Comments on: Updated: Energy Independence Isolationism

By: Steve

Steve — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 13:46:24 +0000

Ilana, touche. No need to pull punches. They are f-ck faces. Libertarian small-g goddess-hood intact. Now, I just have more than your intellect by which to be intimidated. My use of the f bomb tends to be more mundane and unimaginative, and almost universally traffic-related. Props!

[It’s the first time I’ve done this, but I stand by it. Thanks for feeling my pain.–IM ]

By: Jack

Jack — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 22:30:43 +0000

I think I’ve figured out why neocons like the idea of “energy independence”. They don’t like the constraints that apply to both parties in a peaceful exchange of goods. They would rather not have to buy the product so that they can deal with the seller in the manner of their choosing without said constraints.

But I think they fail to consider that it’s a two-way street. If the arrangement is broken then the seller no longer has to please the consumer either.

By: Steve

Steve — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 16:53:20 +0000

I’m not really a prude, but… did you really say “f-ck face”? I’ve searched for something to indicate you were quoting someone else, but I’m boggled. Not that libertarian intellectual goddesses can’t swear like sailors, but this has me short-circuiting. And no, I can’t explain why it matters, beyond an appeal to aesthetics.

[What else would you call them? I have run out of adjectival niceties. Maybe you have some; I don’t. But then I’ve been in the trenches for over a decade, and have been pretty polite so far. Have they returned the courtesy? There is a time and place for everything. Where’s that written? The Hebrew Bible me thinks.—IM]

By: AnIdea

AnIdea — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 15:10:39 +0000

The good news is McCain is offering $300 Million to any company that comes up with a better battery. The bad news: It’s not his money.

Why can’t these politicians just let the market work itself out? They’re making a bad situation worse.

BTW. John McCain is as much a “fiscal conservative” as I am a Roman Legionnaire. Then again, with him as president we may all become Legionnaires…

By: Myron Pauli

Myron Pauli — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 20:15:28 +0000

AMEN to your column. It basically said what I was trying to point out last week about the fallacy of “energy independence”.

Hannibal the Cannibal would point out that most humans are dependent on OTHER animal species and plants for our food – duhh – shouldn’t mankind be self-sufficient?

{{ P.S. Walter Williams has a wonderful column today on “Airport Tyranny” at WND:

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=67323

Remember that in “Casablanca”, Rick, Ilsa, and Victor showed up at the airport 10 minutes before flying in pro-Nazi Vichy-France! Now we have Bush-Scalia-Yoo “freedom” instead. }}

By: Andrew T.

Andrew T. — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 00:05:11 +0000

Ah, the old “energy independence”. One of those phrases like “strong national defense” or “celebrate diversity” or “uphold the rule of law” or “9/11 changed everything” or “we need to punish oil CEOs”. Basically, tired lines that don’t have a great deal of precise meaning except in the way that politicians rhetorically use them to get re-elected. They’re meaningless and require a statist tyranny, but we don’t have the guts to be in opposition since it makes you sound backwards and grouchy.