YOU SAID IT!!!

Tina for President!

Translation: I want it ... and I want it now.

Well, you can't have it. Your Mother told you so when you were two, and I'm telling you again now. So just get over it.

Funny how liberals think they are entitled to tell you what to do, isn't it.

My mother might have told me no, about a toy, or some food product I didn't need. You can hardly draw the same comparison.

Thanks Nick for the vote of confidence. No matter how over stated it may be, it's always great to have the approval.

Libby...I wrote the piece in English...no translation required. As for those who do require it do to language concerns, I'm sure they have their computers set up to accomodate them.

You lefties have been bottling this oil thing up for years and we have tolerated your little whims...quite patiently and resonably I might add. Stamping your little foot and pretending to be Mommy will get you nowhere NOW.

When folks get hip to the fact that France has been supplying 80% of it's energy from nuclear power (another whimsically suppressed source) for thirty or forty years, when they find out we have wells capped that could be in use right now but for legislation limiting the amount we can extract, when they discover the huge amounts available sites that have been blocked, when they find out how non-polluting the offshore wells have been, and all of the other nonesense this puppy is going to blow all on it's own. Hope you enjoy the fireworks.

Libby, as always, you're a doodle!

PS Hope you've had a chance to read the article I posted about offshore drilling in Louisianna (since 1947) and the fantastic underwater sea life that has thrived around the platform...attested to by LSU.

"You can hardly draw the same comparison."

Of course you can. You don't NEED to drive in a car by yourself every place you go. You don't NEED to drive to the mall if there's the corner store. You don't NEED to heat the whole house if you spend all evening in the kitchen. You don't NEED to take the groceries home in plastic, you can take them home in cloth. You don't NEED to fly to LA for that meeting, there's the telephone. You don't even NEED to ship paperwork, there's the wonderous email.

All this "drill the planet dry" stuff is really just another manifestion of "somebody else fix this for me."

No. You are going to change the way you think, change the way you live. And high time.

You don't NEED to drive in a car by yourself every place you go. You don't NEED to drive to the mall if there's the corner store. You don't NEED to heat the whole house if you spend all evening in the kitchen. You don't NEED to take the groceries home in plastic, you can take them home in cloth. You don't NEED to fly to LA for that meeting, there's the telephone. You don't even NEED to ship paperwork, there's the wonderous email.

Libby what makes you think this is an accurate description of the average citizen...or the average conservative citizen if that was your intent?

There is an mountain of evidence to show that Americans have been willing to take matters of conservation into their own hands. Most Americans recycle now. Most have cut way back on heating, cooling, and lighting in our homes and businesses. Most business people are emailing and uses the fax machine and phone to do their business. Additionally many manuals and reference books are now online saving many, many trees and the eco cost of transporting them in the mail. Corporations have, since the seventies, cooperated in making cars, machinery and production procedures a lot less polluting. We have created whole industries to help us in the process.

Americans have done all of this and instead of being pleased with the "progress" we have made you (all greens) don't notice and find every opportunity you can to say it isn't enough. It's totally unappreciated! See:

No. You are going to change the way you think, change the way you live. And high time.

Ve haf vays to make you talk....

Is it any wonder folks are fed up with all the nagging? Is it any wonder we started to question the motives and the science behind the BIG GREEN SCARE?

On the contrary, I do have to drive, by myself everyday. It is my job. I am a sub contractor for a company and I drive to peoples houses. so it is my vehicle, but I am not allowed to transport others while I drive. Its funny Libby, you seem to know so much, which is wrong. Do you ever stop to consider others?

Here's another opinion to add to the oil debate:

Edmonton - Alberta is firing back at U.S. politicians who think that the province’s massive oilsands projects create ''dirty'' energy products that should be avoided to protect the environment. Energy Minister Mel Knight says American lawmakers will likely feel a backlash from consumers if they stop buying fuel from the oilsands and turn to more expensive energy sources *** Barack Obama is now talking about curbing imports of ''dirty'' oil from various sources, including Canada’s oilsands. – Canadian Press

What a fabulous beginning in the area of "diplomacy"...insulting our good friends and neighbors to the north.

John,

You musn't think that I don't sympathize with people who are, right this minute, being hard pressed by the $4.00 a gallon. But here, we're talking about policy, and no blanket-type policy statement can be applicable to everybody's situation.

I did say "everywhere you go". Could you get a motor bike to do estimates and inspections on? Small groceries on the bike might do wonders for the Missus' butt. Can the kids (horror of horrors!) walk themselves to school?

I'm also intent on getting folk to realize that there may be very big changes. When (and it's a long way off yet) we have to make choices between transporting food and somebody's kitchen remodel, well, .... If you start thinking about your options now, you will be less traumatized if and when.

Because there isn't going to be any WWIII to secure your gasoline supply. There just isn't.

Like the option for drilling for oil for instance.

This isn't a case of there not being enough resources, although you have tried to frame it as such.

This is a case of certain elites (and people who fancy themselves as such) telling the rest of us how we SHOULD be getting to work or to school.

This is YOU wanting to control ME, but having no rational or morale justification for it.

You "feel" its the right thing to do, but you don't have a strong enough argument, so now you wish to impose your beliefs through increased regulation.

But the WHOLE problem with your argument is that you assume that government is going to give us a better solution than the private market. If you really believe that, then there are plenty of places the world over where you can live.

But for those of us who think that economic liberty is precious, well America is just about it for us.

So how about you scoot on over to a place that already puts your beliefs into action, and leave the individual and economic freedom to those of us who don't fear it so.

"But the WHOLE problem with your argument is that you assume that government is going to give us a better solution than the private market. If you really believe that, then there are plenty of places the world over where you can live."

But I already do. A regulated market has been the salvation of this country. We could have imploded back in '33 and Adolph's "hand-picked successor" be running the place.

It's BushCo letting Citigroup, et al., run amok that's got your house losing value hourly, isn't it? I mean, come on. Stop mouthing conservative platitudes and look around.

I want to clear one thing up...Government does have a role to play in economics. But that is as unbiased rule maker. That means not passing legislation which directly benefits one sector of the economy over the other. Or essentially, nothing that Libby would probably suggest.

What sort of a bubble do you live in?

Explain to me how massive price fixing, and regulation saved the economy in the 30's. If you look closely it made things worse.

The Smoot-Howley Tarrif..ever heard of it. helped to destroy this countries farms.

What about FDR's banking regulations. Do you know how many small banks went out of business because of anti-competitive legislation?

s far as Hitlers chosen successor, are you insane? While FDR did many great things fighting the Nazi's Ill have you know that many of his closest advisor's were huge fans of Mussolini.

Nazi Germany's economic policy looked a great deal more like social progressive policy then it did conservative policy. In fact if you look very close, your going to find few if any differences between the "solutions" you suggest, and those of Hitler and Mussolini, when it comes to economics....and abortion.

Trying to pass of Fascism as right wing is a tell tale sign of massive ignorance.

It was not the right wing in this country that supported those type of economic polices, it was the left.

Our market is no where near as regulated as you would have it Libby, and the regulation we do see is constantly stunting economic growth.

It was government intervention into banking that led to predatory lending. Big hearted progressives like yourself wanted banks to give the "little guy" a chance. But hey don't worry banks, we'll just lower interest rates.

I have looked around, but not just our country. Ive actually been to the places where they put Libby's economic policy into action. Protectionist trade policy, rigorous regulations governing salaries, breaks, retirement, socialized medicine, massive entitlement programs etc. etc.

It doesn't work Libby. It never has.

Your innate desire to control the economic lives of your neighbors is not only intrusive! It produces poor results.

Please name me one economic condition which you do not like, and I will show you a piece of regulation or government interference which either created it or made the problem worse.

Telling me to look around...please. If you would like to do a comparison of economies observed be my guest. I have traveled a fair piece, and seen many, many economies that conduct themselves as you suggest. They are usually chalk full of people begging on the streets.

And you once again fail to address the key concern...economic liberty.

"What about FDR's banking regulations. Do you know how many small banks went out of business because of anti-competitive legislation?"

Not a many as went under during the crash, I'll betcha. And the history lesson is very interesting, but are you saying that an unrestrained financial services sector IS NOT responsible for this current mess?

Because, again, there is no arguing with such willful obtuseness. Those two Bear Stearns boys are in the news again today: they had more economic liberty than was good for any of us.

Libby,

It's not that I don't think you can sympathize; it's that I don't think you can relate.

#1, no I can’t get a motorbike to do these inspections, I would love to. I don't have disposable income to buy one. I have a 4 cylinder two wheel drive truck. If I did have the income, a lot of the roads are not good enough for a motorcycle. In fact, some would be more suitable to a dirtbike or a 4wd.

#2 we live just far enough away from our kids schools that I don't feel comfortable letting them walk. Keep in mind, I walked farther when I was a kid, but there weren't or didn't seem to be the number of predators looking to do children harm that there are today. I'll concede that having been a cop, I may have seen too much, but I'm not willing to bet my child's safety on it
Or ignore the possibility our progressive/permissive society hasn't produced more of these individuals

We rent, we are in a house large enough for us, and thanks to the benevolence of our landlord, a rent we can still afford, been here five years, he has only raised it once.

As for my "missus Butt", it is a work of art, she is 5'6" 125 Lbs. thank you, and after having seven children, she fits into her wedding dress.

How many children did you say you had Libby?

Libby, I recycle, I turn off un-necessary lights, and I don't even run the air conditioner in the summer. We don't take joy rides; we plan our trips to town to get groceries etc.

All of my "extra" money is tied up in food, clothing, and housing for my family.

So I'm sorry, remaining dependent on foreign oil, while waiting for an alternative fuel source to be developed and made practical doesn't make sense.

Of course at this rate, when the alternate fuel source has been developed, how long before a working class guy can afford it?

There Libby, I don't know what your circumstance is, but I have given you a synopsis of mine. You don't have a solution for me, except perhaps, to put me on welfare and redistribute the wealth of others to me, and I don't want that.

You are showing your arrogance Libby and the arrogance of the left.

Those two Bear Stearns boys are in the news again today: they had more economic liberty than was good for any of us.

Two....ooooh wow...I think we call that possible criminal activity. It can be dealt with through arrest and trial if it's found to be necessary. We have laws to deal with people...we don't need to take nasty vengeful positions about an entire industry because of the unscrupulous practices of the few. Especially when there are a few politicians (democrats) that might have something to do with the mess. Especially since during the Clinton years lenders were instructed to soften lending practices so more "po folk" could get into homes.

Meddling and then looking to place the blame where you've meddled...it's the progressive way.

Control, control, control! Libby, it should be your middle name!

Unrestrained Financial industries have been kicking the living hell out of your regulated ones for centuries now.

Our economy with all its faults, has been out performing every nation on par that institutes the kind of control you espouse.

It is easy to look at isolated incidences and say "oh my gosh look where free markets have gotten us!"

But the only people who seem to be saying that are the ones who live in the most prosperous country in the world. And we didn't get that way through regulation libby! If you look around, with the exception of perhaps 4-5 other nations we have the freest economic system around. Bumps and all we outperform our competitors.

That is not because capitalism is perfect, it is because capitalism is the economic system which functions best in reality.

We will never be completely free from bad economic decisions, and your belief that you can regulate human nature out of economics, is absurd.

regulators seldom accurately take into account the second and third order effects of their decisions. And because regulations are laws, they are difficult to repeal.

So when a regulation does go into effect, the negative results often take place long enough after the passage as to not be seen as directly related by people who aren't paying attention (like you for instance).

So when you hear that the government is forcing banks to give loans to the poor or face regulations you weep with joy. And then when those same banks are forced to foreclose on bad loans, you yell "There should be a law!" and blame the free market.

I would recommend FDR's Folly by Jim Powell or the Forgotten Man by Amity Shales, but lets face it, your not going to read them. Just like you would never read Capitalism and Freedom by Milton Friedman of Basic Economic by Thomas Sowell.

"Meddling and then looking to place the blame where you've meddled...it's the progressive way."

And the Federal Reserve is getting good at it, too. A lot of people (me included) thought that Bear Stearns should have been allowed to go under.

But wiser, meddling heads prevailed, they having a horrible suspicion that if Bear Stearns had gone down, a succession of other badly run financial institutions would have domino'd right along after it ... and 1929? ... no, 2009!

It's a good thing that neither you, nor I, are in charge.

Are you assuming the Federal Reserve is political....conservative?

I don't like the situation any more than you Libby. I do acknowledge that life often hands us problems for which there are no clear or certain answers. More liberalism at this juncture is definitely not the answer.

Perhaps some of our Libertarian friends would like to tackle the references to 1929 (and the Federal Reserve). 1929 is another government created bungle; one for which history has been rewritten.

I believe President Wilson was to blame for some of the mess.

It's a good thing that neither you, nor I, are in charge.

We have agreement on this one Libby.