Posted on 02/06/2006 10:08:16 AM PST by SirLinksalot
Yes, We're Addicted--To Economic Growth
By Thomas Bray
I admit it. I am addicted to oil. Parson Bush has found me out.
But I have something else to confess. I am addicted to food as well. I eat every day, often three times a day. I am addicted to houses; my wife and I own two of them. I am addicted to water; I drink it all the time, even swim in it.
Of course America is addicted to oil, in the sense that it uses a lot of the stuff. But as Bush also pointed out, the American economy is the envy of the world. There is a close connection between the two things. North Korea doesn’t use much oil, but would you want to live there? What Americans are addicted to is economic growth.
Let’s get real, folks. Currently there is no alternative to oil, as much as the Sierra Club might like us to believe otherwise. America has lots of coal, but among other things coal requires lots of coal mines – and we have seen lately what can happen in a coal mine. America has lots of wind and sunshine, but what little power it provides only exists courtesy of fat subsidies that enlarge the national debt. Nuclear power? Not in my back yard!
True, more than half of our petroleum supply is imported, often from highly volatile places. But that is nothing new. America’s “dependence” on foreign oil goes back half a century. It has been increasing in recent decades, thanks in part to the refusal of the environmental lobby to allow any drilling in the United States.
Yes, there is probably an entrepreneur out there who will come up with a better idea. But it won’t happen because government is throwing billions at the problem. Government already has thrown billions at ethanol, but that has more to do with subsidizing corn farmers than seriously reducing dependence on oil. Even Greens are dubious about ethanol, which would require plowing up millions of acres to make a dent in petroleum use – or else require us to forego our addiction to food.
And how does isolating ourselves from unstable parts of the world square with Bush’s impassioned jeremiad, in the same speech, against the false temptations of isolationism and protectionism? Yes, some dysfunctional junta or other, say Iran or Russia, might be tempted to play the oil card. But not for long: the oil producers need the revenue just as badly as we need the oil.
Bush may find that his rhetoric comes with a steep price. If oil is an addiction, then we must be forced to deprive ourselves of it. The left is thrilled. Already there have been calls from Democrats for a “Manhattan Project” for alternative fuels. The Sierra Club’s Carl Pope gleefully declared that “the old energy game is up” and asserted that there is no longer any excuse for failing to clamp rigid controls on global warming emissions.
At the very least there will be calls for draconian increases in fuel economy in automobiles and/or sharply higher taxes on gasoline, as if the oil price increases of the last year weren’t sufficient. Will a President who has declared oil an “addiction” be in a position to resist? And what greater tool is there for the long-desired central planning of the economy than placing Washington bureaucrats in charge of energy use?
The era of big government is over, declared Bill Clinton in his 1996 State of the Union address. The era of big government is just beginning, declared Bush last week. What may be over, thanks to Bush’s addiction to rhetoric, is this president’s ability to pursue a growth agenda.
Thomas Bray is a Detroit News columnist.
"The era of big government is just beginning, declared Bush last week."
That's a pretty accurate summary of his 5 yrs so far.
"Bush is addicted to illegal immigration."
Good comeback!
"Yes, some dysfunctional junta or other, say Iran or Russia, might be tempted to play the oil card. But not for long: the oil producers need the revenue just as badly as we need the oil."
Oh! So not to worry then - Iran is just a little dysfunctional and ultimately will do what we want because they need the money!??
You can only pay the bills with the Credit Card for so long.
That's a pretty accurate summary of his 5 yrs so far.
*nods*
One should not forget that civilization, with but little ebb and flow, remained essentially the same for thousands of years until we discovered a cheap free hydrocarbon energy source.
Bush wants to cut 141 programs, is signing a budget that cuts 39 billion that no dems supported, and wants to cut social security.
Bush has no line item veto power.
Just wait until hillary gets in and gives us a multi trillion dollar hillary care.
The bush bashing is getting really old.
note how "addiction to MIDEAST oil" becomes "addiction to oil" so quickly.
If we must use the "addiction" figure of speech, then it should be said that "addiction to oil" is more like addiction to Ruth's Christ Steakhouse than "addiction to mind numbing drugs".
Ruth's is great. But there are many other great places to eat. Food and oil are good ... in moderation and diversification. They are only bad in undiversified excess.
The diversification must come in the form of more oil off the coast, from Alaska, Canada and oil shale. I would hope that just because they weren't specifically mentioned in a TV speech does not mean that they are off the table.
Likewise, conservation is needed. Likewise research is needed. Likewise, alternative energy sources are needed. The key to all of these is not more involvement by a slow moving government bureaucracy. The solution to these partial solutions that have not emerged is to remove all the myriad of government regulations that tie the hands of wannabe entrepeneurs.
You get your oil for free? Pray tell, where?
All bullcrap aside... THIS is the crux of the problem!!!
All the neighborhoods who freak over Jane Fonda's "China Syndrome" movies and all the Nevadans who freak over storing spent fuel rods, oh! And Jimmy Carter who signed a law making breeder reactors illegal which would have solved much of the spent fuel rods problem that nervous Nevadans are bichin about!!!
Besides, I thought I heard the President say something about technology being used to solve the supposed "dangerous" asspecs of nuclear energy, which in turn will keep us from using imported oil from being squandered by simply burning it to make electricity!!!
"The bush bashing is getting really old."
70% increase in federal spending on education, prescription drug entitlement, 200 bil for rebuilding N.O.,...
So are the bush apologists.
41% increase in the national debt during his 5 years so far. Forty-one percent. In five years. Because of his administration's profligate, greedy spending spree far beyond the federal budget.
Reality never gets old.
"which in turn will keep us from using imported oil from being squandered by simply burning it to make electricity!!!"
We're going to need some way to recharge the batteries of the alternate fuel vehicles.
Wrong Bush has rejected calls for 250 billion for new orleans and been pounded for it by the media.
Just wait until pelosi is speaker of the house and hillary rodham is president.
The key to spending is to fix the extreme rate of growth to social security.
Hello, we got 9/11 because of clinton so put the 9/11 debt on his back. We then have had two wars because of clinton's inaction for 8 years. So bill clinton for those wars. We have had 7 major hurricanes the last two years.
Bush has no line item veto power.
If Congress would have stopped the rate of growth of social security like Bush wanted them to, the debt would disappear.
Social Security is the cause of our debt. The baby boomers retiring with the increasing rate of growth of social security will bankrupt this country.
You want to know the problem. When Bush said the dems blocked him from cutting the rate of growth of social security all the dems mockingly stood up and applauded.
If the dems couldn't filibuster social security would have been fixed.
Social Security is in the trillions.
Also Bush wants to fix the earmark process and Harry Reid is saying no.
Bush is going to sign 39 billion in cuts that no dems or rinos would support. If there were dem support or rino support that could have been 200 billion in cuts
The blame isn't bush damnit it is no dem support and no rino northeastern support.
So sick of the lies.
Bush apparently has no veto power whatsoever - he obviously doesn't care about the vastly increased spending and debt under his watch.
I thought Republicans were the "party of limited government"? So what happened once they grabbed all the reins of power?
The old "we don't suck as much as they do" excuse doesn't wash.
Oil exist free in nature. It is not man made or manufactured by man. It has existed there for thousands years free and was of no use until the last 150 years. Anywhere one can find oil that has not been claimed by sovereign right it is free. If you find oil on a uncharted island it is free until you establish your sovereign right or claim. It is then free only to you and is of no use unless you pay the cost to retrieve and distribute. In several Mideast countries oil is nationlized and belongs to the people in that country. It is free and they only pay the cost of retrieval and distribution. Thats why it is often no more than 50 cent a gal. in those countries.
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