High Gas Prices : Cutting Through Conservative Spin

You know what happens when you cling to your 'talking points' with such ferocity and passion? You end up reflexively lying, often without realizing it. The reason is, that you have convinced yourself that a canted-angle version of the truth - a gross distortion of facts and often the very fabric of reality - are verifiable facts that are solid and impenetrable.

For the purposes of this blog, i'm referring to this picture.


On Fox"News" and conservative radio - if you even bother listening to people who prefer the sounds of their own voices to the sounds of the voices of reason - you're hearing a lot about ANWR and how it's ALL Bill Clinton's fault that we are seeing such high gas prices.

The real truth lies within the vortex that conservatives have created in spinning their own conventional wisdom.

The ANWR talking point is something that is easily debunked, but conservatives are counting on you holding firm to your ignorance long enough for them to beat this issue to a bloody, unrecognizable pulp. Once you start to catch on, they'll have already moved on to something else.

Sure, there is - according to the U.S. Geological Survey - just over 3 billion barrels of oil in ANWR, but that will take 10 years to reach the 'market' and 50 years to extract it all.

By the time it's all said and done, we'll be dead once ANWR is tapped out and all the American consumer will have to show for it is barely a 6-months supply. There's no accurate way to determine how much damage could potentially be done to that wildlife reserve, but knowing that we would only get 6 months worth of oil from a 50 year drilling project doesn't seem to be as grand a solution as Republicans are making it out to be.

Then there's this notion that the gas tax holiday is some revolution idea whos time has come. But, like far too many ideas from the Republicans, it will only hurt us economically and save each individual MAYBE $30.

But, don't listen to me, listen to what the experts say.

If you get your economic and geological information from people like Sean Hannity, Michelle Malkin, and Rush Limbaugh you should expect to be grossly misinformed.

The earmark line-item is just laughable. Republicans are just as guilty - if not more so - than Democrats when it comes to earmarks. What's even makes the shear comedic value of this even stronger is the fact that you never, NEVER, see any Republican on TV, radio, or in print speak ill of Republican earmarks. It's as if theirs never existed and don't exist now.

But what about refineries?

It would take anywhere in the neighborhood of 2-3 years ( from the start of construction ) before a new refinery even produces the first drop of oil.

What about existing refineries being updated with digital equipment to increase production?

There are refineries in the US right now that are running outdated equipment. That's an issue that not many people seem to be talking about.

But, the numbers sound impressive - that's what the Republicans are going for.

They're like shinny things to little kids. They may look big, and scary, and important, but it's all just make-believe.

The only item that could even be remotely construed as "probably right" are the lines refering to the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. But, where did they come up with a savings of .05 cents per gallon. I mean, was this made up. Seriously, show your work guys. Are you really expecting us to take your word on this? Oh, you are? Really?