Domestic Drilling Solves NOTHING

Today the Republican Mantra was once again, domestic oil drilling on public lands and off shore. Allowing drilling on Public Lands and off shore has been a goal of the Bush Administration since they entered office. This was one of the few agenda items that they weren't able to push through following the fervor of 9/11, so they are still pushing in the final months before the Administration must give up the helm.

Today, the Republican Propaganda machine pushed the line that allowing off shore drilling would lower gas prices. This is a typical Republican Propaganda tactic, keep repeating a lie and it will take on a truth of its own among the people. The Truth is that if right now, this instance, oil companies were allowed to begin drilling the first drop of gas produced would be 5-7 years from today. The only way allowing drilling would have any affect on gas prices today is if all the speculators and Commodity traders suddenly unwound all their oil and gas futures contracts and there were no buyers. Off Shore drilling will not solve anything, not today and not in 5 - 7 years. The estimated amount of oil off shore is equivalent to two years worth of American Consumption.

So billions of dollars will be invested in drilling off shore to produce 2 years worth of American production. It would make more sense and have a quicker return if the same amount of money that would be spent on off shore exploration was spent right now on research and development of alternative renewable energy sources. With an intense and determined influx of research and development money into alternative renewable energy, the American consumption of fossil fuels can be reduced substantially within the five years that it would take to even begin getting gas from off shore oil.

This Republican mantra of off shore drilling will continue along with a chorus that says it is the Democrats fault that the gas prices are rising, even though it is the lack of an Energy Policy and the lifting of regulations on the commodity speculators by the current Bush/Cheney Republican Administration that is the cause of the current energy price surge. Just as Enron learned how to manipulate the electric market, the oil and gas market is being used for political gains by the Republican Administration and the Propaganda Department of the Home Land.