For Americans paying more at the pump, rising gas prices are more than proof of the current administration’s fumbling of the energy crisis. They are a sign that America no longer influences oil production on the global stage in any significant way.
After a turbulent relationship with the US eased during the Trump administration, Saudi Arabia is now cozying back up to Iran and China during Biden’s bumbling reign.
On the surface, this new alliance isn’t surprising, but a deeper look reveals that the United States is no longer a trusted ally for anyone.
For Saudi Arabia, the fear of betrayal by a now inept American ally forces a shaky peace with Iran. Tensions have been high between the countries for seven years, but have been swept aside in a power play against the U.S. and what is perceived as a weak presidency.
Historically, the relationship between Saudi Arabia and the United States relied on the Saudis providing oil to the U.S. in exchange for security. This dynamic was challenged many times over the course of the relationship, most notably in the United State’s failure to back Egyptian President Hosni Mubarek during the 2011 Egyptian revolution, the declaration in 2019 that attacks on the Saudi’s oil infrastructure didn’t involve the United States and the subsequent inaction of the then-administration, and most recently, the 2021 abandonment and messy withdrawal from Afghanistan.
Rather than a friendly ally, the United States instead proved to be an unreliable long-term partner for Saudi Arabia. The Saudis are turning instead to China, and through China, Iran. Meanwhile, Russia is on the cusp of restoring diplomatic ties with both Saudi Arabia and Syria.
All these diplomatic shifts are founded on the belief that America is withdrawing from the global stage, leaving vacuums that other countries are more than happy to fill.
Meanwhile, American influence is decreasing, and there is a perception that the current administration lacks the ability or desire to uphold alliances or intervene on behalf of any country, including itself.
The repercussions of these newly emerging alliances will hit Americans, yet again, at the gas pump. OPEC, led by Russia and Saudi Arabia, announced voluntary decreases of 1.65 million barrels of oil a day, beginning in May.
After Biden artificially reduced oil prices by releasing strategic oil reserves prior to the 2022 midterm election cycle, his upending of America’s energy independence will certainly play out poorly at the pump for millions of Americans. The shortage will continue to drive higher prices on goods and services reliant on trucks and the fuel it takes to run them.
Livia Gallarati, the senior analyst at Energy Aspects, explains, “They used all the bullets they had last year. Now, they’re left with little to nothing that they can do to counterbalance the impact of the OPEC production cuts.”
The Biden administration was already supplying reserves to the global market as mandated through Obama-era requirements. These monies were used to fund pet projects, like healthcare and highways. In July, 100 million barrels of oil were indirectly sold to China through Unipec America, a division of the parent company Sinopec.
While selling our strategic oil reserves, the Biden administration continues buying oil globally, from countries including Canada, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, Russia, and Iraq.
Now, with OPEC announcing a voluntary slash in oil production, the U.S. will once again pay the price. Biden’s America is out of the clique and at the mercy of the mean girls like Iran, Russia, and China. Meanwhile, the mean girls are growing and adding new members, like Saudi Arabia and Syria.
It’s unlikely that any member of the clique will suddenly realize the error of their ways and take an outcast America under its wing.
And it’s sad that America, once a powerhouse of reliability and strength, is left on the sidelines hoping for just a little attention from the mean girls. If America is noticed by the clique at all, the motivation won’t be restoring America to its rightful place but rather its total destruction.
At this point, America should just hope the mean girls keep ignoring Biden.
