<< RULES OBEYED ~ MAIN ~ EARLY MAN INTO BBQ: STUDY >>
DO SOMETHING
US columnist Froma Harrop identifies the culprit:
It is oil’s fault. The London bombings are almost surely al-Qaida’s work, which means oil paid for them. Oil keeps the Mideast backward. It funds the madrassas that fill heads with anti-West poison. And it pays the terrorists who plant bombs on European trains and fly airplanes into American buildings. It is time we did something about oil.
Indeed. I suggest we burn all of it in purpose-made hydrocarbon incinerators. Buy one today! Fight terrorism!
UPDATE. Matt in Denver disconnects the traction control on his Benz and writes:
Don’t forget, Tim, tires are also largely a petroleum product. You might ask: I’m just one person, what difference can I make?
Well, at every intersection in town last night, I smoked my tires to fight poverty. I also left peace marks on the pavement through about 1/3rd of an oppressive traffic circle near my house. The tires let out a peace cry (along with my passengers—why do they keep doing that?) that turned heads all up and down the street in solidarity against oppression. Fight the tyranny!
We finally go to nuclear energy. Environmental whackoes shut up and we do what’s right, not what’s left.
It’s amazing to me that the oil producing countries haven’t figured that we have lots of options for energy, even some that haven’t even been invented yet, but they have no other option for their oil. Either we buy it or they drink it.
Is Fromma advocating a systematic impoverishment of the Middle East? But wait, isn’t poverty the cause of terrorism? or is support for Israel? or sanctions against Iraq? U.S. militarism? or… hell, I forget all our other talking points so this week, let’s make oil the root cause.
seriously, does Syria, Jordan, Egypt or Yemen produce any oil? they do export their share of terrorists however.But instead of wringing hands, we could start applying elbow grease. Americans really do want to reduce their dependency on oil. They are willing — even eager — to make short-term sacrifices for this longer-term good.
Harrop has a point here. Oil is what sustains several despots and dictators. Cut off the oil, and you cut off their cash flow.
But this is an overly simplistic view. What she misses is that Middle East oil is cheap to extract and process; in some places, it sits at the surface (the same is true in northern Alaska, BTW). There are other oil supplies around the world besides the Middle East, but they are usually more difficult (i.e., expensive) to obtain, or are restricted by legislation (like ANWR).
That’s one reason why the ANWR drilling is not a sideshow—if we can get oil cheaper in the USA, we are less dependent on the Middle East, and their cash flow goes down accordingly. Although to be truly effective, we also need other energy sources, including nuclear power, and other technological advances.
But otherwise, Harrop is placing the blame on anyone but the terrorists. blogstrop has it right, if oil keeps the Middle East backwards, why don’t we have a feudal America as well?
That’s because it’s not the oil, it’s the revenue from the oil. Almost, but not quite the same thing.
I hope she has windshield wipers for her computer monitor, and a plastic shield forher keyboard. Elsewhile, her computer would be non-functional from all of the spittle she blows while writing.
Posted by The_Real_JeffS on 2005 07 09 at 08:22 AM • permalinklooks like someone’s rediscovered Dutch disease
Posted by benson swears a lot on 2005 07 09 at 09:27 AM • permalinkDidn’t Saudi seize the oil fields in 73 or something? So they were getting money but not cartel-sized chunks before that, and managed to have the 67 war with Israel, so all was not well.
The US government produced the ``oil shock’’ in the US anyway by controling prices, the shock being that you had to sit in line all day waiting for a station to open. Strangely enough today there’s high prices and no line.
Don’t forget, Tim, tires are also largely a petroleum product. You might ask: I’m just one person, what difference can I make?
Well, at every intersection in town last night, I smoked my tires to fight poverty. I also left peace marks on the pavement through about 1/3rd of an oppressive traffic circle near my house. The tires let out a peace cry (along with my passengers—why do keep doing that?) that turned heads all up and down the street in solidarity against oppression. Fight the tyranny!
Posted by Matt in Denver on 2005 07 09 at 10:25 AM • permalinkPeople don’t seem to realize the Saudis don’t control their oil.
America does.
How long do you think it would take the US Navy and Air Force to take out every tanker terminal, pipeline terminus and refinery in Saudi Arabia?
How long do you think it will take us to get pissed enough?
Posted by richard mcenroe on 2005 07 09 at 10:48 AM • permalinkWell, “dave w” hit the nail on the head.
What is the Middle East without oil?
I mean, I like dates but I can’t see that crop ever paying for massive air-conditioned luxury hotels in Bahrain.
Just how would demolishing the one-industry economy of the Middle East contribute to stability there?
JJM
Posted by JJM Ballantyne on 2005 07 09 at 11:21 AM • permalinkWe’ll all be doing the hydrocarbon boogie until the distant day we can produce lefty bike tyres from tofu leavings and China & India go all glowing greeny with their industrial sector (Sans ballistic death match).
Not likely, but on that day granola-eating social engineers will then direct their great fund-sucking ‘we know what’s best for you’ bureaucratic nanny-bot army to bitch about the dire effects of Soy monoculture on the flatulent carbon pumps of those heretofore fat pesky humans.
...Then we [survivors] can all walk our daily commute from the clan cave to wattle huts for a soul-satisfying career of sorting grubs for our vegan overlords.
Progressive indeed.
<reminder>Brush up on Mad Max welding & sawing-off skillz</reminder>
I’m glad to see that we have a remake of “clueless in Seattle”. Oil does, in fact, fund all of her referenced items. But so what! What that money funds is a state of mind, a world view which has nothing to do with the source of funding. It’s a value structure that is unrelated to the source of your GDP for goodness sake.
What a great role reversal for the left. From poverty causes crime to access to oil funding causes crime. I suppose that a madrasa would preach sweetness and light if funded by a green power source. The left can’t even stay on message.
I suggest Ms. Harrop visit that other backward oil exporter, Norway.
Posted by Some0Seppo on 2005 07 09 at 04:58 PM • permalinkFour hundred horsepower in urban traffic allows you exceptional command of time and space.
I want one!
Posted by Foobarista on 2005 07 09 at 07:21 PM • permalink#11 Matt in Denver. If you do that sort of thing in Aust the police impound your car :(
Posted by Lucky Nutsacks on 2005 07 09 at 08:18 PM • permalink#11.Matt&Deo;.Not if you do it in Hickson Road and you happen to be “of middle-eastern appearance”,then the Police,in pursuit of Politically inspired Multicultural Sensitivity,allow you to abuse and threaten them and then scuttle off back to the safety of their Police Station.Of course if you don’t happen to posess the ethnic get-out-of jail card you can always throw caution to the winds and let it rip.With NSW budget constraints resulting in virtually no Patrol cars on the road the chances of being caught are slim,the rate of wear of the Brigestones on my SS are living proof.
#20 - Seriously? Impound your car?! No way!!! Here, the cops will buy you ice cream! With hot fudge and sprinkles! Really!
When you rent a car in the US, just tell the guy at the Hertz counter that you want all the insurance, and he’ll tell you where all the great rural roads are so you can get to mowing down mailboxes as soon as possible. Be sure to get a car with room for your whiskey bottle and a sunroof so you can fire your shootin’ iron up in the air when you get all excited. Yee-haw!
The best thing about this site is this sort of cultural-exchange stuff that goes on between our very different peoples.
Posted by Matt in Denver on 2005 07 09 at 11:19 PM • permalinkNo doubt when a cheap substitute for oil is discovered and Middle Eastern countries slide into poverty, the same hand-wringers will be either staging concerts to help “end post-oil poverty” or demanding we buy oil from them regardless.
Posted by Art Vandelay on 2005 07 10 at 03:58 AM • permalink
Page 1 of 1 pages
Members:
Login | Register
| Member List
This is another fine mess you’ve got us into, Olly!