For those posting about politics and philosphies...
This is our election. The outcome, make no mistake, will affect generations of our lives and our children through to our great, great grandchildren and beyond: our present, our economy, our freedom at home, our place in the world, our troops abroad and when they come home and need our care, our planet and its survival which will affect ours. Think about the legacy we leave when we're not part of this planet. What do you want to be remembered for having made happen?
I ask you to consider all of this rather than ideology alone. Read. Think. If you're liberal, learn from conservatives. If you're a conservative, learn from liberals. Each has valid points that can open your vistas vs. stuck in party platforms.
The clock is running out on our lives as we have know them. Choose wisely. And choose with the future. Don't "be right." Be open. Be willing. Steer away from sound bytes taken out of context and used to portray erroneously any candidate. The two men left in the race face-off are men of honor. Now, push away politics, sound bytes, smears, and look toward a future that will forward life, not destroy it. I make no endorsement here. I ask that you go beyond paranoia and join as a country - with the people you may despise ideologically and listen to each other and learn and come to a decision.
And make sure EVERYONE you know does the same and VOTES. To botch a cliche, if you don't vote, you get what you deserve.
Comments
My strategy is to repeat the truth twice as often as they lie. Bring up a grass roots opposition to organizations like MoveOn and Code Pink. Make the politicians hear that the silent majority is silent no more. Please join ACT (American Congress for Truth) or Act for America. Get the news letters and be aware. When they call on you to call your Congressman and Representative get on the horn and start teaching them you are paying attention and you don't appreciate their games and you do support the common sense legislation. Vote for the candidate that will place judges who understand their role in the governance of this great land and do not intend to usurp powers the constitution does not award them.
Speculation is part of it, but speculators by definition are investors and not poor people and the market corrects the speculation and the investors pay in the form of losses on their speculations. But higher prices is what environmentalists want, in order to slow consumption. All the shouting at the policy makers to do something had the policy makers pressuring the lending institutions to lower their standards. Now the market corrects, the lending institutions are paying dues right along with the homebuyers who could not make those outrageous payments and now the public is again yelling at the policy makers to do something. The policy makers don't take the blame they deserve, instead they are bailing out the lending institutions which comes out of our pockets in the form of taxes while the problem is being corrected by the market. We cannot expect the government to fix all our problems. More often than not, they make the problem worse.
Speculators. I don't know. I hear on conservative stations there is a ton of off shore oil waiting to be drilled not just US, but also Brazil. That's great if they are accurate. But here's the downside: we get more oil, prices adjust like they said it did from 80's to significant drop in '90's. Let's say that happens. Then we WON'T LEARN. Stay oil dependent and we stay in the mire of middle east (in part - I know support for Israel is huge other part). But get out of needing them or paying them and giving them money, and we have shifted the balance of power. Whether Global Warming is a 500 year cycle or a cataclysmic disaster that I believe it is - either way, countries are over developing to the point China, US, mid-East are looking to buy farmlands or subcontract farming in OTHER countries. Why? Huge gaffe - biofuels (corn). What that means is more land clear cut. Like it or not that does affect ozone. So I do care about God's PERFECT gift to us. People can slam environmentalists. But they are protecting that PERFECT gift we have TRASHED. When something shifts in cycle of life, everything is affected. So suppose we get relief by drilling oil - then everyone will go back to being lulled into avoiding proactivly looking for planet friendly oil and coal alternatives. I corresponded about Chile with a resident as I was looking at cities to visit. He said Santiago's idea of a "good day" is what we would call dangerous for being outside.
So it STINKS and I think we are being manipulated by prices and SOMEONE. If we drill, I fear, people will avoid doing what needs to do: becoming oil independent. Jimmy Carter in '70's oil crisis proposed we change to becoming independent of oil need by 2000. He was blown off. Forget about him(the messenger) and look at what it has gotten us to maintain greed and forget our planet: food riots, gas prices, people can't afford to live, some keep their homes, businesses are affected - look at stores, top ones in trouble.
My message to conservatives is fine, come up with sound economic solutions. I'm all for it. But you (and I and we) are shepherds of our planet. We are the guardians of God's gift. Blow it and we have thumbed our nose. Ann Coulter may believe our ordained right is to rape and pillage the earth. I can't image when God said, "this is good" on each of the days of creation he would be happy to see us - sin. Because while I first thought the concept of ruining the planet as a sin was silly, I now see that it is. Just like letting the poor starve.
I am enjoying the commentary here between you and JudegBob and I thank you both for caring so much. Beanie, your post was inspiring and heartfelt. Thanks for the add.
Patricia .
I've linked an article I cross posted over to my blog which explains oil market speculation and the role it plays in leveling oil prices.
A long time ago, I wrote another article which depicts one of only two conspiracy theories to which I subscribe. The government is who is addicted to oil. Well, oil revenues. Last year in the first quarter, one oil company paid taxes to the government equivalent to 1/2 of all personal income tax in the U.S. How will they fund the many programs without oil tax revenue?
The only work our legislators are doing is constricting US carbon footprint, meanwhile the rest of the world chugs merrily along pumping decatons of carbon into the atmosphere each year. If one of us is to be restricted, we all must be restricted. The Cap and Trade bill is bad legislation. We have to continue making treaties with those nations in order to influence their carbon output. If we just constrict ourselves without equal commitment, we cease to be economically viable while the polluters gain world economic influence. How does that help the pollution problem around the world?
The technology to get away from fossil fuels has been around since the late 70's. Neither the government, nor the world wide oil marketers want to allow that technology to be spread around. The one I'm thinking of has been invented and reinvented by at least 3 different men on 3 different continents. And, there is nearly 0% polution from several of the sources for 'free energy.' Even the guy that headed Green Peace and was its founder, quit because he studied the options and became pro-nuclear power but his compatriots were blocking his efforts because they depend on junk science and emotions for political pursuasion.
I will be reading your posts soon, for sure. Today I'm on my way out to take my neice to lunch for having raduated from high school, but I will read tonight.
Thanks, Patricia