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Energy Questions (Victor Davis Hanson is asking them)
The Corner at National Review Online ^ | 8 June 2008 | Victor Davis Hanson

Posted on 06/08/2008 10:04:19 AM PDT by SE Mom

Why is the U.N. holding conferences about rising food prices, but not spiraling oil prices that in various ways account for them? Somehow in the globalist mindset the agricultural producing world is more culpable than the non-productive OPEC world. But we should remember that it requires skill, ingenuity, and a certain craft to produce enough food to feed one's country and export the surplus, and none of the above to pump oil, an accident of nature that it is beneath one's feet, and, in the case of most of OPEC, a commodity and infrastructure that someone else found, developed and currently mostly maintains.

And why are Republicans, who voted in overwhelming numbers for off-shore drilling, ANWR, nuclear, shale, tar sands, liquid coal, etc—and were opposed by Democrats on grounds of wanting to enrich energy companies—not appealing to the country to develop domestic supplies on the basis of fairness (the poor have the least access to energy efficient homes and hybrid, fuel efficient new cars), the environment (the US can extract oil, in a fungible market, far more cleanly than Russia or the Middle East), and national security (most of OPEC, Russia, Venezuela are belligerents and becoming more dangerous the more trillions of dollars the West, China, and Japan transfer to them in their hard-won national wealth)?

It is a ready-made issue for them, and with skill can appeal to Americans of every persuasion who are starting to snicker when Obama soars in pie-in-the-sky sermons about wind, solar, and millions of new jobs in green energy. Maybe—but back on planet America until we get there the working class is going to be paying a day or two per week of their wages to fuel their second-hand cars, while the environmentalists will buy new Priuses and an on-demand water heater for their tasteful homes. One would have thought the President, who was on right side of these production issues, would give a national address calling for a bipartisan effort to produce energy to get us through these hard times, or Republican senators would now be reintroducing energy legislation almost daily.

But given the current conservative ineptness, $5 a gallon gas will be blamed on the war, or lack of federal subsidies to solar, or the oil companies, and not the elite agenda of utopians who were not willing to do what was necessary for the collective good to help us transition through to new fuels.


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Front Page News; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: 110th; energy; energyprices; foodsupply; gasprices; oil; un; vdh; victordavishanson
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It's really mind-boggling that the GOP will NOT aggressively respond to the mess we're in with oil.

Hanson sums it up very well.

1 posted on 06/08/2008 10:04:20 AM PDT by SE Mom
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To: SE Mom

~snip~

And why are Republicans, who voted in overwhelming numbers for off-shore drilling, ANWR, nuclear, shale, tar sands, liquid coal, etc—and were opposed by Democrats on grounds of wanting to enrich energy companies—not appealing to the country to develop domestic supplies on the basis of fairness ..

~snip~


2 posted on 06/08/2008 10:17:46 AM PDT by SE Mom (Proud mom of an Iraq war combat vet)
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To: SE Mom

With Juan McAmnesty leading the GOP, why would you expect anything different? The GOP = Rat.


3 posted on 06/08/2008 10:28:00 AM PDT by VRWC For Truth (No mas Juan "Traitor Rat" McAmnesty)
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To: SE Mom
They are. The problem is all the usual “Conservative” talking heads in the Media are too busy whining about the GOP to listen to what is going on in DC.

The Conservative movement has itself trapped in a negative feedback loop. They are so upset with the GOP these days they refuse to say anything at all positive about the GOP (aka the GOP lead filibuster of the Cap and Trade bill, the Republican Energy plan) because saying anything positive is seen as “carrying the GOPs water” so they do nothing but bitch which allows the Democrats to control the media template. Since Democrats control the spin, things get worse causing the Conservative talking heads to bitch more which gives the Democrat more control of the spin.

Conservative better get their heads out of their butts pretty soon and start fighting FOR things instead of being knee jerk against everything or they are going to find themselves looking at a 60 Seat Democrat Senate

4 posted on 06/08/2008 10:32:07 AM PDT by MNJohnnie (http://www.iraqvetsforcongress.com ---- Get involved, make a difference.)
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To: VRWC For Truth

It’s beyond belief- the GOP could make some serious gains here by taking the initiative on energy...but...they just get into shouting contests with the Dems.


5 posted on 06/08/2008 10:32:19 AM PDT by SE Mom (Proud mom of an Iraq war combat vet)
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To: VRWC For Truth

90% of votes for more US Energy production were from the GOP, 87% against from Democrats.

YEAH, there are a lot of differences between the 2 parties if people would actually pay attention to what is going on in DC instead of just bitching.


6 posted on 06/08/2008 10:33:10 AM PDT by MNJohnnie (http://www.iraqvetsforcongress.com ---- Get involved, make a difference.)
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To: SE Mom
This will tell the tale behind those responsible for high gas prices:

Who In The Hell Is Responsible For $5 Gas?/Placing The Blame For High Gas Prices

7 posted on 06/08/2008 10:34:22 AM PDT by TennTuxedo
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To: SE Mom

Mitch McConnell for President


8 posted on 06/08/2008 10:34:45 AM PDT by gusopol3
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To: SE Mom

This Hansen is beginning to be irrelevant. Is he on Sanka now?


9 posted on 06/08/2008 10:36:34 AM PDT by RightWhale (We see the polygons)
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To: TennTuxedo

I just read that- and my blood pressure is rising by the minute.


10 posted on 06/08/2008 10:36:40 AM PDT by SE Mom (Proud mom of an Iraq war combat vet)
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To: RightWhale

oh please enlighten us (and not about the de-caf)


11 posted on 06/08/2008 10:38:23 AM PDT by gusopol3
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To: gusopol3

Have you read ‘The Prize’?


12 posted on 06/08/2008 10:39:20 AM PDT by RightWhale (We see the polygons)
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To: RightWhale

no


13 posted on 06/08/2008 10:41:54 AM PDT by gusopol3
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To: SE Mom
You wrote, "Why is the U.N. holding conferences about rising food prices, but not spiraling oil prices that in various ways account for them?"

The UN is holding conference about rising food prices because the US is the top grower of corn and soybeans and the 3rd ranked grower of oats and wheat in the world. Data from 2005. The UN sees America as the problem and not the granary to the world.

Now contrast the UN's fervor to hold conferences to solve the food crisis and not a peep about the "oil crisis".

14 posted on 06/08/2008 10:42:01 AM PDT by jriemer (We are a Republic not a Democracy)
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To: gusopol3

Check it out. Takes the oil industry from beginning through a few years ago.


15 posted on 06/08/2008 10:43:40 AM PDT by RightWhale (We see the polygons)
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To: RightWhale

I see it was written in 1993. I know oil was about $10/ bl in 1999 and it’s $138 now. As a first guess, I wouldn’t think the book has all the answers.


16 posted on 06/08/2008 10:49:52 AM PDT by gusopol3
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To: MNJohnnie

ROFL, in case you forgot, the GOP had a Congressional majority for a decade about 2 years ago. They did NOTHING ... which is why they lost.


17 posted on 06/08/2008 10:50:39 AM PDT by VRWC For Truth (No mas Juan "Traitor Rat" McAmnesty)
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To: gusopol3

It has a lot. You will recognize many if not all of the problems now have been problems all along.


18 posted on 06/08/2008 10:53:00 AM PDT by RightWhale (We see the polygons)
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To: VRWC For Truth
I know, reality is far too difficult and complex for Americans to deal with anymore. So much simpler for us if we all just surrender to the simplistic slogans that are screamed at us 24-7-365 from our televisions and our radios.

“GOP bad, Democrats good”

Seem Conservative are not going to be happy until they whine themselves into a 60 seat Democrat Senate.

19 posted on 06/08/2008 11:13:04 AM PDT by MNJohnnie (http://www.iraqvetsforcongress.com ---- Get involved, make a difference.)
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To: SE Mom
It's the new tone of the Republican Party, of the RINOs, doncha know, trying to win moderates and casual liberals.

It's leftism-lite, with no taste and half the calories.

If the Republicans don't hammer the DemocRATS for the oil situation, they deserve to lose — again — in November.

Guess it's going to have to hit rock-bottom before right-minded people rebuild the country again.

Effing liberals.

20 posted on 06/08/2008 11:14:52 AM PDT by Ghost of Philip Marlowe (If Hillary is elected, her legacy will be telling the American people: Better put some ice on that.)
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