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Blog Entry 173 of 204 The Subversive Liberal
"If by a "liberal" they mean someone who looks ahead and not behind, someone who welcomes new ideas without rigid reactions, someone who cares about the welfare of the people — their health, their housing, their schools, their jobs, their civil rights and their civil liberties — someone who believes we can break through the stalemate and suspicions that grip us in our policies abroad, if that is what they mean by a "liberal," then I'm proud to say I'm a "liberal." – President John F. Kennedy...................... Some people find me and that sentiment subversive. I'm here to set the record straight and offer the real typical liberal point of view. Some call it subversive, I call it patriotic.

Blog Url: http://denver.yourhub.com/~BingVanGorden

Oil!

Contributed by: Bing Van Gorden   on 6/29/2008

Can we all admit to ourselves now that "free markets" and unregulated capitalism do not serve our national interests? One word typifies the failure of a greed based system to provide for our security. That word is Oil! Or as Upton Sinclair would say Oil!!!!!!! Despite what the neo-cons would have you believe, government serves a purpose. And yes, if it needs to meddle in the affairs of business if it's in the public's interest then it has an obligation to do so.

Oil is running our lives. It's a political bludgeon and we are addicts for it. We need and use plastics and fuel to power our daily lives. Oil can warm us in winter and cool us in summer all the while powering our vehicles including our military and emergency services. For decades we've been sold the notion that there is no other way. We must rely on this and this alone. To do otherwise would ruin the economy they say. We must, if need be, go after these resources by force. If we pollute stretches of coastline so be it. If we rape the consumer so a handful of wealthy people can be wealthier so be it. This is the order of all things. Thanks to the oil men. We love oil so much we would lay down with countries that foster the most outward hate towards us.

Drilling is not the answer. Environmentalists don't have the power to stop this energy monopoly juggernaut. There are leases available for purchase right now and the big oil companies don't want them anyway. They are corporations whose only responsibility is to share holders. Our security is of little concern to them, after all the oil men cry, there's nothing they can do about supply and demand. Yeah, right. And cigarettes aren't harmful to your health and asbestos doesn't cause cancer. Why do we allow corporations to screw the citizens of the world over when we have a document called the Constitution that is designed to prevent this from happening? Don't believe me? Think the founders were free marketeers and capitalists to the core? Then do some reading, you're wrong.

Corporations were not to last more than one's life time. Monopolies were abhorred. Accumulated wealth in too few hands was seen as an opportunity to return to the tyrannical rule of the King of England. Before terms like communist and socialist were common, the founding fathers looked to industry and business with as much trepidation as they did military rule or an all powerful executive. Yes, most were wealthy men, but they knew few were as virtuous as they and rights of people depended on protections from too much wealth being used against them. *gasp!*

Wouldn't have been prudent 30 some years ago to listen to Jimmy Carter about our energy policy? One that relied on conservation and not consumption as the current crop of political flacks want? One that turned away from conventional fossil fuels to solar, wind and thermal renewable resources? In Europe where stricter standards were placed on fuel efficient vehicles their economies managed to do fine and their vehicles and technology evolved along with it. In the States we have the same auto manufacturers making electric vehicles for sale there, telling us the technology doesn't exist and would be too costly if our government would do what's best for the people it represents and force them to comply to making better vehicles here.

Can we abandon the proven failure of this neo-con dream, that capitalism and corporations through markets will provide what's best for the public? It isn't supply and demand that has us being gouged at the pump. Demand is down, the price keeps going up. These aren't free markets they are fixed markets. And we are allowing industry to fix the system! That's what government is for! It's to protect our interests from this maddness. Consider the following, we rely on private contractors for providing military services now more than ever conceived of before. Our government actually promotes no bid, cost plus contracts to military contractors! War profiteering is being encouraged as a matter of business! Eisenhower would kick some tail if he were alive today. We actually trust our nations ports to private foreign companies from areas of the world where our American way of life is demonized. We've allowed millions of manufacturing jobs to leave our shores. The only industry mentioned in the Constitution is the press, the media. Often referred to as our 4th Estate of government, once viewed as essential to our liberty, has been allowed to merge and conglomerate into the hands of a few select individuals more concerned with making a buck than providing for an informed electorate. And at times, the NY TImes for example, it's worked in collusion with our government instead of questioning it.

I know this rant smacks of that scary old socialism. Because in a black and white world there is only that and capitalism. But we live in a world of color, not a utopia. There is a middle ground between the two that FDR found that brought us into our greatest age and we need to return to that. We have the buying power, we can control our own markets. In this age of heightened fear of terrorist attack we can't allow "free" markets to protect us. we need regulated markets that protect American workers, their jobs. We should have the right to feel secure that we are not one medical diagnosis away from complete bankruptcy. We should have control over our own destiny as a nation and not as some world business partner that allows our public policy decisions be solely driven by greed and in control of only a few.


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Showing 1-7 of 7 comments
Submitted By: Bing Van Gorden
posted on 8/1/2008 @ 11:48:49 AM
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David how many times are you going to hear "we told you so" from liberals before you top and consider maybe we have a grasp on the future? I find your assertion that the real reason is agianst energy independence at the expence of naitonal security is a blatant insult and it's completely false. We want energy independence! We have been fihting for it for years! We just don't want to be slaves to oil and to nuclear waste when there are safer alternatives. Frankly, how dare you say we don't care about our national security. If you have to come to that dumb conclusion your premise is dead wrong. I love my country and I won't let anyone get away with that garbage. You ahev to drink some pretty strong kool aid to accuse a group of fellow Americans of not caring about national security. That Bull shi t
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Submitted By: David Brown
posted on 7/27/2008 @ 2:18:33 PM
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Yes, it would have been prudent 30 years ago to listen to Jimmy Carter. We could have had a huge head start on developing solar energy WHILE AT THE SAME TIME drilling for our resources right here. But since hindsight is 20-20, let’s do now what we should've done then - "all of the above." Would I be wasting my breath encouraging you to support Boehner's bill for developing all of the above? Yes, because it isn't energy independence or a sound economy you're after, it is really the destruction of our capitalist society you truly want most no matter what it takes - $10 gasoline would be a good start and then a Cap & Trade that would really squash most of who is left with the highest, most unbearable utility bills anyone has ever seen. Then your new government could come in and “rescue” us “regular people.” That’s the real reason you and your side is against energy independence all at the expense of national security and the economy.
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Submitted By: Brian Crandall
posted on 7/7/2008 @ 12:43:49 PM
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Lets not forget that in Dubbya's 1st year in office he repealed all tax breaks for new energy including a $4,000 tax break for purchasing a hybrid vehicle. That tax break was replaced, literally, with a tax break for purchasing gas guzzling vehicles like Hummers. Dubbya and 6 years of republican congress put in place policy to ensure our countries reliance on oil, then came back with a fraction of the tax break they repealed, and blew their horn as new-energy promoters.
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Submitted By: Bing Van Gorden
posted on 7/3/2008 @ 11:49:51 AM
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A nice analogy Lisa but i would substitute the word religion with business. I think we see exactly how less regulation of industry has allowed more meddling of business in government than vice versa. How's that working out for you and the rest of us?
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Submitted By: Lisa Arata
posted on 7/1/2008 @ 10:53:52 AM
(Not Rated)
When government meddles in business, business is meddling in government.
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Submitted By: Ralph Dosser
posted on 6/30/2008 @ 9:52:37 AM
Rated Blog Entry
From the New York Times (which still does some fine reporting from time to time): "Four western oil companies [Exxon Mobil, Shell, Total and BP] are in the final stages of negotiations this month on contracts that will return them to Iraq, 36 years after losing their oil concession to nationalization as Saddam Hussein rose to power." The contracts are NO-BID. Does anybody still doubt we're in Iraq for the oil?
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Submitted By: Doug Wray
posted on 6/30/2008 @ 12:35:49 AM
Rated Blog Entry
The barons are alive and well. Until they're brought low, the nation will continue to pay the price for their greed and purposeful lack of vision. Good article!
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Showing 1-7 of 7 comments
CONTRIBUTOR INFORMATION

Bing Van Gorden

Longmont , CO

Bing Van Gorden has posted 204 blog entries and 979 comments since joining on 3/28/2007. Bing Van Gorden 's average blog rating is 3.5.
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