Conservatives Don't Believe In Energy Independence. Just Ask 'Em.

[kpete]

Conservatives Don't Believe In Energy Independence. Just Ask 'Em.
Bill Scher's picture

By Bill Scher

August 20th, 2008 - 10:14am ET

In recent posts, I've shown that conservative talk of an "All of the Above" energy policy flies in the face of repeated conservative actions to defeat anything that significantly invests in clean energy and forces Big Oil to compete -- not to mention the declaration at the 2007 Conservative Political Action Conference by featured speaker and oil lobby representative John Felmy that "Energy Independence Is Not a Possible Option."
http://www.ourfuture.org/blog-entry/energy-independence-not-possible-option

Today, conservative media hero John Stossel further conveys the true core conservative belief, in a column titled: "The Idiocy of Energy Independence."

The column is an excellent case of conservative illogic at its finest.

Here's Stossel's main argument:

To be for "energy independence" is to be against trade. But trade makes us as safe. Crop destruction from this summer's floods in the Midwest should remind us of the folly of depending only on ourselves. Achieving "energy independence" would expose us to unnecessary risks -- such as storms that knock out oil refineries or droughts that create corn -- and ethanol -- shortages.http://townhall.com/columnists/JohnStossel/2008/08/20/the_idiocy_of_energy_independence

For Stossel, it's risky to be overly dependent on one's own country. But it's not risky to be overly dependent on one source of energy.

..............

Conservatives like John Stossel are fighting like hell to preserve and extend the status quo that keeps us dependent on increasingly expensive oil. Not surprising, considering Stossel thinks "these oil companies are heroes."

more at:
http://www.ourfuture.org/blog-entry/2008083420/conservatives-dont-believe-energy-independence-just-ask-em

[liberal N proud]

1. They are just using that statement to get access to the prized oil leases

They want it all and they want it now attitude combined with the Machiavellian theory of do what it takes to get it.

When they finally steal all the land and coastal waters for drilling, the oil will most likely go elsewhere anyway.

[Javaman]

2. face it, no one has accused John Stossel of being a genius. nt

[Scriptor Ignotus]

3. Stossel has a good point

in that trading energy with other countries can make it cheaper than producing it here ourselves. Yes, that's true...for today. However, he's an idiot because he doesn't realize that we should be trying to produce energy domestically AND make it cheaper then it would be via international energy trade. This is the "Apollo mission" type of project McCain and Obama have discussed.

In truth, we need a diversified energy plan that over time will reduce our dependence on foreign energy, namely oil. We need a mass produced electric/solar car. We need renewable energy sources. We need a lot of things. Just hoping that the free market will magically produce them is lunacy. Sure, maybe in 200 years it will, but what happens in the meantime?