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Americans4OPEC: Blame Canada!

September 1st, 2011  |  By: Alykhan

Earlier today, I snapped a few photos of Americans4OPEC, which today joined the anti-Keystone XL protests outside the White House. Here’s one of the photos and the group’s press statement. You can visit their website at Americans4OPEC.com


Americans4OPEC statement, which is available on their website:

“For more than 40 years, we Americans have powered our businesses, fueled our cars, and made our lives more comfortable with the help of OPEC oil.

We think that special relationship is worth protecting.

That’s why we’ve started a new group to do just that: Americans4OPEC. Currently, the Obama Administration is on the verge of approving a pipeline that could deliver nearly a million barrels of Canada’s “oil sands” oil to American markets every single day, reducing US dependence on our OPEC friends. Every barrel of oil we buy from Canada undermines our support for our traditional OPEC allies by displacing OPEC imports. We appreciate, and are grateful for the fact that Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Venezuela and the United Arab Emirates have kept America supplied with oil, reasonably consistently, for decades. We have come to depend on our OPEC friends and they have come to depend on us. The pipeline from Canada will even displace new sources of OPEC oil, like Venezuela’s heavy crude. That’s no way to treat a friend.

Americans4OPEC was founded to let our political leaders know that we cherish that special relationship.

Unfortunately, bullying by the Canadian prime minister and the Canadian oil industry, and this bizarre “ethical oil” argument that seems to imply Canada is a more tolerant, open, and ethical country than our traditional allies in OPEC regimes, have succeeded in getting the pipeline through several stages of the U.S. government’s approval process. We have to stop Keystone XL before it’s too late. That’s why Americans4OPEC is speaking out for America’s best interests — telling President Obama that we don’t want Canada’s oil. And with our partners in OPEC ready, willing and able to sell us all the oil we want, we don’t need the Keystone XL pipeline, either. We don’t need new sources of oil as long as we can continue being supplied by existing sources. Join us, Americans4OPEC*, in standing up against Canada’s oil and standing up for our valuable, longtime OPEC allies.

* Americans4OPEC is not a real organization, but a satire created by EthicalOil.org to highlight the choice Americans now have: A choice between several more decades of dependency on OPEC’s conflict oil or a future built on reliable, secure, and peaceful ethical oil from neighboring Canada.”

  • Xljmx

    False argument. There are many other alternative energy choices, not just one source of fossil fuel over another. And that is the choice we should be making now.

    • Anonymous

      Rats, you beat me to it, good post, gotta love satire.

      Here’s another:

      Buying Canadian enslaves women and enriches ivory tower education systems. Canadian business including the oil sands, “employs” people who have varying levels of education all the way up to advanced degrees in many disciplines.

      Included are women who would rather not drive, not have to expose themselves in public, not have to spend time in a dreary educational institution but would prefer to be house bound producing the next generation of women who would also prefer a more cloistered lifestyle.

      Women are pro- men deciding for them and that isn’t going to happen if people keep buying Canadian oil. Show your respect for Mom, buy OPEC!!

      • Kaystari

        Your argument makes absolutely no sense at all. I read it twice and it still is illogical. Do you live with these women that you know this? It sounds like some fictional book you read. Worse yet, it sounds like you just were indoctrinated by some feminist propaganda and you are not checking out the facts for yourself. There are some women who desire to be at home moms, those are the women who treasure family and their children and care more about them than their selves. Those are true women, not the women who have bought into the lies that they have to become like men in order to be happy. That increases stress and unhappiness. I do know this for a fact. If you do actually know women who honestly believe and feel they way you described, then I apologize, but then accept that what I say is also true for women, and then we both have to accept that different women can feel differently about where their role is in life and they dont all have to feel believe and act the same.

        • Anonymous

          You misunderstood my feeble attempt at satire. Like Americans4OPEC the argument I was making is not a real one. At best a scarecrow.

          Of course some men and women would desire to be at home with their children. In fact I would like to think most would otherwise why would they have children.

          My real point would be that they, including men, should have that choice, be able to make it for themselves. Not only should people have human rights but individual rights. These rights are extremely limited where they exist at all in most OPEC countries.

          There is often the argument made that the women enslaved by such cultures are not arguing against it, are not fighting for the right to drive, walk freely in public, or to have the same rights as others in their society.

          The same argument was made in the 1700′s when the then superpower was ending the international slave trade and again in the 1800′s when the USA was ending slavery. For those thinking slavery and oppression is acceptable if people want it I would refer them to those debates.

  • Bccsltd

    Keep up the protests. I would rather we build the pipeline entirely within Canadian borders, to a terminal on the Pacific coast, where we could sell and ship out oil to China, Japan and India. Don’t come calling for oil, however, when it’s done and the OPEC oil is cut off.

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  • Kaystari

    What’s it got to do with ‘friendship?’ If it was about friendship, then why is our oil skyrocketing? If it was about friendship, they would treat us to a few million barrels when times are tough. But it has nothing to do with friendship, its about money. And that money is going to buy arms for people who HATE us. Stop trying to cloud out judgment with poofy words like ‘friendship.’ We are not that stupid.

    • Changes

      You’re kidding right? You don’t realize it’s your own government among others that doesn’t want the “treat” of lowered oil. Read more … if you don’t educate yourself, then, yes, “we are THAT stupid”

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_DSVDT6KZWJRFFC5PXZ7J5L2RRA Bruce

    Ummmm… Ethical Oil; ‘price gouging’ locally at $1.43/L, Hydrocarbon Industry a major influence in military intervention in middle east, support of dictators, excessive pollution KeystoneXL pipeline and pre-supposes limiting democracy with a first-past-post elections, undemocratic senate and skewed referendums.

    Which ETHICAL OIL do you mean ???
    Is BIG CANADA OIL industry even ethical?

    • Anonymous

      Oil is a much less polluting source of energy than those it replaced. Sure in a fantasy land of perpetual motion machines it would be considered unethical or polluting but on the Earth of today Oil is by far our best choice and Canadian oil the best choice of all.

      BTW: Your pump costs are taxes. Canada could if they wanted have Canadians pay 10c a litre like Venezuela, except of course previous governments have us locked into trade treaties that would make it difficult.

  • David

    This is the same OPEC that put an oil embargo on Canada and the USA in the 70′s resulting in no gasoline at many gas stations plus prices rising to all time highs for that period.

  • Baffled

    Let me get this straight: Last year for every barrel of oil imported into the US from the 11 member nations of OPEC (which include Libya and Iraq) more than half a barrel was imported into the US from Canada. How does that make OPEC nations better friends to the US than Canada? Did I miss something here?

    • codger

      Always read the small print! What is it about satire you don’t get?

  • jamiG4

    Ethical? When you are the creators of this fictitious group called Americans4OPEC??
    From the above website link:
    * Americans4OPEC is not a real organization, but a satire created by EthicalOil.org to highlight the choice Americans now have: A choice between several more decades of dependency on OPEC’s conflict oil or a future built on reliable, secure, and peaceful ethical oil from neighboring Canada.

    A sad excuse for satire. I’m guessing your hope is to bash the fine people trying to protect the US environment from the devastation already happening in Alberta.

  • Crusader11

    How stupid are these people 20,000 jobs plus secure oil from amercian owned companies is something they should want.

  • Gumeh1

    Terrorism is fuelled by OPEC Oil money and USA is a big buyer. Canada must continue to press for this Pipeline as a good and safe alternative to OPEC oil. If you read the Koran you will see that it is the cradle of terror. Saoudi Arabia is poised to let Islam dominate the World and the tool for this is Terror financed with OPEC oil money.

    Canada must continue to work hard until the Pipeline is completed to reduce USA dependence from Middle East Oil. This independence will bring world peace and protect our friends Isreal. It will make North America stronger and stand at a good position to secure our free world. Yes Canada, Please continue with the good work of
    making sure that this Pipeline is completed ASAP.

    • Walker

      One important thing to understand is the economics of the oil produced in the tar sands. Its expensive. And the only way for the extraction of this oil to be profitable, is if the price of oil stays high. One way of ensuring that the oil prices stay high, is to maintain instability in the middle east. Canada has been playing a major role in that for years. One way they are doing that, is by continually keeping the tension between Israel and Palestine. Buying Canadian oil will not help with the peace in the middle east at all. I believe it will only fuel the tension there more, so that the price of oil can continually rise, making the tar sands even more profitable for the companies that have invested there. There is no ethical oil. The only ethical thing to do is walk, or ride your bike, but even then, people will ask where that bike was made and how it got to you, no doubt oil had a hand in that process. We are dependent on oil, and that will hopefully change sooner than later, but until then lets at least be honest about oil, there is nothing ethical about it, no matter how you slice. The most ethical thing you can do is to try to limit your consumption of the stuff.

  • westelca21

    Sounds like this was written by opec.

  • Thestone72

    I’m still not sure what ethical oil everyone is talking about??? do you mean the Canadian oil that is killing our rivers, and the people who live on the rivers? or do you mean the ethical oil tar pits that kill thousands of migrating birds a year??? or do you mean the ethical oil that produces 100 million tonnes of CO2??? Or do you mean the Canadian ethical oil that is killing prime forest in northern Alberta and the animals that live in there???

    I am so confused… Where is this ethical oil coming from???

    I am Canadian and I am an Albertan… just an FYI – I would like it if our oil stayed in North America… but let’s not get ahead of ourselve and call it ethical… because that’s a huge joke

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  • OliveOil

    Message to Americans4OPEC – “Thank you for your deep concern regarding our special relationship. However, to be blunt, trading with brutal regimes is not in our best national / global interests. in closing, thank you and good luck.”

  • Shayster

    Hey Haefan, buying Canadian is what is keeping our economy strong and helped us survive the recession storm, I myself am an attatched white 41 year old female, whom chose her trade and is very sucsessful at it. I work every day with my mate, not pining to be at home raising children (our son is 17) I live in the same province as the tarsands, it is what Northern Alberta is about, we are not decimating the earth, recycling is a better word for it……….Oh Yes and my point is, I am not enslaved, nor hard up here in Canada, I absolutly LOVE my life and freedom of living here………..wouldnt change it for anything……….I myself have as many if not more privilidges than many many males in this city……………Its about who has more drive to suceed!

  • Sfukcs

    Shame on Canada and ethicaloil…To allow the canadian oil agent ethicaloil to attack another nations lifestyle for financial gain is pathetic. Its obvious ethicaloil is working for someone behind the scenes to destabelize the fast advancing nation of saudi arabia. Ethical oil is run by a jealous hater who was denied a job in saudi Arabia, that’s the real truth behind this, shame on this cab driver founder to be founding ethical issues and groups.

  • Sfukcs

    Canada should be ashamed of itself allowing a group like ethical oil to humiliate and riducule another nations customs. For what for money?

  • Dickr

    Was this press release authored by “The Onion”?

  • Anonymous

    Americans4opec may not be a real organization, but groups like MNN are. Some Americans seem to have a real knack for making enemies around the world, and as of late, making enemies of their friends. I suggest that if they succeed in blocking the XL pipeline, that we in Alberta set up a citizens border and block all products coming from the state of California and the state of Washington, since these are the two states where opposition to the pipeline is coming from.

    http://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/energy/blogs/how-would-you-spend-7-billion?hpt=hp_bn11

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