The State of the Union: Obama’s Literacy Doggone Doubtful

I also assume that a president realizes you cannot drink money (without choking).

No, this isn’t a post about a teleprompter flub. Yes, this is a post about how President Obama has just offered clear and compelling evidence that he is illiterate. In last night’s State of the Union address, Obama specifically spoke about both offshore and shale gas drilling. His superlative speech made it obvious that he’s only repeating what he hears.

Now, as a dog would, I am making a few assumptions about the type of human that becomes elected as president…

First, I am assuming that honesty and decency are two major criteria. Second, I am assuming that Obama’s generally a good guy who has America’s best interest in heart. Third, I am assuming that any president would at least casually skim anything marked “Report to the President” (especially when the report is coming from a national commission on a national disaster).

Cover of Deep Water Report to the President, January 2011, National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling

With those assumptions made clear, it is not possible to rectify how a president could both be literate and encourage offshore drilling in the wake of the BP disaster in the Gulf of Mexico. Humans have not cleaned up their last mess, which was thoroughly detailed in the 400-page Deep Water: The Gulf Oil Disaster and the Future of Offshore Drilling Report to the President. The Report, even at a glance, makes an obvious call for “fundamental reform.” It was published just one year ago, in January 2011.

The Report states very clearly that in areas proposed for new offshore drilling, humans’ scientific understanding and their ability to comprehend the scale and scope of potential disaster “is inadequate.” It states that the Deepwater Horizon catastrophe “could have been prevented” and that the glaring mistakes in the Gulf “place in doubt the safety culture of the entire industry.”

Clearly, anyone who can read will realize instantly that encouraging offshore drilling violates both scientific reason and common sense. There is no evidence that offshore drilling can liberate anyone from anything, but Obama claims otherwise.

Further, Obama immediately negates the need for opening up more areas for offshore drilling in the very next sentence after he announces his support for it, stating, “Right now, American oil production is the highest that it’s been in eight years. That’s right – eight years. Not only that – last year, we relied less on foreign oil than in any of the past sixteen years.”

So, I ask, why do we need more if we are doing so well already?

Before fracking, sites are excavated, vertical wells drilled, horizontal wells drilled, casings cemented, casings perforated, & THEN fracking can begin. Also, gas like this is used for tar sands development, creating even more pollution. (photo: adamaecompton)

It’s a similar question that I pose for the next few paragraphs, where Obama warms Americans up to notion that, somehow, the practice of hydraulic fracturing also will liberate us from freedom on foreign oil. We all know that natural gas prices are now the lowest that they have been in 10 years and that oil and gas companies such as Cabot Oil & Gas and Chesapeake are actually cutting back on production.

So, why do we need more of it?

Also, what’s the deal with chemicals? Why did Obama mention chemicals? Why did he say that he would make companies who operate on federal leases disclose the chemicals they use? Is there someone concerned about that? Why? If they are concerned, then why does this only apply to federal lands? (Note: Obama just mentioned that each state should be a nanny state that forces kids to remain in school until they graduate or turn 18, so why didn’t he also ask them to require chemical disclosures in oil and gas extraction activities?)

dogbloggin

If only Obama could read… then he could get his hands on that short memo from the EPA’s toxicologist that describes the chemical contaminants in four homes in Dimock that have now led to an need for expanded testing by the EPA in 61 private water wells in Dimock, PA. He might also want to read about how fracked natural gas is actually being sold to China, with his support of course, so it’s not  going to liberate anyone from anything, either.

Actually, he could just read my blog. I’ve got a lot of good stuff on here, and I’m a dog, so it’s all cute and what-not. Good starter material.

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Post Script: If you think this post is over-the-top or that Obama really CAN read, then please go back to my three assumptions and tell me where I went wrong. Also, my master does in fact usually vote Democrat, just as an FYI. This is a post inspired by profound disappointment and sorrow, so take it as nothing else. If I had been alive back when Bush was the president, I would have no doubt pointed out much evidence of his illiteracy as well. (There’s always been a soft spot in my heart for the man who threw a shoe at Bush, though I doubt he threw it because of Bush’s grammar…)