We've all heard it. That's the current mantra of the Left, and if there's anything we have for certain all heard a thousand times, it's a Leftist mantra.
There are two camps on this issue. In one camp, the people suck it right up, fully accept it, and repeat it any time the discussion comes up.
The other camp is incredulous. "How could anyone be so stupid.." they might ask, "..to believe we can't drill for more oil, increase the future supply, send a message to the market that lots more oil is on the way, and thereby bring down the price?"
That's a perfectly sensible question. To say that we can't drill our way out of an impending oil shortage is of course exactly like saying you can't eat your way out of hunger, you can't warm your way out of hypothermia, and you can't drink your way out of thirst.
It's just plain incomprehensible that anyone would make such a claim, so why do the Leftists keep saying it? They seem all to understand it, and they all seem to embrace it, so what's going on?
The problem, as always, is in the use of the language. We are assuming that by "this problem" the Left means, "the combination of high demand and restricted supply that results in a high price". We've been wrong about this the whole time, however. What the Left means by "this problem" is actually, "human success" particularly "American success". Translated properly into Left-Speak then, the phrase, "We can't drill our way out of this problem" make perfect sense. It would read something like, "We can't drill our way out of American success" which is of course perfectly true and obvious. We could drill and pump and drill and pump, and still we'd be a vibrant, successful, creative and productive nation. For the Left, that outcome would of course be insufferable.
Now you understand.
Carry on.