Thursday, June 12, 2008

WEP is relocating due to recent change in jobs, so my posts will be a bit less frequent until things get settled. But this is one I've been wanting to write for a while, and Congress's recent vote to NOT drill for offshore oil is a perfect opportunity. This is the second bill they've recently debated on the Hill, the other being a motion to restrict emissions and implement a new carbon credit system for pollution. In light of Congress' action, I am reminded that politics will always be politics. Very few of our representatives actually want to solve problems since such problems are why we vote people into office to begin with. Thus, solving a problem would potentially threaten the need for their existence. Be they Republican or Democrat, our representatives are impotent when it comes to action. So, I have a few words of advice for either President McCain or President Obama. If they truly want to solve our energy problems, it starts with these steps. I call it the WEP-Plan.

First, oil is a commodity, which means that it's price is determined mainly by 2 factors: supply/demand, and speculators who wager on what supply/demand will be like in the near and distant future. So here's how we reduce the price of oil, for our economy, for the environment, for energy independence. Here is the bipartisan WEP-Plan.

1) Drill. Yes, we must tap our own natural resources. I acknowledge that oil is a finite resource and that we must find a renewable alternative to ensure our long-term survival. Yes, I get it. But that doesn't help us in the short-term. Simply demanding that people stop using so much gas is impractical. People have to work. So, let's increase oil supply and drill, both off-shore and in ANWR. The beach bums in Florida and caribou in Alaska will have to deal with it.

2) Build more nuclear power plants. Again, I realize this may not be the long-term solution, but nuclear power is cleaner and more efficient than what the majority of us use now. There is no reason for us to NOT build more of these power stations.

3) Build more refineries. See number one. The environmentalists will have to live with it.

4) End grain subsidies. Obviously grain subsidies don't lower the price of oil, only raise the price of grain. So now we pay more for both gas AND milk (as well as other grain-based products).

That's the easy stuff. The hard part comes next, mainly because of the nasty politics that would be involved.

5) Close ALL government offices every other Friday. The military does this at some places. You basically work at 10 hour day, and every other week is a 4 day work week.

6) Adjust the thermostat in ALL government buildings. No less than 73 degrees in the summer, no more than 68 degrees in the winter.

7) Deliver the US mail only on Monday, Wed, Friday. And only deliver to rural routes 2 days a week. Eliminate package delivery service, UPS and FedEx can take care of that stuff. The USPS should only deliver envelope-type mail. That way, the suburban mail carrier can be resurrected, walking the route on foot.

8) Lower the federal speed limit back to 55mph.

9) Release 10% of the strategic oil reserve into the market. If anything, this will scare the speculators.

10) Encourage police departments to increase foot-patrols, decrease cruisers on the street, more motorcycles, more horses.

11) Implement an "energy independence" holiday. This is a day where businesses will be encouraged to close, and local communities encouraged to plan activities that would contribute to energy independence, with the major goal of this day being as many Americans as possible stay home, on foot or bike and do NOT buy gasoline. Again, sounds cheesy, but will likely scare the speculators.

That's the WEP-Plan. Not perfect, but it's a start. Do these things, and the every day American will see more affordable oil and it will buy us more time to develop better alternatives. But this won't happen without bipartisan cooperation, which makes it unlikely for Obama.

34 comments:

Anonymous said...

Doc,

Briefly, I like most of your ideas.

I wonder if there is any way to take oil off of the commodities market. Obviously the price of oil is due to supply and demand but the current high price is due in part to speculation by commodities brokers.

Meanwhile, I really wanted to wish you good luck w/ your move. Are you still in OK?

TLGK

Kristina said...

Haha! I like the idea of 'scaring' the speculators! That is too funny and would definitely have an impact.

My husband always works 4 day work weeks (full time Air National Guard). This saves on all energy costs. It saves on people driving to and from work. It saves on electricity in a BIG way. It also saves wear and tear on cars and is a great work schedule. We prefer it. After all, he frequently worked 10 hour days, anyway. Can you imagine what a benefit this would be in DC. They could even have half of them work M-H, and half work T-F, which would cut down on traffic on Mondays and Fridays.

BTW, how is your son doing?

SNAKE HUNTERS said...

Dr John,

Now you have tapped into a subject
that will ultimately prove The Undoing of the OBAMA-MANIA Freight
Train To Oblivion.

It's All About The Oil Moratorium On Our Fine Oil Corporations...
and the "Greenies" are about to be exposed. 'Bout Time! reb

Dan Trabue said...

I think your four "easy" solutions are very questionable, as to their efficacy or wisdom (drilling ANWR, for instance, would be a "solution" 20 years or so in the making - not a help to our current problems.)

But I certainly agree with the remainder of your suggestions. These are the more responsible, living within our means type of solutions that are the only type of solutions that make any serious sense.

Dan Trabue said...

You left off, though, implementing more mass transit solutions so that we can choose not to drive more easily. Also, encouraging people (via peer pressure and plain economics and political leadership, not legal mandates) to live in smaller circles and grow their own food, a la victory gardens.

These are the long-term, responsible solutions we need to be embracing.

Auntyem said...

Doctor Washburn,

I agree with your plan except for drilling in ANWR. It is not the caribou, but the people who sustain themselves with it. I know they are a small population, but they have a right to sustain themselves, instead of becoming totally dependent on the government. When you take their way of life away, they cannot always deal with the pressures of another way. People up here are complaining about the Alaskan Natives coming down here to be on welfare and drink. Sure they lost the war, but should such ruthlessness continue? I agree with McCain it should not.

Also, you didn't mention a good idea that I got from O'Reilly, of all people, at Fox. He wants Congress to mandate immediately that the auto makers stop making vehicles that depend on oil and instead make those that run on alternatives. He also wants Congress to mandate the fast-tracking of nuclear and other sources of energy to run vehicles etc. He can't understand why Brazil can do it, and we can't.

O'Reilly's reasoning is that the GOP will lose the election and seats in Congress if so many people continue to feel outraged about how they are doing compared to when before Bush came into power.

When asked if she was better off now than before, a nurse, a Republican, said she was not better off and that things continue to get worse for her. She hardly has money to eat, much less for gas, she will be homeless when her savings run out, and she said she is going to try and talk to Obama and see what solutions he has for her, how he can help people like her.

That is the crux of the matter; how many people feel they are worse off than before. When most of us are not oil billionaires or speculators, why should they dictate? They use and control government as much as anybody for their own means. The change people want is not to be worse off than they were before, and those that got don't get it.

Emilie
Port Orchard, WA

SNAKE HUNTERS said...

When Congressional Power switched to Reid/Pelosi in November of 2006...
At-The-Pump Price was $2.10. Now it is over $4.00, nearing a mind-bending $5 bucks in California! Now that's CHANGE you had better believe in!

A Repeat Author, Raymond S. Kraft has another fine piece following his 'History' and Global Warming Posts. See, 'The End Of Greening', dealing with the controversial Moratoriums on Drilling.

Concise Comments Are Always Welcome, of course.

SnakeHunter.
_________________________________
www.lazyonebenn.blogspot.com

Dan Trabue said...

?

And when Bush took office, gas was under $30/barrel and now it is over $130 on its way to $150. A five-fold increase. Shall we place the blame on the Dems for that, too?

Oil is finite and decreasing in availability. At the same time, demand is skyrocketing. The capitalists will tell us that this means prices will skyrocket, too.

We need to live within our means.

To try to do otherwise is to live the addict's life, and that's just not a good idea.

SNAKE HUNTERS said...

Dan, Wake Up and Smell the Starbucks, please!

OPEC Bleeds Us;

Your Family & my family. THEY are the blood-sucking enemy! It's Not the liberals and conservatives.

The Democratic ( Reid/Pelosi ) Controlled Congress WAS Complicit since Nov 2006, and Fuel Doubled at the Pump in 18 Months! That's a Fact.

Consider These Facts: with Decades of Enviro-terrorist Gibberish, the "Greenie Nabobs" Have Imposed No-Drill Moratoriums on "Big Oil" and the Duped Self-satisfied Whiney, Unknowing, Lacksadaisical Voting Majority has given us the mess we are in today. That's Fact.

That's the Gift of Hard-Core Partisan Political Elephant & Donkey Insanity...A Pox on Both Their Houses!

They ARE Self-Serving Jack.A.Napes that divide us. When the literate voter is supplied with Their NAMES, we'll send them all packing...the whole damn bunch!
(But first, we must get red-hot angry...you and me, liberal and independent...Yes We Can!)

In the Interlude, let us "Sit down
and Reason Together", assemble data, stop the nit-picking. There's no value there.

Gather all factual data on those Drilling Moratoriums & Clean, Non-polluting IFR & AFR Nuclear Power.(France is far ahead of us in that area). We create the technology, and They Use It.

It's Fast Approaching Crunch-Time.
The Dollar Shrinks, your family's home-equity shrinks, we all lose.

We Can Break OPEC's Strangle-hold!

United We Will Stand. With Ignor-ant Partisan bickering, we will fall, together.

In the meantime, Happy Motoring!

reb
__________________________________
www.lazyonebenn.blogspot.com

Dan Trabue said...

Actually, I prefer walking.

What a strange bunch of ramblings. I do agree with the let us reason together, but beyond that, once again, you've lost me if you're striving to make some coherent point.

Dan Trabue said...

Actually, I DO agree on another point: We CAN break OPEC's hold on us. Stop driving. Or at least cut back.

Live within our means, that's what I'm talking about.

Anonymous said...

snake hunter sez,

Dan, Then you do not agree that Opposing the Oil Moratoriums on Drilling to become Independent of OPEC will benefit this nation;

that deisel fuel is required to deliver your food & clothing, and other items that make life a bit more pleasant, etc to your market...is unnecessary?

Just "walking" certainly will not get the basic essentials to 300 million people. That makes no sense.

Striving to make a 'coherent point'
often will fall on deaf ears. Stop driving? Tell that to a dynamic, energetic society of working people, family people, that want the best environment for their kids. It sounds fine for hermits!

"Strange bunch of ramblings?" I suppose it may sound like that to some that are born contrarians. I was just testing, to see if there was something of substance worth exploring further. Sorry, if I disturbed your twilight zone of comfortable self-delusion. Please do return to your unhappy, mute revelry of isolation that frowns on
any and all possible solutions to serious problems.

Sincerely Reaching Out to some interesting character with a fair vocabulary is not always the best spot for a rewarding dialogue.

Reasoning Together, and Logic, much like stimulating conversation requires two-way communications. I'm sorry, if I bothered you. reb
__________________________________
www.lazyonebenn.blogspot.com

Dan Trabue said...

No bother, you just don't make much sense in your (admittedly intriguing) rambling writing style.

Solutions are fine, as long as they are reality-based and sustainable. We can't keep consuming at the rate we currently do and our current system is dependent upon cheap, plentiful oil. That is not wise.

Living responsibly, that's what I'm talking about. Living within our means. This used to be a conservative ideal and it is one I embrace whole-heartedly.

Any solutions that depend upon answers that don't last more than a few years aren't solutions, they are excuses for dependency. I've heard it quite often from my acquaintances with drug addictions.

"If I can just get ten bucks - enough to buy some drugs get my nerves calmed, enough to get me thinking right - then I'll be okay and ready to start living responsibly."

I'm not buying any solutions that are not sustainable.

Anonymous said...

reb,

You have every right not to like or agree with Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid. Blaming them for the increase in the price of gasoline is either stupid or dishonest. Although the increase in th eprice of gasoline is multifactorial, congressional policy, if it figures at all, is minor at best.

Your repeated advocations on this issue are just another piece of nonsensical magical thinking.

How about this: As Dan points out, when President Bush took office in 2000, oil was $30 a barrel. Now it is over $130 a barrel. So the increase in the the price of gasoline is President Bush's fault.

Does that make sense? Only in part. Had Bush been able to or wanted formulate and install a sensible energy policy and had he not invaded Iraq, the price of oil would be less although how much less is impossible to determine.

The explosive demand for petroleum in emerging econonies such as Russia, India, and China has increased demand and supply has not kept up.

By th eway, the Chinese government has subsidized gas prices in China for years keeping the price of fuel artificially low. The price per gallon of gas in Shanghai is $1.48; in Moscow, $1.42; in Caracas, $.014 (that is not a typo.)

Why don't you blame George Soros for the price of gas? You blame him for everything else.

Meanwhile, when you try and blameshift to the Democrats you show your colors as just another Fox News driven crank.

TLGK

Kristina said...

It seems to me that some people like the price of gas being high. Then, they can say, "See, oil is a finite resource. We must stop using it immediately." (yes, I know that's an exageration)

The fact of the matter is that opening up drilling in other areas is an effective short term sollution. We do need long term sollutions as well.

What we don't need is people telling us to cut back, because I can guarantee that's not going to happen. Instead, we need to look for solutions.

After all, we could tell people to live within their means financially. In fact, we tell people that all the time. Instead people get further and further in debt. They are the only ones responsible for this, by the way.

Would you mandate that a person can only get so far in debt? Or, perhaps do away with credit altogether? Would you mandate how much a person can own? Would you mandate how much a person can eat? Why is it different to mandate how much a person can drive?

This is NOT a drought. We have the resources available to ease the market. We're just unwilling to. That's a HUGE difference.

Please understand, as I've said before, I think we need to look at alternative sources of energy. But, in the meantime, we have to use what is available to us.

And, for what it's worth, is $5/gallon really that bad? After all, in England, they pay about $11/gallon.

Dan Trabue said...

It seems to me that some people like the price of gas being high.

For my part, I would like the price of gas to reflect it's actual cost. With all the subsidization and deferred costs, our US price has been horribly underpriced for way too long. If it's actual costs were paid, we'd have been paying something closer to European prices for a long time.

If something approaching the actual costs ($10-15/gallon back in the 90s) were being paid, then the Market could have done a better job of reducing demand naturally.

Dan Trabue said...

What we don't need is people telling us to cut back, because I can guarantee that's not going to happen. Instead, we need to look for solutions.

It IS going to happen because it is a finite resource. We won't have any choice but to cut back - whether you think that's cutting back now or 20 years from now, we WILL have to cut back because we can't continue to use a finite resource infinitely.

Cutting back IS the solution. Living within our means. If we open ANWR, it would take about 20 years for it to be built and start reaching us. Once that happens, its gas would help us out for a few more years.

It's a finite resource and we can't use it infinitely.

If a fella won a lottery (say, $1 million) and he went out and bought a $10 million home and boats and cars, such that his monthly payments were $100,000, he'd be fine for a year. But then what?

Would he be wise to do that and say, "No worries, I know that this $1 million will run out soon, but SOMETHING else is bound to come along..."? No, that's not wise.

We need to live within our means. It's all about responsibility.

What's wrong with today's "conservatives"?

SNAKE HUNTERS said...

Fuzzy Thinking all over the map here. Shot-gunning so many points of lead; how to answer, when there
is no pattern?

Dan wants us to "live within our means". Nothing wrong with that, but can it be made an Enforcable Law? Ask Loop. If not, you're just blowin' smoke again.

Loop Garoo would be happier if Bush hadn't invaded Iraq. Well, O.K. Then the 'Butcher of Bagdad', and Uday & Qusay would still be "doing their thing" in the region, threatening neighbors, eye-balling peaceful Kuwait (again), working deals with Oil Vouchers at the U.N., just like he played old Jacques Chirac, et al, and Iran, another loose cannon also enriches Uranium 235, and of course folks, when the first 'Dirty Bomb' cooks off somewhere....Bush/Cheney Did It! They Lied.

Aunty Em believes that Drilling in
a Select Area of ANWR will just drive all the wild caribou out of that vast region, and turn the natives there into welfare bums. Good Grief!

When Gas & Diesel jumps arother two or three bucks, Dan gets his wish, fine. From modest, to meager,
to a sad place where we can no longer defend a once proud nation!

Divided We Fall...and "Obama-Mania" won't save a people that have lost their good judgement, the will to compete, their collective backbones.

Science is moving fast, new fuel technologies are a few short years away; we MUST have that time.

It's Drill Here, Drill Now, Pay Less, or Surrender to Enemy O.P.E.C. cuz they're cutting off our Oxygen, People! The Dollar Shrinks, Amadinejad Enriches U-235, and only a few see it coming.

If Global Jihad Wins, explain THAT to your children. We Save The World (again), or we don't.

>>

Our Weather Czar, Al Gore finally flew in today, endorsing Obama, (he invented endorsements) and maybe Al's Global Warming will help us stuggle through the next winter's icy blast.

Four More Months of this Madness!
I suspect you're all Smokin' that Rope, Maui Pakalolo? Hemp? Loco- weed? Naw, I don't believe it. reb
_________________________________
www.lazyonebenn.blogspot.com

Dan Trabue said...

Yes, I want us to live within our means. Again, this used to be a conservative notion.

Now, beyond that general desire (that we live within our means), I would suggest that it would be wise for gov't to QUIT creating policy that encourages us to NOT live within our means and that artificially lowers the price of gas.

That one step there (stop subsidizing motorists and oil companies - end their welfare and living off the teat of gov't!) would have the effect of doubling or so our price of gasoline which would, in turn, have the effect of reducing demand and encouraging responsible living.

I'm not talking about outlawing cars or anything like that. I just want us to end the welfare for the rich (ie, motorists and corporations - specifically oil, coal and road-building corporations).

Once again, these should be basic conservative ideals and not only that, but they are ideals that many if not most liberals could live with.

SNAKE HUNTERS said...

Yes Dan, As we give up our Diesel Trucks that bring food & stuff to your super-market, abandon the urban streets and inter-states for 300 million people to readjust for a return to the old west horse trails as...

Saudi & UAE (Dubai) Engineers build
structures that reach for the sky (with our $745 Million OPEC Oil Dollars Per Day), as we retreat backward to the 19th century, and let Sharia Law Rule This Planet...whew!

You Do Sound like Gilligan, with no island refuge! Another Obama-Mania "Change" Fantasy! What has happened to us...

When Multiple Hallucinations Like This One Over-rules Common Sense? And we allow 'Delusional Unfortunates' like this to Mark A Ballot! reb
__________________________________
www.lazyonebenn.blogspot.com

Dan Trabue said...

Delusional? That would be to think that we can treat a finite resource as if it were infinite. THAT is delusional.

Asking folk to live within our means and expecting that Congress would end the corporate and motorist welfare, that is quite reasonable.

I repeat:

We need to live within our means. It's all about responsibility.

What's wrong with today's "conservatives"?

Dan Trabue said...

"An Energy Information Administration analysis in 2004 concluded that "By 2025 ANWR is projected to reach .9M barrels a day". This report further states that it would take about 12 years for the US to receive any hydrocarbon from ANWR.

So if ANWR were approved today, the US would get its first barrels of oil in 2020. Of course between now and 2020, there would be a huge increase in infrastructure, and construction activity to develop ANWR. This activity needs energy, specifically diesel fuel for all this construction. So the US would have a further rise in oil demand while this project is being built-out, increasing fuel cost for all Americans.

source

ANWR is a pipe dream (so to speak), if you're thinking to somehow decrease gas prices in the here and now.

Anonymous said...

reb,

Briefly, in my opinion, as a nation, the invasion of Iraq is sucking us dry spiritually and monetarily. Rememeber, this war is not on the books w/ respect to the budget. It has also over extended our military.

As we watched John Stewart interview a war correspondent last night, my 20 year old daughter remarked that the war is not real to her classmates. We listen to or watch talking heads in studios report on how many innocent Iraqis were killed by a car bomb or how many soldiers or marines wee killed or wounded by IEDs. We see the the talking heads. We don't see pictures of the carnage or flag draped caskets returning to America. Mssrs. Bush and Cheney have seen to that.

For those of us old enough to remember, Walker Cronkite brought th ewar in Vietnam to our living rooms every night.

In return for the invasion, we killed and removed some very bad people who did not pose much of threat to us or our allies.

Yes Saddam may have film flammed the U.N. but that did not drive the price of oil.

Look reb, sometimes I think you simply refuse to believe the obvious which is that the policies of this administration, other than the invasion of Afghanistan and certain homeland security measures, have not made our lives better.

Meanwhile, today the governor of FL, a republican, endorsed off shore drilling. B/f, he was against it b/c of the potential adverse effect of FL beaches, hence tourism in FL; hence the FL economy. So reb, stop blaming the Democrats who have been in power for 18 months for a ban that has been in effect since 1981. Blaming the Dems just makes you sound like a cartoon.

It will be 10 years b/f we see oil from off shore drilling so it is not an answer in the short term.

Our issue is that everything we manufacture, grow, and consume is dependent on fossil fuel.

I don't know Dan. Maybe if Bush did not cut taxes for the uber Rich; and if we hadn't mortgaged the country to go to war, the governmemnt could really subsidize gas prices, although this goes against my free market principles.

The reason why China's economy boomed is tha tthe governemnt subsidized fuel prices.

TLGK

SNAKE HUNTERS said...

Loop Garoo, Where are your 'Free Market Principles'? The Three Dictatorships, China, Russia, and
Venesuela "subsidizes" (Nationalizes) Fuel. Calif Repr Maxine Waters calls (openly) for Nationalization of Oil.
>>
You dare bring up Vietnam? The Ten-year, No Win, JFK, McNamara, and Lyndon Baines Johnson... Democratic Version of War.

The 58,000 dead, plus the wounded?
You dare compare that one, Where We Had Zero National Interest? Where No Kill-Culture Theology Attacked Us? Sorry, Loop Garoo. Comparing Apples to Oranges, or just reaching for a point?

Let's Talk About Now, please.

There are Enough Americans Right Now that are becoming fed up with Four Dollar Gas, and Five Dollar Diesel that the Truckers pay to bring Food to Supermarkets, and goods & services, equipment, supplies, etc
Get on the Inter-state, count the
18-Wheelers, pause at a truck-stop
for a cup of coffee.

Talk to a Long-haul or Local Delivery Teamster. They have the power of a secret ballot, and most are Independent fellows, and they've had a belly-full of soft-speak, and kids waving blue cards!

Obama wants to Tax the "Excess Profits" of OUR Oil Companies so that they cannot afford to Explore & Drill, and build new refineries.
Thirty years of moratoriums by the Greenie Environmental Groups. All Democrats, my former party.

Forty bucks for Ten Gallons!

The Dems want to Nationalize Health, ask Dr John about that one.
And Subsidized Corporations, Like China, Russia, and Hugo Chavez in Venesuela, ask Lez Cagan at UFPJ.

So, Obama wants 'CHANGE'; well, he's gonna get it...just watch the Opinion Polls On Drilling In Our Own Backyard. OBAMA SAYS, NO DRILLING! He's a talking head for Expanded Big Government Take-Overs!

Finally, the 18 month doubling of fuel, thanks to the Reid/Pelosi Congress, WE ARE GOING TO DRILL. Seventy-One Percent of Americans now say DRILL, the sooner the better.
Total Independence from Foreign Oil from the Saudi Royals, the Iranian Mullahs, from O.P.E.C. Well yes...

Now that's a Change We Can All Believe In. reb
==================================
www.lazyonebenn.blogspot.com

Anonymous said...

reb,

Let's talk about now. The war in Iraq is incredibly unpopular without it being on the network or cable news. This is due to three factors. 1. The first is the contol of news by the administration--no photos of flag daped coffins; embed the news reporters; 2. Afghanistan and Iraq and incrediubly dangerous places from which to report which limits news; and 3. All network and cable news stations' producers believe it easier to sell toilet paper and pick up trucks and prescription medicine by showing something other than body parts and flag draped coffins. This includes Fox.

Meanwhile, get your history straight. You have begun the practice of fabricating facts out of whole cloth to suit your arguments. The ban on off shore drilling has been in effect since 1981 w/ bipartisan support. I temporarily ceased my moratorium at your site to correct your fscts.

See comment re FL above.

Oh yeah. Stop defending Big Oil asbeing blameless. The individual members of the petroleum industry have done their best to maximize their profits. No harm in that except their lack of long range planning has had an effect on all of us. No new gas refineries since 1978. That's 5 administrations, 3 GOP, 2 Dem, ago.

Don't you think some company could have built a refinery if it wanted? You know, w/ American "can do" attitude and w/ American knowhow?

You would just prefer to blame environmentalists.

Off shore drilling will have results in 10 years. Any ideas for now?

Do yourself a favor. Look at everything you consume today whether you eat, drink, or use it. Then figure out how the individual components arrived at your house or your Starbucks or your grocery store. Then figure out another two items. What items used petroleum products to be grown or manufactred or packaged.
Then figure out how much corn went into what you consumed. Then think about how corn is grown.

After that, you want to have a drink. I recommend Jack Daniels. Good whiskey, made in TN, even if it is likely to be > 50% made from corn.

One more thing. Your comment "Lez Cagan" is deplorable. Lampooning someone for their sexual orientation is about as low as it gets. What's next? racial slurs?

Time to reel yourself in reb. Or you could just join WM in the shallow end b/c that is where you are now.

TLGK

Anonymous said...

SNAKE HUNTER SEZ,

Loop Garoo Kid,

Your Main "Talking Points" Are...

a) "the war in Iraq is incredibly unpopular"...because "Code Pink", and Cagan's "United For Peace & Justice" were the First Responders, immediately ready to pounce after 9/11 with their highly organized assault on the Bush Administration. Next, the assorted "Peace Groups" and major peace-funding quickly followed.

Please Do Explain This Partisan Hate Campaign, and Its Amazingly Long Duration! Slogans like "Cowboy Diplomacy" and "Incompetence" Tags,
and Impeach Bush/Cheney bumper-stickers, etc Hundreds of Millions
of Soros Dollars spent to BETRAYUS.
(A MoveOnDotOrg spinner) on Sept 10, 2007 ala N.Y. Times.

b) All wars have 'flag-draped coffins' ~ it's curious that Loop mentions them w/ such feeling, so I will decline to question your motivations, hoping for sincerity.

c) Big Oil's "lack of planning". Untrue. Logic tells us, that all Major Corporation invest much effort toward Long-term Planning if they wish to compete. It's just
another attempt to Distort Fact For Political Advantage, and Loop knows better. (He's a Distinguished Colorado attorney), so Cut The Crappola Loop Garoo!

d) Corn Ethanol: Now yer talking Councellor, that idea should be dumped; too many acres wasted for such a small return. We agree!

e) Liz Cagan's an Admitted Lesbian, so what? It's her shrewd tactics that concerns me more. She recruits 'Veteran's Wives For Peace, "Gays & Lesbians For Peace", 'Students For Peace', whereever she can find a vulnerable audience to begin chanting the Hate America Mantras.

Who she slobbers over in her
private moments, we'll leave for the Morbidly Curious to Snicker & Drool over.

f) Loop prefers Jack Daniels?

Well, how wrong can I get? Here I have always thought your addiction was somehow related to a fermenting batch of O'Reilly's Kool-Aid. Bottom's Up, Fella! reb
_________________________________
www.lazyonebenn.blogspot.com

Anonymous said...

Look, as long as you continue to spout your George Soros conspiracy nonsense, I will continue to consider you like the crazy aunt we keep locked in the attic except for Sunday dinner.

In your own blog you have criticized Americans fro not being aware of the war. For better or for worse, if you want people to be aware, put it on TV. But there is nothing on TV--no flag drapped coffins; no accounts of killing militiamen; no feel good pieces about water purification plants. If you want war news you have to seek it but that is another process entirely. Going on-line to find out about Iraq is solitary not communal.

I don't know what "Logic" tells you. Logic tells me that stockholders may want dividends and that want must be balanced against long term investment.

Meanwhile, the evidence tells me no new refineries in 30 years and you may as well blame that on the bogeyman as environmentalists.

I think Liz Cagan is less of a threat than the bogeyman who, if real, may block access to my closet. It was your use of the sobriquet "Lez" that I found objectonable.

You can't call somebody a "lez" and then state "Who she slobbers over in her private moments, we'll leave to the Morbidly curious to snicker and drool over."

That last sentence was an affront for two reasons. 1. You made a point of her sexuality so you can't just retreat from that statement b/c you brought it up.
2. Don't ever end a sentance or a clause w/ a preposition. For the lovew of God and William Zinsser.

TLGK

SNAKE HUNTERS said...

Loop Garoo Kid, (I Want You to Know, You're My Favorite Secular Progressive).
==================================

Then you would say that George Soros spends a great amount of his
effort and money on...Nothing?

Or the sober Study of Memetics, and just how meme-transfer insanity thoughts jump from one mind to another? Have you read Soros book, "The Bubble of American Supremacy? Read it, then give us your brilliant recitation and analysis of his motivation. He knew Ivan Pavlov quite well, long before attempting to smear the Bush/Cheney Administration. Now, Uncle George has the chore of transferring that "demon image" to
Senator John McCain.

Harry Reid called McCain a "Bush Clone". Ah yes, The "psycho-conditioning" process is already under-way. Loop ignores the process; most naive people shrug, and disbelieve the Power of Suggestion. They make fine
'Involuntary Subjects' at Hypnosis Shows...and at Political Rallies.

G. Soros is the "Great Bamboozerelli" master of theatrics and mind-manipulation, and so is L. Cagan. Rev Jeremiah Wright's Act is another stage production worth the price of admission.... if you like an Afro-Centric Hate Preformance of "Chickens Comin' Home To Roost!"

What I cannot understand is, How do you tolerate The Snake Hunter, for over a year (!) and remain so calm and sweet-tempered? When I find a really 'Good Subject', I just can't resist! The Devil Makes Me Do It! Don't You Know? reb

(The word sentence has no 'a')
__________________________________
www.lazyonebenn.blogspot.com

Anonymous said...

I know about "sentence" but it was late.

Everybody has an agenda, or at least some people have an agenda. Harry Reid's agenda includes putting Baraxk Obama in the WH. Hence it is easy to understand his comment about John McCain.

Whatever Cagan's agenda is, it has had all of the effect of a fart in a gale on the lives of most of us. No threat there.

George Soros has money and an agenda, howver, your preception of the success of that agenda is so exaggerated that most of the time I fear for your sanity. Again, no threat there.

TLGK

Auntyem said...

To get back to Dr. Washburn's original post: I agree with his eleven-point WEP-Plan for energy except for drilling.

We absolutely must end our dependency on all oil-run vehicles and develop other sources of energy.

If drilling and other actions leading to continued consumption of oil is permitted, we will never wean ourselves from that addiction. Like alcoholics, one drink will lead to another, and there is no end until we drink ourselves to death.

O'Reilly of Fox News has a good idea that Congress should immediately mandate the end of manufacturing oil-run vehicles and fast-track development of alternatives. We must not allow OPEC or any other such coalition to affect our standard of living ever again. If it isn't OPEC it could be our own monopolists and speculators.

Emilie
Port Orchard, WA

SNAKE HUNTERS said...

==================================

Em, It might take the Auto Industry
a decade or two, to re-tool for the new, high-tech flex-autos, so realistically, curbing our addiction to petro-fuels is far over the horizon. The Big-Rigs still require Diesel to deliver all
those Chinese Lead-Painted Toys to Mal-Mart, for our kiddies to munch on.

Drill, Drill, Drill!

>>

Loop Garoo, It's only a guess, but I suspect that U.F.P.J (Cagan) Communist Propaganda is most effective On-Campus.
>>
Not To Be Concerned About My Sanity; so O'Reilly & Snake Hunter
are showing evidence of a Slipping Clutch, as we fade into the sunset.

GUESS WHAT?
We're having a helluva good time, enjoying the downward slide! reb
=================================
www.lazyonebenn.blogspot.com

Dan Trabue said...

It might take the Auto Industry
a decade or two


Reb, they've HAD a decade or two or three since it's been clear that changes are needed. What did they do? Created and pushed the SUV craze.

Your belief in the inherent wisdom and goodness of the auto industry defies reason.

John Washburn said...

"Your belief in the inherent wisdom and goodness of the auto industry defies reason."

I could say the same for believing in government leaders. It defies reason.

Dan Trabue said...

1. I have not said that I trust gov't leaders.

2. In fact, I have repeatedly pointed out that I don't have much faith in gov't leaders - Dem and Republican.

3. Nonetheless, we can UN-elect our leaders and we can't UN-elect our corporations.

4. Further, corporations have no real reason to listen to wisdom or reason if it conflicts with the bottom line. In fact, they can be sued if they act reasonably if it hurts their bottom line.