Oil-As-Food

Is there anyone who thinks that there is a genuine debate in Congress and between the Presidential candidates regarding offshore drilling and energy issues?

The US government, despite all protestations to the contrary, doesn't view oil as an addicition.

It's much worse.

It's seen as the economic equivalent of a food staple. Because man cannot live by bread alone.

Consequently:

There will never be any offshore drilling.

There will never be any new exploration.

There will never be any upgrading of refineries.

There will never be a Manhattan Project for alternative energy sources.

There will never be a comprehensive conversion to nuclear power.

There are too many interests on both sides of the political divide on energy issues that have a stake in keeping the status quo as is.

Specifically:

Big Oil and the doctrinaire environmentalists both benefit from ridiculous oil prices and restricted drilling; Big Oil because of profits, environmentalism because it allows them to maintain a semblance of doctrinary credibility.

Big Coal/Big Natural Gas and the environmenatlists both benefit from stalling progress on the nuclear front; Coal/Gas because holding the US energy grid hostage to an anachronistic technology maintains the industry's survival, environmetalism because reducing pollution takes a backseat to the tenet of a blanket ban on any nuclear/atomic technology.

(There is a difference between doctrinary credibility and consistency; the latter isn't a real concern. Al Gore's and Laurie David's respective carbon footprints are paradigms of this phenomenon.)

And while you get gassed, these people laugh all the way to the bank.

The energy industry will make sure that they use up every drop of oil, every last piece of coal, every last molecule of gas (and now include the farm industry and their subsidies too--every last ear of corn), until there is nothing left to profit from.

Congresspersons of both parties will continue to pocket subsidies from all industry lobbies, while they can pander to their various constituencies for votes.

And the Presidential candidates? Taking on Big Oil?

They're not over the barrel. They're in it.