May 3, 2010 :: Permalink

Aloha ~
In the face of this terrible disaster, let us not forget Republican cheerleader Sarah Palin for arousing TEA and oil-loving fanatics at the 2008 Republican National Convention and beyond. Unified in their self-perceived superiority over tree-hugging liberals, they endlessly continue their chant: DRILL, BABY, DRILL.

Well, the reality of DRILL, BABY, DRILL has turned into SPILL, BABY, SPILL.

Palin's platoons want to construct hundreds of offshore platforms - at great risk to the environment and our lives.

All this DRILL, BABY, DRILL activity will yield an estimated 400,000 barrels per day (bpd) of oil - for a nation of thirsty energy users who drink some 20-21 MILLION bpd of oil.

The DRILL, BABY, DRILL effort is simply a drop in the bucket.

Working together to inflate auto tires to proper pressures saves more than this amount. In addition, according to the EPA, the nation would conserve 1.4 MILLION bpd of oil if just one-third of all light-duty vehicles in the USA were state-of-the-art diesel vehicles.

Of course such action isn't in the interest of the Oil Barons. BP (British Petroleum), the company that owns the rig spewing oil in the Gulf, realized first-quarter profits this year in excess of $6.1 BILLION.

We know who finances Sarah and her rabid followers - DRILL, BABY, DRILL!

BP represents an interesting footnote in American history ... this company descends from the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company (AIOC), which supplied the British empire their juice in the mid-1900s. The U.S. on the other hand agreed to a more lucrative arrangement with the Saud family in Arabia - in our joint oil exploration and extraction effort with ARAMCO. We offered to share profits 50/50 with the royal family. AIOC refused to be as generous with Iran.

In response the Iranian parliament nationalized AIOC oil holdings in 1951. The British convinced U.S. leaders to allow our CIA to interfere and we orchestrated a military coup d'etat to oust the democratically-elected government of Iran in 1953. We placed Mohammad-Reza Shah Pahlavi, more commonly know as the Shah of Iran, on the throne (reminds us of the 1893 coup here in Hawai'i).

The Shah, a megalomaniac, capitalist dictator and puppet of Washington, headed a brutal regime and secret police, SAVAK, that terrorized the Iranian population. The 1979 Islamic revolution resulted from this despotic period. Fifty-three American hostages were held for 444 days and the Islamic Republic of Iran has been at odds with the American government since.

This incident embarrassed and is considered significant to the defeat of President Jimmy Carter in the 1980 election. Ironically Carter had championed energy conservation efforts in response to the various oil embargoes and shortages in the 1970s. Republican incumbent Ronald Reagan "lit up the shining city on the hill," removed White House solar panels, reinforced our DRILL, BABY, DRILL attitude, and helped create our oil dependancy that plagues us today.

For those paying attention to the disaster in the Gulf Coast, please act now. A month ago, President Obama proposed opening vast amounts of coastal waters for offshore drilling, much of it for the first time. A lot of oil interests thought this was a great idea.

Can you call President Obama at (202) 456-1111 today? Ask the president to reinstate the ban on new offshore drilling. Let's end SPILL, BABY, SPILL ...

A*L*O*H*A