Comments on: Drilling here, drilling there

By: grumpypilgrim

grumpypilgrim — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 19:52:53 +0000

Yes, projektleiterin, although it is off-topic, I do defend the right to bear arms. That’s because, in America, in the vast majority of cases, access to firearms is not the problem. Usually, the problem is poverty…more specifically: poverty amid riches. Other problems include chronic racial injustice, substance abuse (and the inadequate treatment for it), byzantine attitudes about mental health care, etc. America is also unusual among today’s developed countries in that it officially sanctioned slavery (and practiced it on a massive scale) up until just a few generations ago. Also unlike most developed countries, the American entertainment industry (television, movies, video games, etc.) glamorizes extreme gun violence. Likewise the “news” media makes violent criminals into media celebrities. In my travels outside America, I’ve never witnessed anywhere the glorification of violence that occurs here. Bottom line: guns aren’t the problem; guns are tools that expose the problem.

By: projektleiterin

projektleiterin — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 20:07:09 +0000

Hey, I just remembered that grumpy defends the right to bear arms. That might come from a similar point of view.

By: projektleiterin

projektleiterin — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 20:01:00 +0000

Americans and their obsession with self-reliance and autarky, because beware - enemies are everywhere and developing conspiracy theories seems to be one favorite pastime. Sometimes I wonder if this paranoia is indeed justified or not a self-fulfilling prophecy.

In Germany the farmers get subsidies in order to preserve the landscape, fields, or so I have been told, not because we are afraid to be economically dependent on our neighbors.

By: grumpypilgrim

grumpypilgrim — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 19:08:14 +0000

As Erich mentions, conservation is, of course, important, but that issue is tangential to the issue of domestic versus non-domestic drilling, which is the point I’m trying to focus on in this post. Recent polls suggest that high oil prices are causing a large swing in American public opinion away from environmental protection and energy conservation, and toward greater domestic production, on the grounds that “increased domestic production will reduce America’s dependence on foreign oil.” My point is that increased domestic production will only *temporarily* reduce America’s dependence on foreign oil; in the long run it will accelerate America’s dependency. Future generations will have to pay for America’s short-term thinking.

By: Erich Vieth

Erich Vieth — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 01:46:56 +0000

A third alternative: we use entirely too much oil. Let’s cut our oil use in half. I’m not exaggerating. Car pool, public transit, drop unnecessary trips, cycle to work, make homes/office much more energy efficient, etc etc. We’re digging our own grave.