Pipeline Political Punch-up

Since Joe Biden ascended to the presidency, Democrats and

fellow travelers alike clamored more than ever before for 

a halt to construction and operation of pipelines made to 

move crude oil and natural gas from the United States to 

Canada. Under President Trump our country had at last 

become energy independent, ceasing to be reliant on oil 

from other nations, especially those in the Middle East

(they tend not to be neither terribly friendly nor helpful

to us); since Biden became president he had become a big,

sharp thorn in the side of the oil industry, and wants to 

take measures which could threaten our energy 

independence, going from major importers to major 

exporters of oil. President Biden, you see, wants to keep 

the far-left wing of his party happy, as they were instrumental 

in his electoral victory last November. This, therefore, is a

quid pro quo (perhaps a quid pro Joe?). 

Speaking of Democrats and fellow travelers, Michigan Gov.

Gretchen Whitmer has ordered the shutdown of the Line 5

pipeline, which carries over half a million barrels of crude

oil and natural gas daily, crossing the Great Lakes for a 

5-mile trip at the Straits of Mackinac. The crossing is 

dependent upon a 1953 easement, which Gov. Whitmer

is threatening to cancel, claiming to have environmental

concerns (wink, wink). 

This is what the consequences of this shutdown would look

like; studying the Eastern Seaboard and what they suffered

when hackers halted operations on the Colonial Pipeline.

This particular pipeline serves 45% of the region's fuel needs,

and the hackers' malicious mischief caused skyrocketing 

gas prices, gas stations going dry, and many blocks-long lines

of vehicles whose drivers would pay just about anything for

a full tank of gas out of desperation. Federal and state 

governments waived safety and environmental rules to 

aid fuel delivery by truck, rail and ship. 

Line 5 has operated across these straits for nearly seven 

decades without incident. But this means nothing to 

President Biden and his fellow Dems, let alone the 

fellow travelers. Canada wants to preserve Line 5 and

all means of moving crude oil and natural gas. 

President Biden, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau

and Michigan's Governor Whitmer need to sit down and

find a solution that soothes environmental concerns on

both sides of the border. So many Americans and 

Canadians depend heavily on the pipelines for their 

homes, businesses, and jobs. Without Line 5, the 

suffering would be epic, and there would not necessarily

be a cleaner energy future for anyone on the North 

American continent.

MEM