America and its loser Presidential candidates
A pathetic panderer?OK, so both John McCain and Hillary Clinton want a gas tax holiday for this summer that essentially every economist calls STUPID. Now, Hillary, however, is going to make oil companies pay the gas tax to differentiate herself from John McCain.
First, how is Congress going to enact such a plan? It would take all summer and probably lead to endless litigation, but who cares about reality? Second, even if Congress enacted such a plan, lower gas prices still mean greater foreign oil dependency, which ultimately means higher gas prices. Just the other day, Bill Clinton's Secretary of Labor, Rob Reich, called Hillary's plan the "worst kind of pandering". And yet Americans are starting to buy Hillary's pathetic pandering because it might save them $20 over the summer. How stupid are we America?
While I wish I could jump on Obama's band wagon, how can Barrack criticize Detroit for SUVs when he's been an SUV driver for many years?
Hypocrisy or pandering - pick your President. Any good write-in candidates out there?
Labels: Foreign Oil Dependency
posted by Dahcredyns at
8:04 AM
10 Comments:
Dahc,
Good post....but do answer your question:
How stupid are we America?
Pretty damned stupid. Third world school systems do a much better job in educating their kids in huts than we do in this country.
Does anyone know why? BECAUSE WE DON'T CARE. That's why.
People in this country are extremely stupid.
They're so dumb that they couldn't save themselves even if they tried at this point. All this talk about American spirit, free thinking, blah blah blah. Did it ever exist in the first place? I don't know...does it now? What a laugh.
Case in point. People here have no problems spending $40-50-60K on a stupid gas guzzler...and don't have an problems pissing away $150-200 a week on these pieces of crap...yet they are overjoyed by a $600 tax rebate, a proposal to tax oil companies so their fuel prices go down $0.05 cents....the stupidity, ignorance, and arrogance doesn't ever end.
i'm honestly not sure how stupid we are noz, although i'm a bit more optimistic than you. it's not so much that i think we're stupid, just that we do some pretty stupid things. as cliche as it sounds, we have been well-brain washed by our materialistic, bling-bling culture.
it's just time for change. we all know it. we just don't know how to change. unfortunately, the right path doesn't involve pandering - pandering is part of the problem.
What better sign of addiction is there than the statement "don't know how to change." (when its obvious on the outside looking in)
Two key points:
1) Americans HAVE to change. Doubling fuel prices will force the painful need for localization and simplification. Deep down, Americans have to know that things are getting tougher, but there is no willpower. We are lazy and un-disciplined. (ie - whine for a gas tax break instead of cutting back on fuel consumption).
2) Any politician running for office cannot call the voters lazy and undisciplined. Though right, it would be election-race-suicide for them.
If they want to make it a palatable argument, perhaps they could go with the "preserve our resources for our kids to be able to live" angle. Its what drives me to break my bad consumption habits. Think metaphorically about passing some of your food onto the empty plate of your starving child. Now envision passing fuel, drinkable water and breathable air to your child for them to have a 40 year old person with their own kid.
great points. so, do you think a voting majority of americans can think that way, or will it only come via force - higher gas prices, military conflicts, etc.?
Unfortunately, most people in this country are in denial.
They don't see:
1) how un-democratic the two major political parties are
2) how much control they give corporations
3) how quickly their life can dissolve because they are so far removed from providing their own basic needs (food, water, etc.) without global companies' infrastructure
It will be a painfully rude awakening and unfortunately, the next president will inherit the short-term blame. The re-election of "W" in 2004 sealed the fate of our ignorance of the 2000 election.
If TV media went down for a solid month, we might stand a chance of some people waking up to reality. But right now, they're just watching their future die without even realizing it. This luxurious era we've lived has run past the point where we can slowly adapt. The planet will adapt. It has for eons. Our species can't adapt as well. This election shows just how arrogant our civilization is.
If they want to make it a palatable argument, perhaps they could go with the "preserve our resources for our kids to be able to live" angle.
Kpdriscoll:
Well...you are an exception to the rule. As I have said before, if people, in general, really did care about their children, they'd have changed a long time ago. They don't...that's the hard reality of the situation. Just go and take a look at the way people in American suburbs live...the cars they drive....self righteous attitudes they have.
Not stating this at you at all but most people I run across with kids or a stroller think they have somehow become special...we all need to get out of their way because they now have kids...yet they won't life a finger to give up their toys...these are the sort of egotistical idiots you are trying to change.
I truly wish you all the luck in the world to do that.
yeah, i wish i could inject some hope into this discussion, but i can't. i'm expecting pretty bad times in the near term and trying to create a plan in preparation.
my only hope is that it doesn't go horribly bad. sad.
What sort of plan? I'm interested!
personal survival brother. like an advanced earthquake survival plan. just being prepared for food and water shortages, etc. i'm also, minimally, adding some extra solar power to my house for blackouts, etc. gardening. trying to prepare to be as self-sufficient as possible - it's something i want to do regardless of the economy.
no self-sufficient communes - yet!
Better not let your neighbors know...
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