He doesn't know it yet, but I am posting my cousin Tom's email to me from this afternoon. We started out about having a conversation about Georgia which of course cannot be had without a conversation about the way American's consume. I asked him about his take on drilling off shore and the energy crisis - here is his response:
"As to my thoughts: I agree with Paul Erlich that if we put on a WW11 style assault on the energy crisis we could solve it, but, sadly we probably won't - there's just too much money to be made in it by the Bush/Cheney's of the world.
Drilling, cheap gas, etc...is, in my opinion, the worst possible thing that could happen to our kids. It will mean that in our time, we'll prolong the "party" while in their time the shit will really hit the fan, making the Depression look like a vacation.
That said, I'm a proponent of a reality based solution. By that I mean, admitting the fallacy of our economic model and lifestyle. Unfortunately no one seems to talk about this. No matter what analysis you read, liberal or conservative, the issue is not about us changing an unsustainable economic model, its about finding an alternative energy to continue our current - and hallowed - "way of life." We must start by calling that what it is - bullshit - the way the modern economy works is unsustainable and if we really care about our kids (read: "family values") we'll admit the truth and stop the fiasco before it kills them, because if we don't deal with it, it probably will be our kids who will really suffer.
I'm for the WW11 style assault on both transportation/lifestyle changes as well as development of new green energy economy Many could be gainfully employed in the process. We could cut our military budget by 2/3 and get it on big time.
Then again, there's plate tectonics..."
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
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3 editorials:
i actually think a lot of people talk about that, but it gets relegated to the margins. i usually use the new deal as the model rather than ww II. it is what lula is doing in brazil - pouring lots of cash into public good rather than private profit or war. ANd i think of jimmy carter saying very straight up during the 79 "oil crisis" - he put on a long sleeve sweater and said, well, americans, it is going to get cold and we need to make some cuts and one of them is personal. turn down the thermometer and put on a sweater. he got lambasted and i never understood why.
by the way, i love that someone (however indirectly) is talking against capitalism and for, for example, socialism. karl marx said that true communism could not take place until capitalism had waxed as fat and unequal and decadent as it possibly could. then we would all feel so disgusted and guilty and poor and tired that we'd choose the right and fair way of organizing our economic life. think we're there yet?
I just read a book call 'Omnivores Dilemma'. Makes an argument (one of many) that our food is soaked in petroleum. So, if you want to fight back at the man, grow your own food, or buy it from people that do. And ride your bike to pick it up.
Anyway, don't have time for a thoughtful post. I just stopped by to look at the fishing pictures.
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