“This is our ethanol”
So an exasperated Sen. Barbara Boxer screams that the farm-belt senators better support her regional selfishness in opposing California off-shore drilling against the national interest, in the same manner she went along with the ethanol boondoggle. Odd that she was so brazen in her confessional.
Jackson’s N-word
I give some credit to Barack Obama. His ‘hope and change’ mantra drives some to near madness and has proved a wrecking ball of liberal careers. First, in 90 days he destroyed the Clinton political machine, leaving Bill’s past 7-year effort at PC rehabilitation, after Monica and the pardons, in shambles. Now his success has enraged Jackson to the point of making a fool of himself and, once more, revealing himself as a hypocrite as well— and all but marks the end of that demagogue’s pernicious career of professional victimization as a shake-down artist.
Central California Haze
Some of the worst air experienced in my life (right up there with 1970s Athens and Cairo) lingers over the San Joaquin Valley this summer, all of it brought on by ocean winds that blew in coastal forest fire smoke from the central coast, along with a few nearby foothill and Sierra blazes. But for all the health alerts, there is oddly not a word about the ensuing carbon footprint, and the heat and soot destroying the environment.
I think we have more ash in the air than what a coal plant in Fresno would have produced in 20 years. And yet no one is talking about better forest management and the culling of trees and brush, or the need to store more water in new or heightened dams.
In the same manner that black-on-black violence does not earn the liberal outcry that the much rarer white-on-black violence garners, in the same manner that a “Men Working” sign is proof of pernicious sexism in a way that global female circumcision and honor killings are not, so too when nature proves a horrendous polluter, soot and ash are not soot and ash—but a logical byproduct of nature dealing with forest overgrowth, and a much needed refurbishing of floral ecosystems.
VP
McCain has certain requisites: the VP must be younger, more vigorous, have executive gubernatorial experience, know a great deal about the economy, be previously vetted and cross-examined, be more conservative and appeal to the base, be a proven campaigner without propensity to say silly things, have fundraising appeal and/or access to capital. If one were to collate all that with what’s on the shelf, then Romney seems the only likely choice.
Hillary snoozing but coiled
I think Hillary is still coiled. Given Obama’s sudden out-of-the-blue pronouncements, he is one “typical white person” slur or “clingers” rant away from jeopardizing the nomination. So she sits ready to strike, if he flubs up before the convention and terrifies his fund-raising base. One line can be lethal. Ford lost an election over his implication that communist Eastern Europe was free. Kerry’s “I was for it before I was against it” mish-mash doomed him. Carter’s loss of his inordinate fear of communism came back to haunt him in the 1980 election.
Hope and Change
To the degree Obama can call for “hope and change” in front of huge crowds in teleprompted set cadences, he will win; to the degree he at last must debate, do town halls, and do tough interviews, he will lose.
Who wouldn’t be for hope and change given the dismal news about the anemic dollar, the two wars, the huge trade deficits, the mortgage crisis, and so on?
But the problem with Obama’s relief package is that it seems to make things worse not better. Why pull out of Iraq now when a stable government is in sight and US casualties have nosedived? A trillion in new taxes to fund a trillion in new entitlements is not going to reduce the annual deficit, but it will stifle economic growth. In times of slow growth, the idea that we would raise simultaneously income, payroll, capital gains, and inheritance taxes makes no sense. More “oppression studies” and ethnic theme charter high schools are exactly what we don’t need for our undereducated youth—unless one thinks more therapy and less knowledge-based learning will save our students.
More competition and personal responsibility and initiative, not more centralized government control, is essential to reduce health care costs. As for NAFTA, FISA, gun control, campaign financing reform, capial punishment, late-term abortions, etc. you figure out what Sen. Obama wants, since I cannot. As far as bipartisanship, McCain has the record (ask his furious conservative base), Obama the rhetoric.
No blood for what?
One of the strangest things about the antiwar opposition is the charge that the Iraq war caused the oil price explosion. I say strange, since heretofore the Left had argued that we went into Iraq to guarantee cheap oil!
But more to the point, the supply of oil has not decreased since 2003, but grown by about 5 million per day. Even Iraqi oil is now in greater supply than before the war. The most likely culprit is instead increased demand—fueled by the growing appetites of India and China over the last five years, the global economic expansion and its need for energy, and traders’ perceptions that US demand would always increase while our production would continue to decrease. From time to time, incidents in Iraq, Palestine, Lebanon, or Iran can spike prices, but the rise was due to more fundamental problems.
Note as Iraq quiets down and its government stabilizes, there will not be a corresponding decline in oil prices on the theory the region is stable.
ANWR
There are a number of reasons to drill in ANWR:
1) The logic of “it only might provide a million barrels a day” is flawed when we beg the Saudis to pump another 300,000 to calm markets that are jittery and deal often in symbolism. The US willingness to drill there and add another million to the global pot would reverse the present psychology that we will always use more and ask the world to provide us with the increase.
2) “It will take ten years.” Such a reductionist answer could be applied to every liberal nostrum from global warming to solar and wind. The point is that should we start now on solar, wind, ANWR, coastal and shelf drilling, tar sands, shale, coal, nuclear, so that very soon each year, each new asset will kick in and soon we won’t have a nearly trillion dollar foreign energy bill. At some point do we have any national pride–giving away $140 a barrel to those who hate us and who pump it at $5 a barrel and who did not find or develop it?
3) We need to cease our hypocrisy in which we won’t drill for environmental reasons that only puts increased pressures on those who will for money and with absolute no concern about the global environment. And we should drill as much as possible both to collapse the world price and help the poor here, as well in Africa and Latin America, and to ensure that as much oil as possible is extracted under American environmentally sound practices.
4) At $140 a barrel, a million barrels per day will add, at a time of reoccurring economic difficulty, well over $50 billion to the nation’s economy each year.
Anonymous nonsense
I have often been the target of Michael Scheuer, the former CIA analyst, and author of Imperial Hubris. In his latest blast, he includes me with a list of those who he claims have “dual loyalties” to the United States, and suggests that writing for National Review and the Wall Street Journal is typical of a “fifth column” who in traitorous fashion have essentially sold out the interest of the United States on behalf of Israel. I didn’t know that I had become an Israeli stooge out in the country, 20 miles south of Fresno, not exactly known as a hotbed of Zionist activity.
Those are serious charges, and Scheuer, of course, can adduce no proof to substantiate them other than my past support, along with tens of millions of other Americans, for existing U.S. policy to support the democratic state of Israel, since it is in our political, ethical, and historical self-interest (and, remember, simultaneously we give about the same number of billions in aggregrate to Jordan, Egypt and until recently the Palestinians.) But then I have been for years confused by Scheuer’s creepiness. I could not fathom how an active CIA analyst was allowed to write a tell-all book, while on the job, damning his own government, with sometimes anonymous sources, and, in Joe-Klein-fashion, under the pseudonym “Anonymous.” I have some regrets in this life, but not signing my own name to my own work is not one of them.
But even more confusing are Scheuer’s amazing statements over the years that Al Qaeda is not a terrorist organization, that its grievances are understandable and center on Israel, that “Iraq is finished” (as in failed), and, most reprehensibly, that “the Holocaust Museum here in our country is another great ability (sic) to somehow make people feel guilty about being the people who did the most to try to end the Holocaust.”
He was once delegated to find and take care of bin Laden; and then wrote books blaming almost everyone else for the subsequent failure. Al Qaeda and Iraq were once linked, we were told, and then after the invasion, of course not. And on and on and on with the same old, same old tired trope since 9/11 that everyone is a fool except Scheuer. He ended up hating his doppelgänger Richard Clark— which made perfect sense given that their “they did it, not me” modus operandi, inability to stop or hunt down terrorists, and subsequent celebrity careers dovetailed.
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31 Comments
1. TLM:I thought Osama bin Laden’s initial grievances focused mostly on the presence of U.S. troops in the muslim holy land, our support of the House of Saud, and the mistaken belief we willy-nilly killed muslims around the world. The Arab-Israeli conflict was far down on his list of concerns, or added later as an afterthought. He declared war on us and the West in general (1998), not on Israel I believe. The majority of his attacks up to and including 9/11 were directed against us and no one else. Odd that Scheuer believes that al Quaida was fixated on Israel.
Unbelievable that Bush never fired anyone over the Intelligence failures leading up to 9/11, or after the invasion of Iraq. He surely had suitable candidates deserving to be canned.
Jul 17, 2008 - 3:04 pm 2. The Historian:Dr Hanson:
I am in total agreement as to McCain’s Veep choice.
In addition to what you list there is the sort of bass ackwards experience Romney has on the subject of government provided health care which appears to be on the voters priority lists. He has most certainly learned much about what does not work and thus, conversly, what has a better chance of succeeding.
Jul 17, 2008 - 3:25 pm 3. vb:Historian: Another point on Romney and health care–he has said he favored developing individual state programs so that we can see what works best. There is a modesty and practicality about this that I find very refreshing in a year when we are being told the oceans will stop rising.
Jul 17, 2008 - 4:29 pm 4. TLM:Recommended viewing — McCain campaign web video outlining Obama’s often contradictory statements on Iraq. He’s much smoother at changing his mind than Kerry was. His secret is to never hold a position long enough to be accused of flip-flopping when he adopts a contrary stance. It’s like watching a wind surfer caught in a hurricane.
Jul 17, 2008 - 4:33 pm 5. Ron Kean:What about Guiliani? I’m like I was at the beginning of the campaign season. Guiliani, Romney, Thompson,…I’d take any one of them. But I never thought I’d have to vote for McCain. I just gave him more money. The alternative is too frightening. But when I look at him, all I see is Tim Conway.
Jesse Jackson for Surgeon General!
I have a great idea. Eat corn. Don’t burn it.
1. Canned corn
2. Corn on the cob
3. Corn fritters
4. Corn bread
5. Corny jokes
I think the only thing cool about California is the Governor. I think Obama or McCain should put him anywhere in their cabinet. Put him in a meeting at the White House and hear him say, ‘I’ll be back.’
There are more and more requests to see documents relevant to Obama’s past. Authoritative voices on the Right said to stand down on the birth certificate demand. But there are many many more documents that remain hidden. And it’s Mrs. Clinton’s people that are raising the red flags…not the Republicans.
The hard left knows that deep down, no matter what he says, he’s one of them.
I’ve got another great idea. Eat Caribou.
1. Caribou steaks
2. Caribou ribs
3. Caribou stew
4. Cari-burgers
I guess I’ll just have to send Claire McCaskill another postcard.
I, for one, respect VDH for always signing his name. He inspired me to do the same. And I encourage all who come to this blog to follow his example.
Maybe Joseph McCarthy was right (same with kabud). As Islam tries to infiltrate the west’s power centers, maybe the commies already have. Maybe, just maybe your detractor is one.
Jul 17, 2008 - 5:03 pm 6. J.E. Dyer:Good catch on the failure of environmentalists to get exercised over nature’s remedy for overforestation (fire), and its impact on air quality. The reason we don’t mimic the function of fire in populated areas, and thin the brush and trees, is precisely what you say: “environmentalist” policies.
The reason “drought” in California could have a significant impact on water availability this year (or any other year) is also environmentalist policies, which have prevented the entire West from upgrading its water infrastructure to capture more rainfall and snow run-off. The Sierra-Cascade is a naturally generous water sump, but our outdated reservoir system captures far less than it could. The Pacific states have been prevented from improving water management for decades, by environmentalist lawsuits in federal court.
The proximate issue this year is last year’s injunction by the 9th Circuit court to suspend pumping from the Sacramento River reservoir, whenever the delta smelt is lurking in the vicinity of the pumps. California has already proposed an upgrade to the pumps that would make them less hazardous to the smelt fish, but has — you guessed it — been enjoined against proceeding with that upgrade by the 9th Circuit.
The smelt could provoke pumping suspensions resulting in as much as 70% less water being available to southern California this year. This is not because the water isn’t sitting in the reservoir. It’s because a federal judge won’t let us pump it. This was the precipitating factor in Ahnold’s declaration of a drought in early June.
Interestingly, it is individual homeowners who are exhorted to drastically cut back their water use — not, just as an example, the desert cities (Palm Springs area) that maintain a wholly unnatural environment of fescue grass and varied botanical profusions in their public green spaces, and around malls and hotels. The golf courses gracing the desert must be watered, whereas homeowners in Orange County are adjured to switch to rock terracing, and do fewer loads of laundry.
Jul 17, 2008 - 5:55 pm 7. JHC:Iran doesn’t matter. What is the United States doing messing around, trying to convince itself that some “minor power” like Iran really matters to the national security of the greatest nation on Earth? We should let these idiots go and kill themselves in the middle east and instead spend the hundreds of billions protecting our own country, not some crazed religionists who believe that there is some thing as a “God” who cares what way he is worshiped. What difference does it make to the security of the United States whether God is praised in a mosque or a synagogue?
Jul 17, 2008 - 6:25 pm 8. jp:Dear Professor, your recent column Barack W Bush is a gem. I found myself shaking my head in wonder at each item, while saying uh-huh to each one. Pity that BHO will not have to endure the public censure, scorn, hate (and worse) that Bush has had from the Dems, as Obama assumes the same views.
Incidentally, Hillary’s campaign team referred to the Shining One as BHO, but Obama’s team only referred to him as BO – the ‘H’ was not allowed. A friend swears that BHO stands for Big Honking 0(zero/nothing).
It does seem that people are finally becoming aware of all the flip-flops: ‘Presumptive Democratic nominee Barack Obama, responding to accusations that he’s tacked to the center on issues like the Iraq War, gun control and wiretapping: “People who say this haven’t been listening to me.” ???
He is prepared to try to be all things to all people, left, right and center, to win. A case of ‘monkey see, monkey do’. In the end, if he should win the presidency, there is no doubt in my mind that he will immediately shift back to the far left, where his heart and mind have always been. During the long campaign he has learned many ploys that have been useful to him, and he is certainly an opportunist, and changes his strategy as he sees that another may serve him better.
‘Hope’ and ‘change’ is the perfect slogan for him…’Hope’ that I can flim-flam enough people to vote for me, and ‘change’ the message to suit the crowd.
Ron Kean
Jesse for Surgeon General is brilliant.
As was suggested in an earlier thread, I wish that the President would declare drilling in ANWR for emergency supplies for the military, so it would be a done deal.
With all the discussion of “10 years to” get oil from ANWR, oil shale, etc., and build more nuclear plants, there is another aspect that I have not seen mentioned: I read that China has assembled secret teams to go out and sign up all the contracts to buy uranium that they can find. With their voracious appetite for commodities, and their deep pockets, they could tie up most of the supply of available uranium. And the Russians have planted the USSR flag under the sea at the North Pole, where there is projected to be billions of barrels of oil. And here we sit, with Congress and the environmentalists saying ‘No You Can’t Drill’. Nice world.
Jul 17, 2008 - 8:22 pm 9. Jimmy J.:Many good points as usual.
15 years ago we had just moved into a new home in the eastern foothills of the Cascade Mountains. A forest fire started three miles from our house and burned around us on three sides for a week. The smoke and ash was incredible. There was one benefit, however. We had planted new trees and shrubs that spring. I swear all the CO2 in that smoke was sucked up by those plants. They were very luscious and green when the fire finally burned out. The enviros forget that plants love all that CO2.
Drilling ANWR? It is not a question of whether it will ever be drilled. As supplies of oil shrink and demand continues, it will eventually be drilled. So, we might as well go ahead and do it when it can help our economy transition to the energy of the future. Same with the copius deposits off Santa Barbara.
We need to recognize that oil is a depleting resource and use what we have now to help us transition to the hydrogen, electricity, or ??? of the future. Just drilling without simultaneously moving toward a non-fossil energy source would be the heighth of foolishness.
As you point out hydro-electric can still be used for clean renwable energy while at the same time supplying water for irrigation in drought years. For some insane reason the enviros are dead set against it.
I made the mistake of buying one of Scheur’s books. He is an anti-semite if I ever read one. Will never buy another of his books.
Jul 17, 2008 - 10:30 pm 10. jp:The latest issue of Fortune has an article about the strong interest in solar energy, and the hot emerging market for land in the CA, AZ and NV desert, especially the Mojave. Over one hundred applications filed so far for nearly a million acres. Most bids have been placed by LLC’s with opaque names, but there are many large companies involved. One of the largest is Goldman Sachs (as Solar Investments), made its first land claim in 2006, for 125,000 acres for a power plant. They have also filed claims for 40,000 acres in NV.
Utility Companies, Silicon Valley firms, foreign solar firms, Chevron, etc., are all filing claims. Some farmers sold land valued at a few hundred thousand for 45 million to one foreign company.
The conservationists will be in full cry, because some of the areas are critical habitat for the desert tortoise and other protected species.
Jul 18, 2008 - 5:56 am 11. Cornhead:I. Prediction on VP: if not Romney, then it might be Herman Cain.
Mr. Cain ran and owned Godfather’s Pizza in Omaha, NE. He then moved back to Georgia and ran for the US Senate. He lost, but he is one impressive guy.
II. Michael Schuer is a nut and failure. He was in charge of capturing UBL at the CIA. Nice work.
Jul 18, 2008 - 7:56 am 12. TurfMonster:Herman Cain would be a very interesting choice for VP. I’ve been angry with him for not running for Congress as a Representative since losing his bid for Senate (I’d like to see him succeed and he needed to establish a base to build upon, IMO) but I would be very happy to support him as VP.
Too bad we won’t be able to see him take on Obama directly. That would be worth the price of admission – I’d pop a bunch of popcorn and make certain the refridge was well stocked for the event for Herman would tear him apart!
Jul 18, 2008 - 10:57 am 13. BWalker:In the U.S., prospecting for and drilling new wells for oil and gas continues unabated. A major problem is the availability of oil rigs to keep up with the demand.
Jul 18, 2008 - 12:07 pm 14. Brad:As for the “it will take ten years” whine, it is possible to drill into oil and gas formations, set pipe and begin to pump product sometimes within weeks. Transportation to refineries and refinery capacity may present other problems. Still, the domestic U.S. oil industry is going all out to try to fill the gap with existing permits and leases, including secondary and tertiary recovery in older wells, in spite of bureaucratic barriers and liberals throwing up their hands about “ten years.” Sensibly, we have to begin the expanded effort, now.
It would be a weird, but kinda cool, ticket name–McCain/Cain
Reminds me of Little Caesar’s Pizza ads, “Pizza Pizza”
Jul 18, 2008 - 12:29 pm 15. IcePilot:Drilling in ANWR – “well over $50 billion to the nation’s economy each year.”
And American jobs, to go with it.
Besides the fact that ANWR is one of the most desolate, godforsaken pieces of real estate in the world …
Jul 18, 2008 - 4:38 pm 16. Ron Kean:JHC:
Nukes make minor powers major powers.
Jul 18, 2008 - 4:48 pm 17. RuleTopia:re “Central California Haze”
Environmentalist somehow don’t see human beings as part of the environment. But the combustion engine is just as “natural” as a beehive or an ant hill, by definition. Environmentalist also decry any change in the environment even though the history of the universe is constant change and the central aspect of life itself is its ability to adapt and evolve.
It’s no wonder that hucksters abound under the “green” movement. Science and logic are not allowed.
Jul 18, 2008 - 8:43 pm 18. ~Paules:In May 1961, President Kennedy challenged the nation to reach the moon before the end of the decade. NASA developed and executed the plan almost from scratch, and we landed on the moon EIGHT years later. In 2008, after forty years of technological advancement and proven systems for oil exploration and production, we are asked to believe it will take TEN years before new sources for oil come on-line. I might be comparing apples and oranges, but the ten year claim makes no intuitive sense to me.
Jul 19, 2008 - 5:51 am 19. jp:Many Democrats, including BHO, oppose offshore drilling, but the public is starting to wake up. A recent survey conducted in Florida favors McCain’s view of policy reversal. McCain has turned the spotlight back on the billions of barrels of oil beneath the sea. Bush supported the campaign to lift bans on drilling in this area, bans in place since 1981. Now if they will really start fighting to get it done.
Presently, Brazil has the majority of large oil rigs under contracts, to drill the large Tupi field that they discovered offshore, and the even larger second field that was recently found. They are planning to spend billions to have more of these huge specialized rigs built to recover the oil, which will be one of the largest supplies in the world.
They also manufacture enough ethanol (from sugarcane, not corn) to supply all their own needs, and still have plenty to export. The corn that we use to make ethanol is not only adding to the high cost of food and commodities, it uses more energy to make the ethanol than it provides in energy for your vehicle. If Congress would remove the import taxes from ethanol, we would have a reliable source from Brazil.
Fortunately, there are new technologies that are being developed now that may help the situation. One small company has developed a process that uses microwaves to extract oil from matter. They have already shown that oil can be processed from old tires, and their patented process is now being used to extract oil from shale. Hopefully as new technologies come online they will begin to solve some of our problems.
Jul 19, 2008 - 7:52 am 20. PA:I find Dr. Hanson’s criticism of Dr. Michael Scheuer – as well as some of the comments posted above (ex: MS is a “nut and a failure”) – very disingenuous. It’s ironic to me that VDH champions “men of action” (e.g. Epaminondas, Sherman, Patton, etc.) yet chastises one of these very same men when his views differ from those of his own. MS served our country honorably for 20 years in the CIA and because he decides to speak out against policies which he feels hinder our ability to optimally defend our country, he is deemed (by VDH:) “creepy” and a traitor (not something VDH has called him, but others). I very much respect Dr. Hanson and enjoy reading his views; if this were not the case I wouldn’t be posting here. However sometimes his retaliatory comments are fickle and, to me, just plain incorrect. MS always presents himself as composed, well spoken, and offers constructive criticism vis-a-vis our country and its policies, both good and bad. I get the feeling that, had MS came out and said something to the effect that VDH’s comments were spot-on concerning the nature of the Islamic threat and/or our efforts in Iraq, VDH would be saying that he is a veteran public servant and a hero. If Michael Scheuer’s qualifications don’t dictate that what he says should be, at the very least, taken seriously, than who’s are?
Jul 19, 2008 - 2:26 pm 21. Kevin Bove:Thank you for your inspiring writings on “can do” America.
Jul 19, 2008 - 7:37 pm 22. Ron Kean:Would you consider the vice-presidential position if offered, professor?
PA
MS didn’t just disagree with VDH, he accused VDH of being part of a Zionist conspiracy. He accused VDH of being a puppet of another country to the detriment of the USA. The accusation is a lie. MS is lying about our favorite professor.
’served our country honorably for 20 years in the CIA’ you say. What exactly do you know about the CIA? What goes on in that place anyway? We know a goofball named Valerie used to work there. She made up stories too with her husband just like MS. What was Saddam going to do with that ton of yellowcake they just evacuated? And why didn’t the CIA know that foreign terrorists were going to ram the World Trade Towers? Why didn’t MS do anything in his 20 years to prevent that?
MS ‘presents himself as composed, well spoken.’ He’s always seemed smug and condescending to me. Before I learned that he was after VDH. I think, like the Newsweek guy and now MS, should they ever get their name in a magazine using the VDH brand, more people will read their silly screeds.
There’s a lot of people we can take seriously. MS isn’t one.
Jul 20, 2008 - 3:23 pm 23. PA:Ron Kean
“What exactely do [I] know about the CIA?” Well, what exactly do you know about the CIA? Hopefully the silliness of this retort is not lost on you . . .
MS served our country by serving in the CIA for 20 years. Until I hear from reputable sources that he didn’t serve honorably I give him — as well as our brave men and women in the armed forces — the benefit of the doubt. Were we to follow your faulty logic using “Valerie” and “her husband” as examples, it should be doubted whether our men and women in the military serve honorably as well. That is to say, because a few members of our military have been involved in scandals or engaged in dishonorable acts, it should be doubted that other memebers of our military have served honorably. Again, silly . . .
Your next set of arguments — with its how-do-you-like-them-apples-conclusion — amounts to little more than: Why isn’t the CIA perfect? I guess you got me there; I am certain that MS and his lousy good-fur-nuthin CIA did nothing to protect our country in those 20 years.
If there is one thing I enjoy about Dr. Hanson’s writings, it is that he consistently warns us about the siren calls of utopian perfectionism: “Because something isn’t perfect doesn’t mean that it isn’t still good.” You would do well to heed this advice and stop Monday-Morning-Quarterbacking men who are actually in the arena.
The last part of your diatribe is unfortunately so incoherent I cannot respond to it.
MS, to my knowledge, never called VDH a member of a “Zionist conspiracy” or of being a “puppet of another country to the detriment of the USA.” If he did, I couldn’t disagree with him more on this — VDH is none of those things. MS questions influential government officials and academics (this is where VDH comes in) seemingly unconditional support for the state of Israel and the judiciousness of policies resulting form this support. That’s his position. Whether or not this is an accurate portrayal of the administration or VDH each can decide for themselves. I don’t believe it is, I support Israel, but I do think we should constantly reassess the degree of our involvement in the region. That is what democratic debate is all about.
So go on, don’t take someone who spent the better part of his life dedicated to ensuring the security of this country — however imperfectly — seriously. I’m sure he has earned such gratitude.
Jul 20, 2008 - 5:15 pm 24. Jimmy J.:PA
Dr. Hanson wrote this: “In his latest blast, he includes me with a list of those who he claims have “dual loyalties” to the United States, and suggests that writing for National Review and the Wall Street Journal is typical of a “fifth column” who in traitorous fashion have essentially sold out the interest of the United States on behalf of Israel.”
That seems pretty straightforward to me. In reading his book, “Imperial Hubris,” I was struck by Scheur’s belief that there is a vast Jewish conspiracy that is manipulating the U.S. government to our detriment. His only evidence, as far as I can tell is that we are a long-term, reliable ally of Israel. Beyond that I have seen no proof of the conspiracy or “fifth column” he refers to. Do you have such evidence? If so, I think you should post it here for all to see. In the absence of concrete evidence, I count MS as a conspiracy theorist who has simply read too many old John Birch Society tracts.
Jul 20, 2008 - 7:30 pm 25. Jack Marcotte:Essential vdh
Those that think wind farms are to reduce CO2 and reduce energy costs and create more usable power that equals their installed capacity think again.
They have been structured as tax shelters. Look at who is setting them up. Wind energy only makes operational sense under certain conditions. An isolated farm or ranch or some one trying to make themselves “feel good green” can play with a “windmill” and storage batteries with inverters to provide a stable source of power.
Any knowledgeable electrical engineer who understands how the electrical power grid across the US works knows that Wind energy is another boondoggle. Even when there is wind it is variable and thus the output is variable.
Does anyone doubt that the existing electrical grid capacity will still have to be maintained at its existing size and continue to grow to cover even the wind “energy” component much less population and business growth.
Try shaving in the morning with an electric razor with variable voltage and amperage. So you use a straight razor.
Try running a factory and 300+ horsepower high voltage motors on wind energy electrical power. You get the point.
What happens to the electrical generating industries’ capital when they have to pay for energy from a Wind farm. They still have to maintain capital investments in for sure(nuc,oil, gas) power plants and now they are expected to pay for some wind blown schemes that may produce power only during part of the day, sometimes not at all and variable.–but they still have to pay for it just because when the wind blows the meter is running and our PC but ignorant Congress dictates this. Don’t worry it will all be paid through our rate structures at home and at the office.
T.B Pickens may be a nice guy but with all of that “cheap” west Texas cactus land he bought why do you think he wants to put up Wind power. To create the tax shelters he needs for income from Oil.
Since oil investments have no home in America and still no answer from Congress what else is a smart man to do and look good doing it for the ignorant green movement.
The extent of knowlege of 90% of the green movement today is to paint their logos green. And sit under green banners. The operative words are sit and rant.
The center beams of America will begin to pull apart when all most people in America know how to do is to sit and rant and look for handouts.
Algore is an embarrassment to America’s past, common sense and science and if he represents the future there will be no America.
Algore endorsed Obama and now we should expect leadership not from merit but from affirmative action with its roots in political corruption and extortion.
It used to be that by the 5th or 6th grade Americans knew that the entire biological world, thus the entire world, is based on CO2 serving as energy for plants. It is such a small and critical part of the atmosphere it can be and has been a much bigger part.
The entire biological system is based on a CO2 cycle that depended on fire. Do any care to calculate what the great plains prairie looked like when it burned as part of the plant cycle needed for its continued “rebirth” and growth as needed before it was plowed under.
The entire Great Plains prairie and Forests from sea to shining sea had to depend on fire for its very existance. It evolved that way the very life cycle of plants depended on it.
More CO2 was produced then than now where all fires are put out. Essentially there are now no fires. The tonnage burned as part of nature far exceeded what we put into the air now.
Before the Great plains became farm land it is conceivable that fires as large as Kansas burned at any one time over the plains to put nutrients back into the soil and CO2 back into the air providing a burst of growth not seen anymore anywhere in the world, nor seen since.
When it wasn’t burned it was eaten primarily by bison who digested it and of course produced CO2 and water, along with fats, proteins, utilizing the minerals for complex biological processes. Thus the cycle turned.
My Grandfather was born in 1895 and saw the Kansas prairies before they were plowed under. They lived with the threat of fires and were prepared to protect their homestead buildings but knew the fires were necessary for the land. They saw the benefits first hand. Fighting fire with fire made perfect sense to them.
An Algore would have sounded like an idiot to those settlers just as he should now. Anyone who has seen the rebirth of land after a fire knows that it is part of the cycle of life. Certain trees and plants cannot even reproduce themselves without fire. CH4 + O2—2H20 + CO2
The Green movement is now talking about how to stop cows from “gassing or belching” Amazing. Idiots all.
Think or read independantly before you run with the herd over the cliff- and you damn well better vote.
Jul 20, 2008 - 8:35 pm 26. Ron Kean:‘he [MS] includes me [VDH] with a list of those who he claims have “dual loyalties” to the United States, and suggests that writing for National Review and the Wall Street Journal is typical of a “fifth column” who in traitorous fashion have essentially sold out the interest of the United States on behalf of Israel. I didn’t know that I had become an Israeli stooge out in the country, 20 miles south of Fresno, not exactly known as a hotbed of Zionist activity.’
Jul 21, 2008 - 5:41 am 27. Ron Kean:…one more thing about one-sided unconditional support for Israel.
The US brokered Oslo agreement made Israel give thousands of weapons and ammunition to Arafat.
It’s my understanding that President Clinton invited Arafat to the White House many times and Arafat’s group received 10 billion dollars and euros during the 90’s.
US pressure stopped further Israeli retaliation in the recent war in the north after Hizbullah started it by attacking and kidnapping Israeli soldiers.
In George H.W.’s war, Israel sat still while over 50 scuds dropped on it because Israel’s friendship with the US has conditions.
Jul 21, 2008 - 5:51 am 28. PA:Jimmy J
Something is not “straightforward” unless it comes directly from the author’s own writings. For you, to tell me what VDH says, Scheuer says, about him, is far from being “pretty straightforward” and amounts to little more than a bad game of telephone.
Again, your statement concerning Scheuer speaking about a “vast Jewish conspriracy . . .” is very revealing. Please tell me on what page in any of his books he uses those exact words: “vast Jewish conspiracy.” If you cannot, this statment says much more about the filter of your own mind than anything MS has, in actuality, said about the US-Israel relationship.
“Do I have such evidence?” Of course not, I never said Israel was any of those things. Perhaps you should go back and re-read the portion of my comment concerning Israel if you have any further questions. Again, speaks volumes about your reading . . .
Stop interpreting what I have said, MS has said, VDH says, and everyone else for that matter; interpretation is not reading and says much more about the interpreter than it does the author.
Do I agree with the ad hominem remarks Michael Scheuer has made about VDH? Again, No. Do I agree with the ad hominem remarks VDH has made about Michael Scheuer in retaliation? No. Neither do us any good or further constructive debate on the issues. However, Michael Scheuer sometimes resorting to unbecoming bombastic remarks does not discredit him as a legitimate source of information on US national security policy; in the same vain, because VDH sometimes resorts to similar bombastic language, this does not discredit him as a good source of perspective on current policy issues. By your criteria, just as easily as you call MS a “conspiracy theorist” you could call VDH the same. Neither I think is correct.
Jewish interest groups do hold a lot of sway in this country but not in some crazy ‘conspiratorial’ way. Any group that has influence in our country should be watched regardless of whether they are Jewish, Arab, White, Black, extraterrestrial, etc. Interst groups are as American as ‘apple pie’ and go back to our Founding; watching interest groups and checking power is even more American than ‘apple pie’ and should continue steadfastly as well.
Reading some good history and not just op-ed pieces or political punditry can go a long way.
Jul 21, 2008 - 12:14 pm 29. Ron Kean:I don’t think VDH ever resorts to bombastic language.
Is it OK to listen in to the conversation of Jews, Arabs, Whites, Blacks, or extraterrestrials when they phone home?
Jul 21, 2008 - 6:11 pm 30. jp:Speaking of some ‘interesting language’, has anyone heard about, or even been able to find, a copy of the speech or the video of it, that BHO gave recently in Colorado Springs? In it he gave another of his off teleprompter, off the cuff (off the wall) remarks. Apparently there were a few copies of the video on the net, including one that was on YouTube, but they seem to have been removed. Hopefully, this one will not vanish, too.
We finally found one on the AmericanThinker site. His speech proclaims that “we cannot continue to rely on our military in order to achieve the National Security objective that we’ve set. We’ve got to have a civilian national security force that is just as powerful, just as strong, and just as well funded…people of all ages, stations, and skills will be asked to serve…it will be a central cause of my presidency”…
The whole thing is one of the scariest things I have ever heard –reduce our armed forces, not allow any nuclear, and on and on, and he would be in charge of this mess. It would add more government, and billions more to the budget.
Maybe it was removed because he was due to leave the country on his Iraq/
Europe tour with his entourage and several top reporters (so they could report on his every move).Might not be so good if a big flap ensued while he was gone.
Needless to say, the primary reaction of the comments that followed the video were liberally (no pun intended) sprinkled with words like ‘brown shirts’, Marxist, etc
Jul 22, 2008 - 9:12 am 31. Jimmy J.:PA,
Of course you are correct. I don’t know what got into me when I took the liberty of reading an author’s book and forming an opinion of the author’s motives. Terrible thing to do.
When MS constantly berates our elites and neocons for being willing to ally this country with Israel, I guess I’m too dense to understand where he’s coming from.
When he states as fact that friendship with Israel can offer us no advantage at all and is, in fact, an albatross about the neck of the USA; once again I guess I just don’t grasp his superior insight.
This statement in his book “Marching Into Hell,” refers to The Al-Qaeda Reader: “The selection of documents from the al-Qaeda archive is small and selective; meant to support Neoconservative scare mongering about the caliphate and the rising tide of Islamofascism; and introduced and endorsed by the Neocons’ history-is-what-I-say-it-is spokesman, Victor Davis Hanson. While Neocons have long identified the publication and wide distribution of al-Qaeda documents as tantamount to supporting terrorism, Hanson now endorses their publication in an unscholarly form that will mislead Americans about their enemies’ intentions and motivations.” Golly, I guess that puts things in perspective doesn’t it? I now grasp that he understands history better than VDH and is, in his small way, trying to protect we sheeple from being mislead.
Your comments have certainly straightened me out. Thanks.
Jul 22, 2008 - 5:21 pm