If we could fuel our cars with hot air, I think we’d have an incredibly large amount of surplus energy.
Now, I’ve been accused of putting out “McCain propaganda” for grudgingly supporting the Senator for President. As I’ve pointed out over and over, I don’t agree with McCain on a lot of things, but in terms of policies, he’s an infinitely better choice than Obama. Especially if you’re a conservative. McCain may not be Ronald Reagan or even George W. Bush, but he’s not Barack Obama, who opposes drilling for oil…well…anywhere in this country.
However, McCain took two steps forward yesterday and one step back. He came out in favor of oil exploration offshore on the continental shelf, but not in ANWR (the Arctic National Wildlife Reserve in Alaska).
First, let’s get this off the table. Oil prices are up largely due to speculation in the oil markets. At least half of the gas price increase has come from gamblers betting on rising oil prices in the futures markets. Thus, part of the answer to getting oil prices down again is taking steps to reign in oil speculation. How do we do that? I’m not entirely sure, but then again, I’m not running for president. I’m just pointing out that the price of oil is unnaturally high, driven there by speculation.
As for ANWR — we didn’t purchase Alaska so we could spend our time ice skating there. We purchased it so we could use the resources it provides. And one of those resources is oil. The oil exploration that would take place in ANWR would be a tiny operation and could possibly produces billions of barrels of oil. To give you an idea of the size we’re talking about, think of the front page of the New York Times. The entire front page. Consider that whole page ANWR. Now consider one letter on that page. That’s the size of the area we want to explore for oil. One letter on one page of the New York Times. And we’ve made great strides in oil exploration technology over the last decades, meaning the environmental impact would be minimal.
Here, you want specifics? ANWR is 19 million acres. That’s about the size of South Carolina. Of those 19 million acres, we are talking about exploring for oil in only 2000 acres, okay? One letter on one page.
So listen, Johnny-boy, offshore oil exploration is a start, but let’s use the resources we have at hand and explore for oil in Alaska. You want my vote, talk more about oil exploration in this country.
We hear a lot about the “oil addiction” and how we need to break that cycle and research alternative fuels. I’m all for that. But you know who does the most research into alternative fuels? Oil companies. Why? Because whoever comes up with viable alternative fuels comes up with wads and wads of cash.
Barack Obama wants to impose a “windfall” tax on oil companies. Typical liberal approach. Tax productivity. Tax progress. Tax success. In other words, if these companies find a lot of oil, Barack Obama wants to tax them so hard that they’re not going to be able to pass those savings onto you. John McCain is not going to do that. We had a president who imposed a windfall tax on oil revenues. His name was Jimmy Carter, and nobody speaks lovingly of the years we spent living under the Carter administration.
We also hear that even if we started going after the oil in our own country right away, it would take at least ten years or so for the effect to be felt. Rubbish. The very fact that we would be opening up new avenues of oil exploration would drive down the speculation. And then there’s this — the very same people who tell us that tell us we need to invest in alternative fuels. I agree. But does investing in alternative fuels pay off immediately? No! Even if we were to start going after the most clean, efficient alternative to oil right now — I’m talking about a little thing called nuclear power — even if we started building nuclear power plants right now, they’d take years to complete. And research into other forms of energy, like hydrogen fuel cells, solar energy, geothermal energy? First, we’re already researching it, because there’s a ton of money to be made for whoever comes up with alternative fuels, as I’ve pointed out. Second, well, investing now in alternative energy options — which is something I think would should do — you think that’s going to pay off right now? You think it’s going to take any less time to have an effect on energy prices and oil prices in particular than opening up domestic avenues of oil exploration immediately would? No, it’s not.
Look, there is no quick fix. Yes, even if we start exploring for oil domestically right now, it’s not going to affect the global market for a few years. Does that mean we shouldn’t do it? Of course not! The same goes for alternative fuels.
And, in the meantime, I am so sick of the masturbatory fantasy of the beautiful “pristine” ANWR being “ransacked” by greedy oil barons that I want to puke. McCain, listen up. Open up ANWR for oil exploration. Say you’d do it immediately. You have a long history of evolving your opinions, right? So evolve them now, and move forward.
Meanwhile, I’d like to end this little rant by pointing out that the fearmongers who come after us with the climate change crap are hypocrites, and the biggest hypocrite of all is Al Gore. The energy Al Gore uses at his house could power 232 regular American households. TWO HUNDRED AND THIRTY-TWO OF THEM. And in addition, when it was brought to his addition last year that he was an energy hog, Gore promised to clamp down on his energy use and did a bunch of smiley-face happy-happy joy-joy eco-nut things like installing more solar panels on his house. One year later, Al Gore’s energy consumption is up by 10 percent. So you fearmongers and treehuggers keep supporting your precious Goracle, but know this, and know it now — the inconvenient truth is that Al Gore is a vain, self-obssessed hypocrite.
Let’s open up domestic oil exploration, explore alternative fuels, and get things moving forward. But let’s start with what can do right now, and that’s domestic oil exploration. And John McCain needs to learn right now that he needs to start running to the right and stop bending over backwards to accomodate the left. The country may be disillusioned with George W. Bush (although many of us remaining conservatives are not), but do not confuse animosity towards a man with animosity towards conservatism. George Bush may be dead in the water, but conservatism is alive and well and, frankly, most Americans still agree with most conservative ideas. So start running to the right, Johnny-boy, or you’re just going to end up looking like Obama Lite to my disgruntled conservative brethren. Never mind that you really are fairly conservative, Mr. McCain. You may walk the walk 90% of the time, but you damn well better start talking the talk or people are going to tune you out. I represent your base, Senator McCain, and your base is not excited about you. And that’s a problem. We’re sick of hearing about how ANWR can’t be touched. Grow some balls and start talking about opening up ANWR, Senator McCain. Offshore oil exploration is a start but it’s not enough. Let’s use the resources we have out our disposal, and let’s use them now. And let’s buld some more damn nuclear plants while we’re at it, okay? France is beating us on that one. Do you want to take second place to the French?
Now go away or I shall taunt you a second time!
Note: For those of you who think I’m some kind of blind robot following McCain, does this clear things up for you? That being said, this message is for the base: Obama will be a disaster. And no, it won’t teach America a damn thing to elect him and have him ruin the country. My fellow conservatives, we are not the ones who want to “punish” the American people. Those would be the liberals. The people who love to see America’s nose bloodied. The effete assholes of the left. Do not sink to their level by rooting for Obama. Do the right — and I do mean “right” — think, for the love of God, and realize that while McCain isn’t perfect, the choice between him and Barack Obama could not be clearer.
