Wilsons Sandbox

Greg - Great response. Unfortunately, we didn't rely on the government to bring us a solution for polio any more than discover electricity. Of course, incentives do help but really 'necessity is the mother of all inventions.' Imagine, if we left the government to bring us an Ipod or Garmin GPS? The point is the private sector will provide the solution(s). Right now special interests (lead by lobbyists) and Big Oil aren't rolling-over. And George Bush is so stupid he has no idea what's happening to the middle class nor does he care. The guy is drunk with glee his constituents and foreign oil allies are enriching themselves at great cost to our future and soldiers. Look at the recent bill. The American people called and told the HoRs (House of Reps) NO BAILOUTS! The HoRs listened! It was a victory for the American people. But then the corrupt Senate revised the turd bill, sprinkled it with powdered sugar and presented it to the HoRs. Basically, this was shoved down the throats of the American people! All of these jackasses including McCain and Obama should be ashamed for voting yes. It's difficult to choose a President when both voted for this sham! It's corrupt. We add pork to a bad bill and it's business as usual. Look no further than a bicycle/commuter tax incentive bill that's failed for 7-years (originated by Senators in Oregon) and passed when stapped to this $700 billion bailout bill. The same sham bill that We the People said No! Every one of these [expletive] crooks that voted 'yes' should be voted out of office in Nov. Makes it hard to pick a President now doesn't it? The bottom-line is we're bailing out banks when our economy is in a crisis. It's not a credit crisis. The banks simply are choosing not to loan! The unpatriotic bastard banks that within months killed off all the competition--effectively acquirinig them all for pennies on the dollar--now want to hold American taxpayers hostage unless taxpayers buy all the toxic rubbish that was acquired with the bad businesses. You see, the banks have no one to dump this crap on. So they decided to send a message to George Bush and the wealthy, either bail us out or we're taking the WHOLE thing down. Which is why the American people said...burn [expletive] burn! Middle class Americans have far less to lose than the wealthy...which is why the corrupt bill passed. Now, imagine in 2001 after 9/11, we took all the Iraq war money and pumped it into alternative energy? We'd be on near 2010 and energy independent. Instead, we have nearly $10 trillion in national debt, 2 unending Vietnams with a $10B+/mo meter running, and piling on another trillion in bailout. It's horrific. It's corrupt. If we rely on these crooks to continue, I can assure you we'll all be pushing our KLRs and fighting for freedom again as indentured servants. You'll notice how quick Congress was to enact tougher bankruptcy laws. No bailouts for the individual because the mantra is to keep all servants extremely indebted, scared, and looking to the US Government to protect you. This b/s has to change. So yes, alternatives now. Enough is enough. Americans have to maintain cash budgets and get rid of the credit. The more they're pinned under the thumb of "the man" the harder it is to join the voices and force of reason. Our children will appreciate a future at least as good as ours. But you'll notice what we have is slipping. The middle class is rotting away. It's not good. Alternative energy will play a huge roll in turning things around. But a slow transformation means more of the same. It's going to be a strong message from the American people: we want change and we want it now! It is NOT going to be a new President. The entire Congress is corrupt, folks. A 10% approval rating! 9 out of 10 believe the system is a disaster. Not our Constitution or due process--but the people and influence of special interest. I hate to say it, but civil disobience might be the only answer. In our history, our freedom fighters--our soldiers--paid a dear price for what we enjoy. I think they'd be sick looking at what we've become. We need to get on track in a very bad way and certainly rallying around alternative energy is a great place to start without turning things into an others LA riot. I fear if nothing is done, the consequences will make those riots seem like a playground disagreement. At this point, it's not just solutions and road maps. It's action. It's doing something now. We have plenty of technology to prevent things like senseless train accidents yet mismanagement of funds gets in the way. CA and MA are now begging the US govt for loans. Honestly? What the hell has gone wrong with our so called leaders? This place is completely a mess and Americans should be outragged and demanding action. These brain-fart bailouts constructed in days will likely get in the way of reviving our nation yet SOMEHOW we let a corrupt Congress do this crap to us! The time and private solutions are now. Solar, wind, bio fuels and nat gas are the lights at the other end of the darkness. Nuclear power will contribute but I urge all of you/us to rethink this. Bush and McCain pimp ethanol...and praise nuclear out their other end. The fact is considering our demand for future energy, we'd likely need 10,000 nuclear power plants by 2030. No, thanks. Once again it's short-sighted and misinformed special interests trying to seed this terrible idea in Americans' minds. It will play a part, but the risks and cost simply are too high. Already we talk about constraints on water supply. Well, look back at big nuclear giant France. It suffered terrible droughts and rolling black-outs because there wasn't enough water to keep the towers cool. Bet you haven't heard much about this have you? I think a better planet is a better idea. I think most KLR riders prefer to leave a favorite riding destination, campsite, trail, etc. in better condition than when he arrived. It's crazy we don't have the same mindset for our nation at this point. We've lost our way and desperately need to find it. Brian