Big Oil is using Ukraine to raise gas prices

but they don't need a reason, just astroturf, memes, and the GOP

Last year, the U.S. Oil Industry made billions in profit. Exxon made $23 billion. Chevron made $15.6 billion. BP made $8 billion. Shell made $19.3 billion.

And they did not make that money pumping oil, refining it into gas, and putting it into cars and trucks in the U.S. The oil companies made their billions convincing Americans that gas prices are someone else’s fault.

Social media tends to tell the pulse of the most brain dead and easily duped people. Just check the memes that get posted or the idiocy that gets posted freestyle.

So what’s causing rising gas prices according to Facebook et al.?

Biden cancelling the XL Pipeline - Bit of history first. The Keystone XL Pipeline is completed and has been operational for a while now. The XL Pipeline is also completed and operational. But the oil companies decided that yet another pipeline was needed (this one runs right through a vital aquifer, is environmentally dangerous, and there is a propery issue at stake). Biden cancelled it after it was a whole 10% completed. It should be noted that the Keystone and XL Pipelines won’t be putting a drop of gasoline in any American’s gas guzzler. The oil being pumped from Canada to American refineries is being exported.

Biden stopping oil and gas leases on public lands - Pure baloney. There are currently 9,000 unused leases that oil companies are not touching. Just recently (literally days ago), the U.S. oil companies stated that they would rather give billions in profits to shareholders than pump more oil.

Biden stopping Russian oil exports - First, Russian oil imports to the U.S. was a mere 3.3% in 2020 and it was dropping throughout 2021. Second, the GOP had been clamoring for Biden to do this, so they could do the Texas two-step to blame gas prices on Biden’s XL Pipeline Phase Three cancellation.

Gas prices started to rise when Biden took office - Personal favorite. Gas prices started rising in the late Spring of 2020 just as the COVID-19 lockdown was easing. Trump was President then. Trump also asked Saudi Arabia to slow down oil production which they did. Just recently, President Biden asked the Saudis to increase oil production which they declined. It does not take a realist to know which political party is in the pockets of Big Oil.

The Oil Industry is engaging in price gouging and profiteering and it uses right-wing media sources, astroturf organizations, and memes to spread the “it’s not our fault” memery that has invaded social media like Putin in Ukraine.

Well, not exactly the “it’s not our fault” memery. More like it’s the President’s fault (when a Democrat is in office) and the Democrats generally. U.S. Oil companies love tax breaks and bailouts, and the GOP loves crony-capitalism and the campaign contributions that come with it. During the 2021-2022 political cycle, oil interests have contributed over $20 million to the Republicans and the heat of the 2022 campaign season is not even upon us.

Recently, the Political Left has begun pushing back with memes of their own - greedy Big Oil is solely responsible for recent gas hikes. If the Democrats really want to build on that growing sentiment, two words - “congressional investigation”.