Ix-nay on the Ebate-day

I didn't watch the debate. I didn't watch either debate, and it's extremely unlikely I'll watch any future debates, mostly because they aren't debates at all. I already know who I'm voting for, so why subject myself to smug, irritating, stage-managed propaganda? I believe in the strength of American values... Oh, spare me the smooch; just tell me what your stand on public policy is.

Besides, for the time being, I'm going to be a one-issue candidate, and that issue is what do you propose to do about our dependence on foreign oil? Like T. Boone Pickens, I believe there is no larger question in America. It is an issue that distorts the value of the dollar, drains the economy, involves us in foreign wars, exposes us to foreign manipulation, and generally irritates me. I wasn't old enough to mold public policy during the Arab oil embargo in the mid-1970s. I was barely old enough to mold ice-cube-tray Kool-Aid popsicles. But I remember the embargo, and I'm aware of the fact that not only did we not learn anything from that embargo, but the situation is actually much worse than it was then. We are a lot closer to the edge now.

And it's not, in my opinion, a matter of drilling. Drill today, drill tomorruh, drill forevuh, you all sound like George Wallace, only you're talking about a different failed policy. The question isn't finding more oil. It seems to me that replacing oil is the issue. With what? With everything. Wind power, solar power, natural gas, Canadian tar sands, nuclear power plants, whatever it takes to eliminate our dependence on imported oil. I'd rather have to figure out how to safely deal with a small mountain of nuclear waste than constantly bankroll certain regimes who are, for all their pretensions of friendship, no fans of the United States.

I believe that if we can achieve energy independence, a great many problems that today seem utterly intractable will suddenly become more solvable simply because we will have more money and greater freedom of action. And I believe that if we cannot achieve energy independence, we're screwed.*

T. Boone for President? That's taking it a little too far. But I do think we need to listen to him.

Meantime, what about the bailout? I have to admit that I am deeply, deeply suspicious of this thing. I understand the arguments that the credit markets are freezing up and without easy credit, the economy itself will freeze up. But I can't get over the feeling that the bailout is somehow absolving business decision-makers of culpability for driving their companies into failure. I can't get over the feeling that the bailout is being engineered by and driven by CEOs and stockholders who don't give a wet slap for anyone not in their immensely high tax bracket. I can't get over the feeling that it's a bailout of incompetent and greedy CEOs and board members and not the economy in general.

It may be a case of holding my nose and giving it my approval despite the way it makes my stomach roil and heave.

* I find it amusing that the vehicles most likely to be covered with patriotic stickers and slogans are also the vehicles that get the worst fuel mileage and make the Saudi royal family and Hugo Chavez smile the most. Nice work, guys.