100% Snake Oil

By Libby

Today's editorial in the WaPo tries very hard to minimize the latest effort of the Natural Resources Defense Council Action Fund with a weak attempt to pump up the GOP's cruelly false promise that offshore drilling would lower the price of gasoline now -- or ever. But apparently, even the WaPo editorial board has its limits and is forced to admit, buried at the end of course, that, "No, the United States cannot drill its way to energy independence."

The worst part is Rasmussen Reports latest survey shows that too many Americans are gullibly buying the lie. They found "nearly two-thirds of Americans (64%) support going ahead with offshore oil drilling." I suppose if you put the environmental concerns aside, some argument could be made for that position. Even if you accept the fact prices won't be affected, most people seem to find it difficult to believe that clean energy technologies will be able to supply enough alternate fuels for our needs in the next decades and want to extract every last drop of crude from the earth.

Much more disturbing though is that 42% believe "offshore oil drilling would have the biggest impact in terms of reducing the price of oil." That, as the Action Fund puts it, is "100% Snake Oil" and a frightening illustration of how successfully the GOP can still push false propaganda despite their ever diminishing credibility with the voters.

Meanwhile, if you're in the group that believes offshore drilling isn't the answer at all, today's thirty second activism is to send a point and click letter to your Congresslizards and let them know you're not buying the snake oil and want them to stop selling it.

Comments

[Ron Beasley]

There are always enough people who believe what they want to believe. Snake oil always sells because people want to believe there is indeed a cure all. That is why it is necessary for the Obama and the Democrats to at least give lip service to off shore drilling. If you tell people drilling is not going to cure their ills they won't believe you.

[Libby]

I find that incomprehensible and damn scary Ron. How can people be so stupid? It's not that hard to find out the truth.

[Ron Beasley]

Welcome to the Reality Based Community. The Republicans have learned that the "truth" is what ever people want to believe and used it to win elections.