And On the Fifth Day, Republicans Were Still Talking to Themselves
Today marks day five of the GOP's empty-chamber self-debate over high fuel prices. For anyone who's been vacationing on Jupiter, the Republicans are calling on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) to bring Congress back to Washington to vote on an expansion of offshore drilling. Nevermind that experts and independent analyses indicate that increased drilling would have no immediate effect on prices at the pump, the public is growing weary of $4-a-gallon gas, and the GOP's drilling push is gaining momentum.
Although the debate to this point has revolved around fuel costs and environmental impact, there's another facet of this argument that, unfortunately, has gone largely ignored: That's the long-term damage that an oil-based energy model promises to wreak on the U.S. economy. As New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman pointed out last week:
Anyone who looks at the growth of middle classes around the world and their rising demands for natural resources, plus the dangers of climate change driven by our addiction to fossil fuels, can see that clean renewable energy -- wind, solar, nuclear and stuff we haven't yet invented -- is going to be the next great global industry. It has to be if we are going to grow in a stable way.
Therefore, the country that most owns the clean power industry is going to most own the next great technology breakthrough -- the E.T. revolution, the energy technology revolution -- and create millions of jobs and thousands of new businesses, just like the I.T. revolution did.
Republicans, by mindlessly repeating their offshore-drilling mantra, focusing on a 19th-century fuel, remind me of someone back in 1980 arguing that we should be putting all our money into making more and cheaper IBM Selectric typewriters -- and forget about these things called the "PC" and "the Internet." It is a strategy for making America a second-rate power and economy.
Don't look for the inanity to end anytime soon. House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) vowed yesterday that the GOP revolt will continue right up to the Democratic convention.
Comments:
Posted 08/07/2008 01:32pm with
The GOP is right on!! We need to become self sufficient on energy whether it is oil, coal, wind or nuculear. If we have the oil, then drill for it. If the oil companies refuse to drill on existing sites then they should lose it. Sitting back and doing nothing is plain stupid and the American people know it. Why are the Democrats afraid to bring this to a vote?
Posted 08/07/2008 01:39pm with
While everyone is keenly aware that carbon based power is not the long-term solution to our energy requirements. Only those who care not for our short term economy can with a straight face stick to a no new drilling/digging/etc. policy that will be required to allow the US to get to the future without 8.00 a gallon gas prices. While I more than most believe that the US should be the absolute leader in a worldwide effort to totally eliminate the need for us to destroy the planet to power our industrial complex, I also realize that the economic damage that would occur by not increasing our supply in a environmentally friendly fashion is economic suicide.
Why not increase supply now, take some percentage of the spoils and reinvest in developing clean energy, cars, power plants, etc?
Posted 08/07/2008 01:42pm with
Thomas Friedman is nothing but a liberal hack, to quote him shows your own lack of independant thought. You drill for oil, where there is oil, while you use oil. Pretty simple .You can plan for the future all you want, but until there is a REAL plan, shut the hell up and drill.
Posted 08/07/2008 02:21pm with
You guys know that the land that is covered by the ban wouldn’t even be up for lease until 2012, right?
Posted 08/09/2008 06:25pm with
I’m so proud that the Republicans are finally taking a stand in Washington for what we believe! It shows everyone what the Democrats care about; themselves!Talk about taking care of our planet, but we have to get oil from somewhere why not from us at least we know how to protect the environment!