Problems in Perspective

By William L. Garvin

After hearing many of the wonderful tributes to our fallen warriors over this Memorial Day weekend, it is important to keep our earthly trials in perspective and reexamine our priorities. We all owe a debt that can never be paid to those men and women who paid the ultimate price for our freedom. Our founding fathers knew that an informed electorate was the only hope for our nascent nation. It is the men and women who have fallen in the line of “duty, honor, and country” who have kept those hopes alive.

Perspective is an interesting phenomenon. For instance, when you see those athletes flying off the Olympic ski jumps, it seems like they are soaring halfway to the heavens. In reality, they are seldom more than ten feet off the ground. It’s a matter of perspective. On a more mundane level, when the warning on the side mirror says “objects are closer than they appear,” the objects really are closer than they appear! It’s a matter of perspective. When governments are faced with conflict, disasters and catastrophes, it is equally important to keep perspective.

When an airplane crashes, are all the flights throughout the world cancelled? No, because it’s a matter of perspective. When there is an explosion or collapse in a mine, is there an immediate cessation of operations in all the mines throughout the nation? No, because it’s a matter of perspective. When there is an explosion of a deep water oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico, are deep water oil rigs throughout the world shut down? No, because it’s a matter of perspective.

The reason that other nations did not shut down their oil producing operations is that they realize that any extraction undertaking, whether it’s on land, off shore, or a mile under water is inherently risky. Accidents will happen. There will never be a risk free operation when you are working with equipment of this size and complexity. There are over hundreds of oil rigs in the Gulf. One has had a terrible accident; the remainder has not. The shutdown ordered by this Administration shows a lack of perspective. It will also result in a loss of American production of nearly a million barrels of oil every day. Furthermore, the shutdown will do absolutely nothing to mitigate the current environmental disaster so the action raises a number of questions.

First of all, why are we drilling for oil a mile down where humans cannot repair damage and must rely on robots for remote assistance? Maybe it’s because the government will not let companies drill for oil or natural gas in the more accessible depths or on land. What other nation puts such incredible restrictions on the use of its natural resources? Where is the perspective?

Why wasn’t the containment plan that was developed after the Exxon Valdez catastrophe executed? Why wasn’t the boom that could contain and burn the spilling oil available? Why didn’t the EPA immediately give the okay to Louisiana to build the sand islands to ward off the oil? Maybe it’s because they lack perspective. It’s not quite as bad as the New York Times printing secret military strategies on the front page but it’s close in lacking appropriate perspective and priority.

Energy independence should be an immediate national priority and is an important segment of national security. When the President was doing his priority fund raising at the home of Gordon Getty in San Francisco, he should have gathered some valuable perspective. Mr. Getty is of course the heir of J. Paul Getty who made his vast fortune in…oil. At $17,500 per dinner ticket, the black gold has been effectively converted into Boxer gold. When Americans along the Gulf Coast are crying out for help, both priorities and perspective are lacking. Obviously, the President can do nothing about containing the leak but for someone who has been in charge “from day one,” the mobilization of containment and clean up was surprisingly haphazard.

It’s a disturbing pattern of questionable perspectives and priorities. For instance, when this Administration transferred 300 of our Border Patrol agents from Mexico to Canada, there’s no perspective. When Arizona asks for 6,000 National Guard and 1,200 are sent, there’s no perspective. When we suffer our thousandth casualty in Afghanistan and the President fails to appear at Arlington National Cemetery on Memorial Day, there’s a questionable priority. We should hope and vote for a change in perspective.