Stop Oil Protests Must be Countered
If you’re a fan of UFC you recognize that when an opponent is stunned a fighter will swarm the opponent with a flurry of strikes in an attempt to finish the fight. The more experienced fighters are methodical and pick their shots understanding 2 things: 1) the opponent is still dangerous and may connect a finishing shot, and 2) that if they fail to finish the opponent they don’t want to have punched themselves out of the upcoming rounds. A less experienced fighter will often throw wild imprecise punches and empty their gas tank. The lack of tact can cost a fighter the win, and often does.
When I see Stop Oil activists throwing tomato soup on a Van Gogh and stopping traffic in DC I see an experienced fighter picking shots to be most effective. They may be fighting the use of oil, but they understand that their most effective assault is to disrupt the lives of people that can be made sympathetic to their cause, not people that work in oil heavy industries. Their targets are Biden voters, and their timing is spot on.
Famously, during his campaign for president, Biden stated that he would put an end to the oil industry, and since elected he has begun taking steps to do just that. No matter your thoughts on the 2020 election one thing is certain, 10’s of millions of people voted for Biden because of or despite his views on the oil and gas industry. 10’s of millions of Americans voted to put people out of work. 10’s of millions of Americans voted for a man that advocates a policy that will kill millions of people.
With the midterms around the corner Stop Oil is receiving the publicity intended to remind the bleeding heart liberal voters why they should vote for the Democrats despite the cost of food and gas. They’re reminding them that the only humane thing to do is to end an industry that hundreds of millions of people around the world depend on for survival. They utilize the language of war to remind you that the lives lost are for the greater good. They don’t care if you get hurt, and they’ve picked shots that are safe and precise in hopes of getting the KO unscathed.
If you’re like me, when you first saw the news about the protests you rolled your eyes at the absurdity, but make no mistake, these attacks must be countered. They are on target, making the news, and winning voters to their side. Making a case for oil and gas, the lives to be saved, and the jobs the industry provides is vital as these demonstrations land their blows on the weak chin of liberals across the country.