Cliff LyonUtahn Distinguishes Himself Among Uber-Conservatives
The first line of The Nation article linked below reads, “…even the most rabidly right-wing media hosts had to prove their populist cred…”
That gave me pause to reflect on Paul Mero’s comment this morning, “…and if congressional lefties (and spineless Republicans) would allow the domestic production of oil and gas…”
If career right-wingers are now looking for ways to distance themselves from Bush and exhibit “populist credentials” by bashing big oil, then Paul Mero, by shilling for Haliburton, once again distinguishes himself from the pack (of uber-conservatives) by taking the higher road in an expression of unflinching loyalty our democratically elected authorities in the White House including Vice President Dick Cheney…even though he is not exactly part of the Executive branch.
Still, I think Paul should consider the possibility that the idea that more domestic drilling will lower gas prices might be a canard on the order of Iraq being the front-line of the War on Terror.
Disaster Capitalism: State of Extortion
Oil Price Shock: Give Us the Arctic or Never Drive Again
Iraq isn’t the only country in the midst of an oil-related stickup. The Bush Administration is busily using a related crisis–the soaring price of fuel–to revive its dream of drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR). And of drilling offshore. And in the rock-solid shale of the Green River Basin. “Congress must face a hard reality,” said George W. Bush on June 18. “Unless members are willing to accept gas prices at today’s painful levels–or even higher–our nation must produce more oil.”
This is the President as Extortionist in Chief, with gas nozzle pointed to the head of his hostage–which happens to be the entire country. Give me ANWR, or everyone has to spend their summer vacations in the backyard. A final stickup from the cowboy President.
Despite the Drill Here. Drill Now. Pay Less bumper stickers, drilling in ANWR would have little discernible impact on actual global oil supplies, as its advocates well know. The argument that it could nonetheless bring down oil prices is based not on hard economics but on market psychoanalysis: drilling would “send a message” to the oil traders that more oil is on the way, which would cause them to start betting down the price.
July 14th, 2008 at 11:24 am
Naomi Klein is on to something. The same people who are causing this nation’s disasters are profiting from the consequences. The Conservatives who always said government isn’t the solution, it’s the problem, have taken control of government. And guess what?
July 14th, 2008 at 12:22 pm
There are no silver bullet solutions to our energy problems. Not one single production OR conservation measure by itself will cure the problem. It will take a lot of measures to change things.
We’ll have to carpool and telecommute more.
We’ll have to drill offshore.
We’ll have to live closer to work.
We’ll have to build nuclear plants
We’ll have to use our own reusable eco-bags instead of the ones they give us at the store.
Well have to drill in ANWR.
We’ll have to rely more on buses instead of cost-inefficient light rail.
We’ll have to expand alternatives like wind and solar.
Then of course there’s increasing vehicle fuel efficiency, turning up the thermostat in summer and down in winter.
Funding roads with tolls and especially congestion pricing while reducing general taxes is a critical step, although not a silver bullet.
So when people say drilling in ANWR won’t solve all of our problems, they’re right. But not one single conservation measure will either, especially in the immediate short term.
July 14th, 2008 at 1:27 pm
Jobu, what’s all this “we” stuff? Offshore drilling, nuclear power plants, and destruction of wildlife refuges are bad ideas. Changing the price of oil does not make them good ideas.
You call light rail “cost-inefficient” but say nothing about the massive government subsidies of the nuclear industry, more than $100 billion so far.
July 14th, 2008 at 5:09 pm
100 billion, a bargain Richard, given the subsidy we do not tally for coal burning, health, environmental destruction. Or that of fighting wars to maintain oil supplies. (1 trillion before it is “over”). Sure solar, wind is great, but will be important adjuncts as our energy needs increase, as does our population.
We are going to do all the thing Jobu mentioned, as I used to tell people when I was 19, it is just a matter of time. Unless someone, we figure out how to harness the integral energy of the universe, happening all around us in the form of electromagnetism and gravity.
Can’t agree with Jobu on the toll roads, our current crop of cretins will allow them to be sold or built by foreigners while we pay the bilking bill, and the owners pay their kickbacks to the worthless scum leaders that allow it.
Whatever happens, be ready for a tooth and nail fight.
July 14th, 2008 at 6:53 pm
Richard,
Many of your feel-good conservation ideas will be expensive as hell. Like cap and trade for example.
July 15th, 2008 at 1:37 am
It came out in the Addington/Yoo hearings Cliff, Cheney is in the barnacle branch of government.
July 15th, 2008 at 5:58 am
Jobu– FYI, I have never advocated cap and trade. It rewards polluters and does nothing to encourage early adopters of pollution control.