Only On The Walters Post
“I’m not here to tell folks what to think — just sharing what life has shown me. Take from it what makes sense, leave the rest, but maybe let it sit with you a while.”
So here’s the thing.
Every time there’s a skirmish in the Middle East, like the recent U.S. strike on Iran, the headlines jump to say oil prices will rise. And sure enough, they do. Before the dust even settles, gas prices here in Canada start climbing. It’s as if our own supply dried up overnight.
But let’s stop and think about that.
Canada isn’t short on oil. Not even close. We’re one of the top oil-producing countries in the world. Alberta alone is sitting on more reserves than some countries can dream of. We’ve got refineries, pipelines, and an entire industry built around getting that oil out of the ground. So why are we, the ones who live on top of it, paying inflated prices as if we’re importing it from halfway around the globe?
Truth is, it’s not about shortage. It’s about profit. Every time something happens overseas, oil companies see a chance to raise prices. They slap on what they call a “risk premium.” That’s just a fancy way of saying, “We think things might get worse, so we’re going to charge more—just in case.”
And guess who ends up paying for that? You and me. The everyday folks trying to fill our tanks, keep warm in the winter, or get to town.
They’ll tell you oil is traded on the global market, priced in U.S. dollars, and that’s just the way it is. And sure, technically, that part’s true. But that doesn’t explain why we, in a country full of oil, have to pay world prices like we’ve got none of our own.
We should be getting a break. We should be using our own resources to help our own people. But somewhere along the line, that stopped being the goal. Now, no matter how much oil we produce, the prices still climb every time there’s trouble somewhere else in the world.
This isn’t about politics or blame. It’s about plain old common sense.
If we’ve got the oil, and we’ve got the means to process and deliver it, then why aren’t we looking after our own first? Why are we letting big companies rake in billions while the rest of us dig deeper just to keep moving?
Until the next time: Keep Your Minds Open & Your Stories Alive. GW