Oil prices on the rise again, thanks to Iran, Libya and Venezuela

It might be hot outside today, but don't gas up that car for a summer vacation just yet.

Gas prices are about to go up again.

The world's financial markets are in a dither as OPEC ended what some have called its "worst meeting ever." Member nations apparently left the meeting without an agreement to increase oil production, which is already causing oil prices to spike.

CNBC has a story about the meeting on its Web site, which you can read here.

There are lots of things to say about this situation, not the least of which is the crushing effect that a further gas price spike would have on our economy this summer.

But what we want to highlight is the unsettling reality that, according to the CNBC report, the situation at OPEC was the direct result of seven member states who dissented: Libya, Algeria, Angola, Ecuador, Venezuela, Iraq and Iran.

Do we even need to mention that there are several terrorist states on this list of nations who directly control the price and availability of one of the most important natural resources in the American economy? NATO countries have been bombing Libya with airstrikes since March. Iran, which holds the OPEC presidency, is under sanctions for developing nuclear weapons. Venezuela is openly critical of the United States. And, then there's Iraq, where American sacrifice has been huge in recent years. Don't they at least kind of owe us one?

Yet, today, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Moamar Gaddafi, Hugo Chavez and others voted to make you pay more for gas this summer.

This is similar to the situation with the US national debt, a large amount of which is held by foreign countries. China alone has over a trillion dollars of US debt holdings (though it recently divested a large chunk of its short-term debt holdings, and has been shifting investment to Japanese long-term debt in recent days).

The sad truth is that much of the United States economy is subject to the control of foreign investors, many of whom are not exactly Uncle Sam's best friends. This isn't a new trend. And, it's not a Republican/Democrat problem. These are American problems, and they require American solutions. We need to reduce our dependence on foreign oil and trim our domestic spending/debt, so we can be more self-reliant. Fast.

Look, part of the reason why Donald Trump struck a nerve with the American public in his brief and ill-fated flirtation with the presidency is that he was plain-spoken in dealing with these issues. Check out this video. The players and positions at OPEC changed since Trump's speech, but his message was clear and on-point. When you think about it, why is Angola going to tell Americans how much we're going to pay at the gas pumps and how many jobs will be lost due to high gas prices in America this year? Donald Trump might not have been the guy, but don't we need someone to stand up for America at times like this?

So, what's President Obama's next move? What is his plan to get us out from under the thumb of foreign nations? What's the solution for gas prices? Much of the President's recent energy policy has been focused on US pricing, not on foreign countries seeking to impose high prices on us. And, what's the deal going to be on the debt ceiling? The President's recent announcement was to invite Speaker Boehner out for golf. We need bigger action in Washington to solve these problems.

Everybody plays the fool, sometime

In today's electronic age, political candidates bask in the limelight of the media on a near-constant basis. Every move they make, every word they utter is under constant scrutiny. And, usually, they like it because it suits their purposes.

Unfortunately, we're all human. And, when you find yourself in a position like that, it's usually only a matter of time before you make some sort of gaffe, big or little. It's kind of the political equivalent of the old adage, 'If you live by the sword you die by the sword.'

As we see it, that's what happened to Sarah Palin on a recent trip to Boston, where she recounted Paul Revere's midnight ride in a... well, somewhat less than completely scholarly way. And, of course, the press was quick to seize upon it:

Here's the link.

OK. Probably not her best moment. But, we have to take exception with the hoards of comments we've seen over the past few days that claim this video is evidence that Sarah Palin is "stupid."

This isn't a new phenomenon. Take, for example, former Vice President Dan Quayle, whose entire career is remembered by many to this day for the famous incident where he had a problem spelling the word "potato[e]".

If you think about it, why is Palin's experience any different from what happened to President Obama on his recent trip to Westminster Abbey, where he mistakenly signed the guest book with the wrong date (24 May 2008 instead of 24 May 2011).

This is a pretty serious mistake. After all, asking someone "what year is it?" is one of the first questions they ask people after they get hit in the head, just to make sure they don't have a serious brain injury.

Our point is that no one read into the President's mistake. There were comments about it, especially in the blogosphere, but no one seriously questioned his mental capacity, his intelligence, etc. It was just an innocent, fleeting "mistake." No need to invoke the 25th Amendment or anything. Fair enough. But, why is it OK for people to hang on Sarah Palin's statement, four days after it was made, and to raise so many questions about her knowledge of history, her intelligence, etc.?

We're tired of the double standard. We say, people should at least be equal opportunity. If the media is going to give President Obama a pass for his mistake (which even we're willing to concede was just an innocent flub), then Sarah Palin should get the same treatment.

Just for the record, there are reports today that Sarah Palin was actually more right than wrong about her depiction of Paul Revere's midnight ride. Check out this link. Sadly, for President Obama, it ain't 2008 anymore.

Massachusetts rises to the occasion in the face of tragedy

The full impact of this week's wild weather in Western Massachusetts is now becoming fully apparent, and we're finding the images truly shocking.

Storms like these normally don't happen here in Massachusetts. Just look at this YouTube video of the awesome power of the storm as it ravaged Springfield. Incredible.



One of the best representations of the aftermath that we've seen so far is this photo gallery in today's Boston Globe. We found these pictures especially moving - some of them because of the violent power of Mother Nature they showed, and others because of the equally strong power of human compassion they depicted.

Our hearts go out to all of the victims of this tragedy as they try to get back on their feet and rebuild their lives.

We also give credit to a very impressive response by state officials to the situation, including by Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick. Much like he did during the MWRA broken pipe crisis, Patrick is showing himself to be a capable manager of a crisis in this situation, and we give him credit for being hands-on and on-the-scene.

We also want to thank members of the media for their role in protecting the public during the storm. We're news junkies, and we have to admit we had been following the recent severe weather outbreak as it tore across the country. Much like their mid-western counterparts we watched livestraming in recent weeks, local meteorologists were on-the-job telling people to keep an eye to the sky and to hunker down when storms got close. We watched NECN meteorologist Matt Noyes all afternoon, and there's no doubt in our minds that his attentiveness and on-air warnings saved lives in this storm. Kudos to him and his colleagues for a great job.

ComMITTed to winning in 2012

It's official. Mitt Romney is officially a candidate for President in 2012.

Romney's formal entrance into the 2012 race is good news for the Republican Party. The GOP is in dire need of a candidate with Romney's credentials in the field.

We liked the tone of today's announcement. Romney's 2012 campaign started outside on a sunny farm in New Hampshire with country music playing, the candidate in rolled-up shirt sleeves dishing out chili with his hair whipping in the wind. It's a stark and welcome difference from 2008, when a formally-dressed and perfectly-coiffed Romney announced his previous candidacy from inside a darkened, stage-lit Henry Ford Museum.

At the same time, Romney's speech today showed that he is willing to talk tough about where President Obama is failing, and that's also a good thing. We think Romney stands an excellent chance of winning the GOP nomination. He's got great name recognition, his fundraising is good, and he has a record of success in the private sector.

Off to the races.