So far, I've mostly dealt with economic issues, because they seem like the most immediate and urgent problems to focus on this election season. But political leaders should not just be evaluated on their ability to come up with short-term solutions; they also need to understand and articulate a long-term vision, particularly an energy policy and an environmental plan.
One of the lowest moments of the two party conventions was when Republicans started yelling, in unison, "Drill, Baby Drill," during Sarah Palin's acceptance speech. That is the kind of moment that sends shivers down my spine -- a demagogue with her mob. Are there significant fossil fuel reserves remaining in the U.S. or off our coasts?
Of course there are. But that is not the point.
Ask yourself: Why have we, as a nation, not rushed to develop them yet? Is it an evil conspiracy of eco-nuts and fuzzy liberals that should be blamed?
Or is it, because like all oil reserves, they are finite in nature. They require a major investment of time and money before they can become productive. Meanwhile, the odds are pretty high that at least one major oil spill will further foul our badly polluted coastal waters and the continental shelf that we rely on for much more than energy.
Understand this critical point: Differentiating between national oil reserves and foreign oil reserves is a red herring. It is a non-issue. The global oil market is so enormous that no one party -- no producer and no consumer -- has the ability to affect oil prices any longer.
So, the political pandering inside this country is all aimed at you, dear fellow voter. Since I have already bashed Sarah Palin, let me now bash Nancy Pelosi, the Democratic Speaker of the House. Her explanation of the choice facing this nation's consumers is whether we consumers will pay more for gas or whether "Big Oil" will earn more profits.
B.S. Actually, there is hardly any relationship whatsoever between Chevron's profits and what you pay to fill up your car at a Chevron station. It's nice to pretend there is, and maybe it's even smart politics for Pelosi, but in my book, it's no better than the "Drill, Baby, Drill" chant.
Both are emotionally satisfying sermons to true believers.
Neither speaks to the hard truths Americans need to hear.
Since no one else seems willing to tell you, my fellow Americans, what is actually going on, I will try to do so.
First of all, our lifestyle is over. Even if we "drill, baby, drill" we will not produce enough oil to sustain our automobile-centric lifestyle. For much longer than was reasonable, we have enjoyed low gas prices that have allowed us to take long road trips, commute to work in distant communities, and buy inefficient vehicles in which to do these things.
That era has ended.
In the future, we will have to be much more conscious than we have ever been about the environmental impact of our vehicles. To be blunt, if your next car is not a hybrid, you are fooling yourself about what you need to do in order to remain financially viable in tomorrow's reality.
Do you see what happened to Bear Stearns, Fanny Mae and Freddy Mac, and now Lehman Brothers? They are much bigger than you are, my friend. They ignored realities and now they are paying the price. Please do not be an individual fool like they were, collectively.
It's over. No more big cars, no more SUVs. No more pickup trucks. No more driving a long way to work as the single occupant of a vehicle.
Over. It's over. Adapt or die. That is the Darwinian principle at work here.
You don't believe in evolution, like Sarah Palin? I am sorry to tell you that you are roadkill, my friend. Just as she is.
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