Originally Posted By snappyfun <a href="http://washingtontimes.com/news/2010/mar/18/obama-surrenders-gulf-oil-to-moscow/" target="_blank">http://washingtontimes.com/new...-moscow/</a> Better not ever forget to put a link in again. "The Obama administration is poised to ban offshore oil drilling on the outer continental shelf until 2012 or beyond. Meanwhile, Russia is making a bold strategic leap to begin drilling for oil in the Gulf of Mexico. While the United States attempts to shift gears to alternative fuels to battle the purported evils of carbon emissions, Russia will erect oil derricks off the Cuban coast" Ok please defend Obama on this one.......
Originally Posted By fkurucz From the Article: "Now Russia is using oil exploration to establish a new presence in the Western Hemisphere. It recently concluded four contracts securing oil-exploration rights in Cuba's economic zone in the Gulf of Mexico." They're drilling in Cuba. Did you even read the article?
Originally Posted By Sport Goofy Meanwhile, they're building a windfarm off the coast of Rhode Island to harness energy at sea. And if its Cuba you are so concerned about, the United States Navy has also built a windfarm to power its facilities in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
Originally Posted By SuperDry The editorial's headline, and the one posted here, are very misleading. There's an implication that Obama has "given in" to the Russians on the control of oil somehow. But all the story talks about is that Cuba has chosen to develop its offshore oil resources, and the United States has not. And, Russian companies will be helping Cuba do so with technology and know-how, just as US oil companies do in many other countries around the world. I don't really what the US-Russia conflict or cave-in is. Separate from that, there's the issue of US oil and energy policy, which is continuing a decades-long bi-partisan tradition of being a total mess. snappyfun, perhaps you should ask yourself this: if the offshore oil drilling being talked about in this article is such a good idea, why was it not approved when the Republicans last controlled the White House and Congress for a several-year stretch recently? How does this decision reflect so negatively on Obama but not on previous Presidents/Congresses that made the same decision? Personally, I like the idea of saving some of our oil resources in an undeveloped state so that we have them for future use. Imagine what a national natural resource we'd have in 50-100 years when many of the world's other supplies are exhausted and the United States is able to just begin to tap what we've saved? I realize that won't help Big Oil today, which is what's driving editorials like the one above, but so be it.
Originally Posted By snappyfun >>They're drilling in Cuba. Did you even read the article? << No off the coast of Cuba, in the water, can you think at all?
Originally Posted By SuperDry <<< No off the coast of Cuba, in the water >>> Cuba is an island. What do you think is off the coast of an island? <<< can you think at all? >>> Can you? Since it appears that some in this thread and others involved in writing the linked-to article have a basic lack of understanding on how things work, it's time to review some basics about geography and international boundaries. There are two basic concepts at play here: - Territorial waters. These extend 12 miles off the coast. This is the area in which a country has exclusive jurisdiction, can patrol and defend with their Coast Guard, Navy, or Police. Anything beyond 12 miles is open sea and anyone can sail there, including foreign commercial vessels and navies. - Exclusive Economic Zone. This extends 200 miles from the coastline. Although most of it is beyond the territorial waters, each country still gets to control use of marine resources within its EEZ. That is, from 12.1 - 200 miles off the coast, although a country cannot prevent others from just being there, they can completely control use of natural resources, such as fishing or drilling for oil and gas. The above rules are more or less mutually agreed to by all nations. But what happens when two countries are within 400 miles of each other, such that their EEZ's overlap? Well, they negotiate with each other and come to an agreement. The US and Cuba have such an agreement, and the decision was to simply draw the line down the middle where the EEZ's overlap. Cuba controls their half, and the US controls our half. Cuba has now announced that with Russia's help, they are going to drill for oil within their EEZ. What this has to do with the US, and especially how it constitutes "Obama surrendering Gulf Oil to Moscow" is beyond me. But it does not surprise me that it's too difficult a concept to understand for someone that doesn't realize that the water is what's off the coast of an island.
Originally Posted By snappyfun <<< No off the coast of Cuba, in the water >>> Cuba is an island. What do you think is off the coast of an island?<< The person said they were drilling on Cuba, (Islands have land even though there Islands) he/she did not understand that, but then you seem to also have the same problem.
Originally Posted By fkurucz I understood it perfectly, thank you very much. If anyone did not understand that the drilling was in Cuban territory, it was YOU!
Originally Posted By Dabob2 <Since it appears that some in this thread and others involved in writing the linked-to article have a basic lack of understanding on how things work> Boy howdy.
Originally Posted By snappyfun >>If anyone did not understand that the drilling was in Cuban territory, it was YOU!<< You are making no sence, I said they are drilling in the waters off Cuba. That is what they are doin, maybe you have a reading problem?
Originally Posted By snappyfun >>Boy, it REALLY eludes you! LOL!<< Yea, can you get that person at all?
Originally Posted By Kar2oonMan Iron-y. Or maybe iron-ic: <a href="http://chadao.files.wordpress.com/2009/05/flatiron.jpg" target="_blank">http://chadao.files.wordpress....iron.jpg</a>
Originally Posted By Mr X It would appear that in some political circles, idiocy is indeed a virtue. Take this for example. He uses his obtuse, idiotic comments in order to avoid replying (except in idiotic fashion) to post number 6 which is a naive (but friendly, and useful for the rest of us) attempt to educate him. Education is the LAST thing this guy wants. dfft.
