A MEANINGLESS GESTURE

BY A MEANINGLESS PRESIDENT


In mythology there is a story about a king who wanted to prove how powerful he was. So one day he decided to establish his strength by stopping the incoming tide. Obviously he failed and his subjects knew he was not embodied with divine powers.

The rescinding of the Executive Order, originally issued by his father, that banned offshore oil drilling by Bush today is just about the same. Bush thinks that his symbolic gesture will force the resumption of this dangerous activity. Trying to put a guilt trip on members of Congress who oppose this action. He'll start hawking about the apathy of congressional leaders for prolonging the dependence on foreign oil. What he really wants is for them to join him in the gang rape of the enviornment. He is incapable of providing a quick-fix (BTW - there isn't one) to our energy crisis.

Lets presume that Dubya gets his wish list granted. The Alaska National Wildlife Reserve is opened. The coasts of Florida, the Gulf States, California, Oregon, Washington and Alaska are forested in oil rigs for as far as the eye can see (isn't that a pleasing image). Will that provide immediate relief? Not unless your definition of immediate is about 10 years. In 10 years, the price of crude will probably be over $1,000 a barrel. Making the cost of a gallon of gasoline in America to be well over $100 a gallon.

Following the yellow brick road, in this case covered in carcasses of oil slicked birds, is just perpetuating the situation we are already in. In that same 10 years we could be virtually independent of the need for oil. Yes, life for all of us will be different but isn't that what we really need and want.

"Let's all be careful out there!"