My problem is, that after witnessing the train wreck of the Trump admin and how (most) Republicans just turned a blind eye, I just can’t take them seriously. People like Mitch McConnel haven’t helped their credibility in my eyes.

4th gear: Both of them would’ve been done and dusted long ago if not for the fact that Republicans can’t be bothered to lift a finger to help America and two Senate Democrats are using the occasion to go on extended ego trips.

I must be missing something. What exactly is different about this than a window switch without an auto down/auto up feature? My Hyundai Elantra doesn’t have automatic windows, so I just push “down” and then let go when the window is where I want it, and it stops moving. Is that... all this is...?

The dollar has been losing for many decades. Nothing new there.

Dictatorships and authoritarian governments loved the instability we experienced under Trump, and will do everything in their power to keep that going. Anything that undermines US credibility and standing on the global stage is an opportunity for them to grow their spheres of power and influence. OPEC has pulled on…

Uh.... sounds like you also don’t grasp how global market economic factors work either.

First of all, the US is the world’s largest oil producer by a huge margin. The only country that comes close is Russia.

Second of all, supplies are not being cut as both of you seem to be suggesting. In fact the US generated 6…

Old saying in the industry: “the cure for low oil prices is low oil prices.”

The decrease in US production (and Canadian) is more related to the prices being too low for too long. A lot of the production that made the US a net exporter was expensive to extract and refine. If the price per barrel is too low, those operations go off-line. They are only starting to ramp up again. Cheap gas has…

I’m in the industry. This is nonsense. Biden did not stop any oil operations.

You seem to not understand how basic economics work. Like I said- crude oil is sold on the international market. Whatever the market demands is what determines the price. We are just now getting out from under a pandemic. Demand cratered. Production was dropped dramatically. Refineries were shut down. This happened…

The majority of the free money came from the drastic cuts in taxes that those deranged with support for Trump have overlooked, just a continuation in a long line of funding the wealthy that the Republicans have performed.

“that pipeline” was to move Canadian tar-sand oil, an abrasive mix that erodes pipe. If the Canadians wanted to they could set up a refinery on site. They didn’t want to. They want the pollution to be exported.

See, that was knocked me off the fence. I don’t have time to waste in an ICU, and there absolutely are still dumbfucks running amok. Get the booster and you can worry a little less about ’em.

car companies are still making money hand over fist prioritizing high-profit-margin vehicles and leaving everything else on the to-do-list.

Gas prices are going up because OPEC halted production. FFS.

Also ten months ago: Worldwide demand remained low due to ongoing pandemic.

When gas was crazy expensive under Bush after the Iraq war I remember a bunch of conservatives saying not to blame the president but whatever. 

A: Said pipeline was only about 10% completed and was providing zero oil and hence had nothing to do with supplies.

B: You do realize that if we wen all electric that would drive down demand for gas.... right?

C: Gas prices are not controlled by national demand. Its international demand and whatever is produced in the…

Pretty hilarious that you would frame second gear in that way since last time I looked, our side doesn’t whine and then attack the nation’s capital in defense of their crooked leader...

1st Gear: What incentive do manufacturers have to increase production? They are all making bank selling fewer cars. They will keep this going as long as possible.