This is what you get when lawyers run the government
on 05/22/2008 at 08:58 AM
But one thing you can say for Socialism is that it gets things done much faster.
Sorry Drew, Out of all you have written there, This I have to disagree with. Look at Russia’s great 5 year plans… If it gets done, it’s massively over budget, and underutilized. Also look at the Great Society Plan. Don’t slide down that slippery slope, please!
I agree with the rest of it however. DRILL ANWAR. F**k the caribou.
As for driver safety, I have one pet peeve. People driving around being ear-f**cked by their cell-phones. I can usually detect one of these idiots from 100 yards away. I always wonder what is so important they have to drop 50% (at least) of their attention to converse with someone else.Bah.. just an observation..
BillI was looking over GM’s site and comparing various model cars in relation to fuel consumption. Except for the Cobalt, none of the new vehicles offered any better economy than my ‘02 Impala gets on a daily basis. I am consistently between 23 and 24 mpg in town and 31 on the road. 6 years and virtually nothing better?
Of course, I make up for it when I drive the truck. Big ol’ thirsty 454. But, when you need a truck, it gets the job done.
Honestly, after reading about the circus going on between our elected a$$wipes and the oil execs, it’s obvious where the problem is, and it’s not the oil execs. They would be draining Alaska and refining with pride if they were allowed to. And they would still be making money, lots of it. I am all for 100% turnover in congress, and no lawyers would be allowed.
Doc, Russia was Communist, but I see your point. I knew one of you was going to object to that one, and I agree completely! So if not Socialism, then you need people - everyone!! - with a wartime attitude. A sense of urgency not seen in this country in 65 years. People working as hard as if they were filling sandbags to keep their own homes from the rising waters. Because in a way they are. And it would take thousands of people working like that for years on end.
I have my doubts that our citizens can step up to that challenge.
In 1930 the Empire State building was constructed in 18 months. And came in $5 million under budget.
In WWII the AlCan highway was built in 8 months. 1400 miles long. 8 months. Through the utterly unimproved forests of the Yukon.
How long would it take to build a fence along the Mexican border with that kind of workforce and word ethic? Considering there are highways and roads and ammenities all along the border. 2 months? 90 days? Probably less.
Granted some things you can’t rush. But pouring concrete, laying pipe, running wires, etc., can all proceed 24 hours a day. It shouldn’t take more than a year to build a nuclear reactor. It shouldn’t take much longer to build a refinery. Start up the steel mills and start turning out pipe. Put many hands to work and you can lay dozens of miles of it every day.
Everyone wants the “energy crisis” solved instantly. It can be done, but instantly requires a whole lot of willing hands. And a willing government that opens doors and cuts red tape. I think it’s time the whole damn nation said “Yes we can” and then got it DONE.
Gosh, it’s going to cost. Well, let’s find some money. Let’s see ... UN? Oh, sorry, nothing for you. International aid? Oops, sorry, not this year. New textbooks? Nope. Higher welfare payments? Nope. And so on. There are billions and billions of dollars that could be redirected. Government should invest equally with private industry. Horrors!! And private industry would then sell the energy to the citizens at a zero profit rate for 30 years, at which time they would become the owners of the reactors and refineries. It could work. All it takes is willpower and sweat.
Everyone working for a set goal. Democracy at it’s best?
I believe that we could even take a note from WWII and do penny drives, private subscriptions, scrap drives, and bonds! Charge a “bond fee” of, say, a buck for every person who comes through the sally ports? Take seized vehicles from our drug smuggling friends and sell them for proceeds? (not to mention the huge piles of cash going the other way)
Yes, we can do it, but we are crippled by a “let someone else do it” or a “If it doesn’t affect me directly, who cares” attitude.
Of course, we will have the eco-friendly Prius driving, earth hugging, wetback loving,latte lapping liberweenies marching on it, but, hey, what’s a sign against a pissed off American with a shovel or a 2x4?
We need to take action. Not a “virtual Fence” that is as useless as Murtha, but a 20 foot tall 2 foot thick wall with inviting sally ports of entry. Dredge the Rio Grande and turn it into a 20 foot deep moat. ARM the border patrol decently.. I’m talking about AUTOMATIC WEAPONS, not the 9mm or .38s they arm them with now, M-16s, Mossbergs, and .50 cals mounted on the Hummers we supply them with!
Give the Border Patrol the training and means to keep our border secure.How to build the fence? Deported Wetba.. er migrant workers! We’d save millions on labor!
Pay them minimum wage, minus room and board, plus bus trip, and court costs. then present them with a check as we toss them back into Mexico. (yes, I am a fan of Irony) Put concertina on top of that fence. I bet we could get the fence built in 2 years, under budget, and solid as a rock! If anyone shirks, they get a couple of weeks added to their sentence >:D
For the nuke plant thing.. YES we can use them. It would make electric cars more viable, and with new technology, a lot safer than it was in the 70’s and early ‘80s.. we can also rebuild and upgrade the ones we have now. I’m sure GE would LOVE that!
I don’t care what the eco-weenies say. They want electric cars, and less emissions, they have to put up with something! We can even give the incentive that France does it. I have found that hippies adore anything that France does.
Work on Cold Fusion, or standard fusion, with the brainpower we have, and have access to, it should be easy to develop.Sorry.. I sort of ramble..
Bill
