Posted on 08/19/2008 5:51:33 PM PDT by vadum
Quite unconcerned with the suffering of his fellow Americans, green lefty blogger Chris Bowers of Open Left is positively delighted that Americans are paying an arm and a leg for their gasoline.
Bowers opines that sky-high gasoline prices constitute a "major progressive victory" and are actually good for America: "Higher gas prices have created a broad shift in American behavior that is good for the environment and good for progressives." The fact that mass transit ridership is up, while driving is down, helps the environment, he argues.
Bowers contends that increased reliance on mass transit and reduced driving is good because:
* It helps the environment, by reducing our carbon emissions. * It makes people more invested in social investment programs like mass transit. * It will stunt, if not stop altogether, population growth in Republican leaning areas like exurbs. * It creates a positive feedback loop, as the first three points here continue to reinforce each other in an upward spiral.Bowers's words help to drive home the point that environmentalism isn't primarily about saving the planet: it's about controlling people.
Yeah, most of them hardly work.
They are akin to Lenin and Marx, afterall they are the chosen ones to save us all.
If this Bowers character didn't exist, we'd have to invent him to show how dumb the envirowacko Left actually is.
drudge has a china-iraq oil deal posted.
that’s going to go over big!
/s
Of course they like it when people’s freedoms are constrained, because it increases their power at the same time. They will never deny themselves, but they want you and me to drive less, while they fly around in their O-Force One and Learjets.
Wouldn't Republicans, in order to avoid public transportation (I know I dislike being dependent on bus schedules), simply stay home whenever possible, where they are more likely to produce more children?
Too bad greenies/reds won’t admit this is basic market forces at work. The Market is good.
This is exactly as we surmised lefties think about high gas prices: a political opportunity for the 'Rats! That's exactly why Pelosi and crew are adamantly opposed to offshore drilling.
If this Bowers character didn't exist, we'd have to invent him to show how dumb the envirowacko Left actually is.
Arming myself with Nomex underwear......
I agree with him. Gas prices aren’t high. They are realistic. Were gas 2 dollars a gallon, we would use more, not drill here and everyone would be driving Suburbans.
I know there is a huge external cost to our gas consumption, from national security to the environment. At 2 dollars we will never break our dependence. At 4 dollars we will find an economic incentive to power our transportation otherwise. That is why OPEC will not allow this to go on. Ever driven a 4-6-8 Silverado? Gets great mileage and you would never know you are driving on 4 cylinders if the dash didn’t tell you. Do you think that would exist at 2 dollars a gallon? Just let American enginuity take over,you will see.....
Just wait till the greens figure out the sunspot influence on global warming and cooling. An uncomfortably cold liberal will be begging and pleading for more drilling.
By the way, I drive 1,000 miles a week and probably spend more on my 4 cylinder Pontiac than most people spend on their Silverado’s.
If you like $4/gal, Thank Congress. If you want $10, Vote No Oilbama.
Pray for W and Our Troops
“I know there is a huge external cost to our gas consumption, from national security to the environment.”
What external cost to the environment? Carbon dioxide does not drive global warming, contrary to Al Gore’s junk science claims.
There are external costs to national security, but only because we import such a large percentage of our oil/gas. This has nothing to do with price. We chose to hamper our energy industry because of environmental alarmism and anti-capitalism.
Watermelon environmentalists (green on the outside, red on the inside) restrict our domestic oil and gas supplies. But for their influence, we would produce a majority of our oil, refine all our oil, have a stronger dollar, and have more influence with our adversaries around the world. All this with lower gasoline prices.
It fills the government coffers and someone on here a few days ago posted about trust fund babies being invested in
B I G * O I L!
Politicians like Rockyfeller - whose grandfather founded Standard Oil - don’t know if he was specifically named in the post(s) or not - BUT the point was that a whole bunch of these yahoos pass regulations to keep oil as scarce as possible - no drillin’, no refinin’ etc. and so drive up the price of eee-vil oil that they are invested in.
Conflict of interest - should be prosecuted.
Of course there is an external cost to oil consumption. Whether it spills or burns, it is there. My point is merely that it costs us beyond the price of gas itself. I buy an average of 35 gallons a week, so expensive gas costs me more than the average citizen.
Let this go on for awhile and we will burn less one way or anouther.
Thanks for the ping!
“Of course there is an external cost to oil consumption. Whether it spills or burns, it is there.”
Most oil “spills” are natural seepage. It spills naturally. It may be that oil extraction reduces the net amount of oil spills. Combustion of oil produces carbon dioxide which benefits plant life and life generally. These are external benefits. You opine that there is a net external cost to oil consumption. But you have not made the case. I think your certitude is due to your being influenced by the constant attacks on the oil industry over years if not decades.
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