil and then focus on shifting our economy to an energy source that can't be manipulated by foreign powers trying to influence our elections.

[lazide]

You seem to have strongly worded opinions, but I'm having a hard time figuring out what exactly you're asking for.

Petroleum is ~ 8% of the US GDP, and produces about $1.7 trillion dollars a year in direct economic activity, employing about 10 million folks.

Near as I can tell, the US doesn't give away any of our oil at all. It sells it, at market rate, often after doing a lot of value add refining.

Some of it goes to domestic use, some of it gets exported internationally, depending on the specific mix of market demands at the moment.

Are you proposing the US... ban exports of Oil or oil products? Or ban imports or Oil or oil products? Or invest a lot of money in alternative energy/renewable energy? Or take over enough oil producing countries no one can manipulate prices except us?

Or something else?

[cmh89]

Well, its a bit tongue in cheek in that I'm not proposing anything really. My overall point is that the US government massively subsidizes foreign-owned oil and gas companies

https://www.eesi.org/papers/view/fact-sheet-fossil-fuel-subs...

Of course, those are written subsidies. There is the major subsidy of allowing them to drill for oil on the publics land.

Of course, we've massively increased the amount of drilling we've allowed do the drum beat of "energy independence", when the reality is that because the oil is privately owned, no amount of oil drilling will actually make the price of gasoline stable or cheap for consumers.

What we actually need to do is move away from a gasoline based economy, but until then the government should heavily tax exports of oil to discourage foreign-owned companies from exporting it while we have a shortage here. Oil and gas lobbyist have been using their corporate owned politicians in Congress to block moving to sustainable energy since the Carter administration. We need massive investment in sustainable energy and energy efficient transit and manufacturing.

But we wont. The price of gas will go down again. Americans will buy even bigger cars, and then cry when OPEC jacks the price up again.

[LegitShady]

>and is also a key ally in a historically unstable region which impacts those prices.

they were until democrats spent their last two presidencies trying to fund and justify the nuclear research of SA's biggest regional rival who is already funding catspaw wars against SA - Iran.

Then when you ask them to lower the price of oil they wonder why you've spent multiple years working against them while coming now to beg for their kindness.

[comte7092]

Saudi is not a reliable or good ally and there’s no reason why the US should favor them over Iran.

[LegitShady]

Iran is not an ally, they're a sworn enemy that the democrats have imagined they can bribe into becoming a friend because they don't understand Iran's motivation is not money but religious ideology.

It's the worst kind of political delerium - funding you enemies and your ally's enemies and then wondering why your allies aren't "reliable" - hint its you not being reliable while you're funding their enemies and trying to excuse their nuclear weapon program. Its the US that was a fickle ally.

[comte7092]

Never said we needed to have Iran as an ally.

All of the major players in that region are motivated by religious ideology, including US allies.

You also seem to be confused, the JCPOA actively halted their nuclear weapons program, which was all that it intended to do, not “make iran into a friend”. Hawks like yourself are the ones who have set everything back.

The US should be less involved in the region. Seeking to balance power between Iran, Saudi and Israel rather than actively getting in the middle of their conflicts.