I agree with pretty much everything you have said. The problem is pretty much everyone on the planet has their own pet projects. We here don't want any more regulations on motorcycles. So we have organizations like the AMA to speak for us. We have our own special interest group. Everyone does.
Those that like guns pay the NRA to do our work. Those that don't like guns pay Sarah Brady.
The point is until a way is found to solve differing opinions, we will get nowhere.
Basically no simple solution, perhaps short of a real violent revolution.
Do you think we can get everyone in the country to vote every incumbent out of office?
Then what? It actually takes experience to run the government process. I have actually worked for a City Council member, so I know the games. Replacing everyone would be chaos worse than what we have now.
Jeff A20
In a message dated 10/5/2008 6:04:14 P.M. Pacific Daylight Time, boulder_adv_rider@... writes:
Jeff - Hardly a natural. I would consider running for office.
However this crooked Congress and all those following like scared
children fear people like me as much as guns. They don't want the
party to end. Rather this administration and Congress use fear to
force people into they have no choice but to follow blindly them and
be weary of reasonable and responsible citizens like me. Just look.
In an unprecedented move and completely panic-driving way look at
Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson asking for unsupervised and
uncontested access to $700 billion dollars and...all but keys to the
nuclear missiles silos, too! Why not! Again, Bush on TV doing just
like he did with the Irag war. This is where it started with Bush
and his weapons of mass destruction farce. We all got snookered on
that. Well, now we all realize he's just a liar.
I'm not afraid to get into govt and burn it down. I've worked hard.
My family has worked hard and followed the 'rules.' They all have
children and we've all served our country well. However in being
good citizens we can see this government is no longer serving the
People in a prudent and consistent manner. Everyone sees it.
Acutally, Jimmy Carter got it right back in 1979. Ever read his
Malaise Speech? It describes where we are now nearly but nearly 30
years ago. I'll post a link at the bottom for readers.
Well it's funny you say we all have the same information but why is
it no one wants to do anything about it? Are you just going to take
it laying down? I have solutions. Actually, I'm working on some
pretty good solutions. Really. One possible solution...war bonds.
Issue them. Declare a war on energy and issue billions of thems.
People that can't afford the bonds can lease the space on there
roof. In exchange, participating homeowners can receive a
substantial discount on their energy bills. Get out of Afghanistan
and Iraq. Spend the money at home on wind farms, solar
installations, upgrading the grid, conservation programs, biofuels,
and CNG for vehicles. A friend of mine drove from Europe to China on
nat gas for pennies/mile. It's ridiculous the friggin strangle hold
Big Oil has on Americans.
You want to get it started? Have all Americans that believe in
Energy Independence go and sit in the streets for a few days. See
how important it is and if the government responds. If these people
don't understand Americans mean business, we're doomed to more of the
same regardless who's in office! I don't care Republican vs. Dem or
who is/was to blame then or now. We know the problem, let's get the
darn thing fixed!
Yes, I will pay more for it but I don't think that's necessary.
People like Henry Ford built cars before gas stations were available
and before there were roads! The capital and technology is ready--
just not our society. We don't want to change anything. We are
lazy. Plain and simple. It took years to replace the horse and
mule. Countless technologies die on the vine waiting for people to
get out of their own way...resistant to change. Clinging to the
wreckage like a sinking ship in many ways.
I have a KLR and a 1996 Dodge Ram. I have 60k on the Ram.
Ironically, I have more miles on my mountain bike and road bike than
my KLR and very close to the Ram, if not more. I used to ride 500
mile/week while training. In fact, my brother just won the Race
across Oregon (540 miles in 35 hours!) I'm very proud of him/this!
I don't complain about $4 gasoline. Never have. Rather I complain
about what $4 gasoline does to an economy that has alternatives.
Without Toyota and Honda, US automakers would have you believing
there is no such thing as a hybrid. Why? It's been pulling on the
US Govt utter for decades and now is one the waiting list for a
bailout. It got it wrong in the 70s building crap cars and again
turning out SUVs by the gross. There's simply no vision.
I'm saying you don't need to pay-up for energy. If we declare a war
on energy and really make it a priority, people can and will do good
things and rise to the challenge. Otherwise, as capitalists everyone
asks what's in it for me? No $100 bills? I'm not interested.
We'll, you'll be paid in the future--modestly but appropriately.
Build a refinery?? Presently our refineries in the US are running at
close to 84% of capacity. We're using less gasoline and these
refiners are cutting production just to keep supplies tight and
prices high. That's the fact. Look at companies like Tesoro and
Valero. They're getting killed by high oil prices and low refinery-
product sales prices. They'd love to be charging you $8/gallon,
trust me. Fortunatley, they can't. Big Oil is pulling this oil
crisis stunt to get access to the nations reserves and plunder it.
It's getting closer and Bush has done his best--no doubt. But again,
eventually it runs out and you are worse off in the future...much
like today. We import 70% of our oil vs. 20%. You see the Big Oil
has played the chess game well. But instead of expensive and risky
off-shore drilling, use oil subsidies that the oil companies insist
they no longer need! on alt-e projects (noted above). These project
will pay into the future and create jobs. You and I building another
refinery will do nothing. We'd be better off drilling oil,
increasing our alt-e footprint, and dump the oil on the int'l
marketes just like Iran and Brazil are doing. Ever notice? Brazil
and Iran are both rapidly replacing oil with alternatives in order to
feed the monkeys...us here in the US paying very high prices for our
addiction. Ridiculous. Simply, we sponsor and develop the same
rogue regimes that want to kills us or others! Hint: Want to win/end
the war on drugs? Quit using drugs here in America. The industry
will grind to halt. Oil and drugs are very much a 'tragedy of the
commons' problem. Everyone thinks "me using is such a drop in the
bucket. It doesn't matter." It matters. Specifically, I don't
think the oil companies are screwing us exactly. But no doubt they
have every reason to promote their industry just like GM and Ford
pimping big gas guzzlers right up until Toyota stepped onto the stage
with a highly more reliable product I'll note.
I'm not ranting. I'm simply raising a red flag. I'm focused 100% on
the future and suggest we all get involved however we can. I wish I
had a handbook to mail you...ha ha.
Well, just ask Karl Rove; he'll tell you Bush was going into Iraq
long before Congress voted. Bush fueled up the fear machine and
basically hoodwinked the public. He convinced himself the war would
be won easily and the war effort would stimulate the ecomony. Of
course, it's a mess now and why he has ZERO credibility not to
mention the lowest approval rating in history. Liberal media has
it's mark, no doubt. But the American people are smart enough to
realize this govt is a mess...Bush admin and Congress--Dems and
Repubs. But it's not everyone. Some people in govt do have good
intention and truly serve the People like the Constitution mandates.
Lastly, it's important to realize I'm not taking sides. Rather I see
something out of control and hope others see it, too. Look at middle
America. It's eroding. It's not only going to affect you, it will
affect all us and future generations. Trust me, this topic is not
going away post-election. It's going to get a whole lot worse before
it gets better. I'm eager to grab an oar myself, but it's a big boat
to row. It's why I'm appealing to people on this board to seriously
keep the pressure on our leaders. We demand change.
link to Carter's 1979 Malaise Speech
_
[url=http://www2.http://wwhttp://www2http://wwwhttp:&beyond/beyond/http://www2.http://wwhttp://www2http://wwwhttp:&beyond/beyond/ (http://www2.volstate.edu/geades/FinalDocs/1970s&beyond/malaise.htm)
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