The Boon He Gives

Global warming, the 'most serious threat to ever confront mankind,' has certainly morphed into a red-headed stepchild, now hasn't it? Democrats in the Senate two weeks ago couldn't even manage to make it back to Washington to advance any climate change legislation this year. So...mitigating the looming catastrophic global meltdown that's going to kill us all will just have to wait until 2009, at the earliest.

Meanwhile, McCain is asking Congress to open up ANWR to produce more oil to combat global warming, while promising a future green energy revolution founded on nuclear power. Energy is not his foe in this election; as four dollar and three cent gasoline trumps mankind's greatest threat of annihilation, Americans are 'warming up' to more drilling and burning.

I mean, seriously. The American public will say "kiss my ass" if the costs of carbon sequestration or carbon taxing are ever passed on, or if conservation is legislated, of if consumptive choices are restricted. We collectively hover just to the right of center -- high energy costs are a boon for McCain. Republican energy policy is 1) drill domestically, 2) refine domestically, 3) tap into the extraordinary potential of domestic oil shale (which to date hasn't produced shit). This policy will be 'warmly' received in the face of four dollar and four cent gasoline.

He can, and will, promise a green energy revolution. Absolutely, at some time in the future; but in the short term, the American economy is run largely on oil, so increasing supply is a must! Beyond domestic drilling, add green nuclear energy to the fold. It doesn't add to warming! Wa-hey! Nuclear can be a tough row to hoe, though. But with looming four dollar and five cent gasoline, we will accept some ancillary nuclear 'warming'.

Conservation -- that's tantamount to pain. Pain bad. Pain hurt. Pain hurt real bad. Conservation bad. Conservation hurt real bad. Leave conservation to the third world who'll be priced out at four dollars and six cents. Forced conservation by others! If they can't buy oil at this price, hey, it's not as if they weren't given the chance. If they can't escape rising sea levels, hey, it's not as if we didn't give them the chance. And if they can't market their hardscrabble drought intolerant crops against freighterloads of cheaper American corn, hey, it's not as if they didn't have the chance.