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GUSHER OF LIES: The Dangerous Delusions of 'Energy Independence'

By Robert Bryce

359 pages; Public Affairs, 2008

As part of the fall elections, candidates will claim to be vigorous supporters of "energy independence." They will tell voters, "I'm the one who can best deliver America from the dangerous habit of relying on foreign oil." And most voters will applaud enthusiastically because the notion that the United States needs to become energy independent has become a sacred cow. A political candidate might as well come out against motherhood as to question the need for energy independence.

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That is too bad because energy independence is a stupendously foolish, costly, and ultimately impossible idea. So argues journalist Robert Bryce in his iconoclastic book Gusher of Lies. Bryce readily admits that until recently he was among those who worshipped in the Church of Energy Independence, but has now become a complete heretic. Instead of increased government meddling, he wants to see it get out of the energy market altogether because there is nothing it can do to improve on the free market and much that will be wasteful and even dangerous.

Bryce is neither a Democrat nor a Republican; he calls himself a member of the Disgusted Party. If you read his book, you will be disgusted too--disgusted over the fact that the leaders of both major parties have gone bonkers for an idea that makes for nice sound bites but is demonstrably ludicrous.

Although politicians have been touting energy independence since the Nixon years, it was turned into the Holy Grail following the September 11 attacks. Bryce...

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