Letters to the Editor for Friday, July 11, 2008
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Published: July 10, 2008
Do the oil-supply math, writer argues
For all those interested in solving our energy crisis, and in particular, the enormous run up in prices unparalled in our history, the mantra of “Drill, Baby Drill” rings exceptionally hollow in light of the actual facts of our situation.
Click to sendIf you add all the untapped oil reserves available to the United States from its own self-contained resources, you would come up with between 2-3% of the known world’s resources. That’s adding in ANWR, off shore and everywhere.
Now add in the fact that we use 25 percent of the world’s yearly output. Our own government’s energy information agency and other oil industry analysts agree that tapping into all our known untapped reserves would garner little more than a drop in the bucket towards our actual use, which is the main driving force of our current costs.
While it might be true that some ease in this scenario might have been realized by increased refinement capacity, all of that capacity would have been erased by the emerging economies of China and India. If we started today and went wide open for drilling and production, which would take 10 years to receive the benefits of, we are dealing with an ever-dwindling supply and growing need. Thankfully, there are a number of technologies already invented and in use in other countries, that can save us from this dilemma, and cure, or greatly reduce carbon emissions. It is time we get our heads pulled out of the Saudi sand and propose solutions that can solve, rather than exacerbate, a whole host of difficulties associated with oil. We cannot have an oil-free future by tomorrow, but I would rather invest the next 10 years in an actual solution. The pain of that kind of transformation will be tiny in comparison to the ludicrous path of “Drill Baby, Drill.”
MICHAEL A. WHORLEY
Lynchburg
Why the slams?
It is a puzzlement why many, maybe most, Republicans believe their best strategy for winning the upcoming presidential election is to issue e-mails and write columns like the one printed in The News & Advance on July 6 in which columnist Charles Krauthammer slams Barack Obama’s evolution as a presidential candidate.
Perhaps, Mr. Krauthammer could have used his energy and journalistic talents to extol the virtues of his own candidate.
I expect we will continue to see both candidates adjust their positions on most issues as they have access to more data, and as the various situations evolve.
Thank goodness. I suspect this nation is looking for a charismatic, articulate leader, one who aspires to the highest standards, and who inspires us to follow suit. No matter who wins this fall, he will need to alter his position on numerous issues — these are the dynamics necessary in this supremely complex world order. I respect both John McCain and Obama, but come November, I will vote for Obama.
KAY PUTNEY GANTT
Lynchburg
A terrific Fourth
To the staff at Patrick Henry’s Red Hill Memorial, my family and I would say thanks for a terrific Fourth of July celebration.
We arrived early and were able to spend some time wandering the grounds after the brief rain shower. My kids especially enjoyed making nails in the blacksmith shop with Matt and Trey Killmon. I think my wife liked talking with the ladies in the kitchen. (Who knew you could roast a turkey on a string?) My personal favorite was the famous speech delivered by Patrick Henry’s sixth-great-grandson. He was very gracious and allowed anyone who wanted to take a picture or ask questions. Also, I’ve seen many firework displays in our area over the years, but I’ve never seen one as good as yours.
Congratulations to all of your volunteers on a job well done! We will be back for sure.
PETE PAGE
Lynchburg
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Posted by ( Fred ) on July 16, 2008 at 7:10 am
Egotist,
To tell the truth, I usually have the Nazis in mind when I think of the right-wingers!
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Posted by ( luv2bliberal ) on July 16, 2008 at 6:50 am
Fred,
Do you not have any friends that you can talk movies with? You seem very, very lonely.
Isn’t there ONE person in Lynchburg that shares the hatred you have against the U.S. with you?
I notice you think terrible things about us, but you still want us to supplement your health care and your beloved transportation?
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Posted by ( Individualist ) on July 16, 2008 at 6:46 am
Jackson, why is it you are always concerned about some one else’s money or what they are earning? It is their earnings not your’s is it not?
Fred, answer me one question. Now don’t off the deep end and accuse me of being one of those love it ot leave types. But in all seriousness why do you stay here? Yor are afraid of the people, you despise the waste, and generally think the country is corrupt. Why spend your golden years somewhere where you’d be happier. Why not enjoy your life while you have a chance to, rather than being miserable and always angry?
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Posted by ( Fred ) on July 16, 2008 at 5:07 am
Egotist,
Thank you for having the honesty to admit that this country has done “ unconscionable” things.
I have been confronted with reality for much longer than you. While I was in France, the French fought two wars: Indochina and Algeria. Torture was used extensively on all sides. That did not prevent France, having lost its moral compass, from being thrown out from both places. The US was already booted out of Vietnam and will be out of Iraq too.
The great difference I see between both nations boils down to one word: HYPOCRISY. The French governments never made any bones about why they were there: they never claimed they wanted to bring democracy, protect from communism or any such lofty goals. They wanted to stay there to protect some economic interests (which, by the way, were seldom the interests of the French people). The French leaders never claimed, like Bush does, that God dictated their actions! The French pilots did not go to church in the morning and dropped bombs on civilians in the afternoon; they just concentrated on dropping bombs (more often than not of American manufacture)! Maybe we will learn one day that the aggression of Iraq was about oil after all (even Alan Greenspan, the former Chairman of the Federal Reserve Board, blurted that out one day) but I am not holding my breath!
Ben Barka, an opponent of tyrannical King Hassan II of Morocco, was lured from exile in Switzerland to Paris, abducted by the French Secret Services and tortured to death. Time magazine claimed CIA involvement (what a surprise!).
If you are interested in seeing the French handiwork (waterboarding anyone?), rent (Netflix has them) the following movies “The Battle of Algiers” and “Le Petit Soldat”. There are also a couple of movies about Ben Barka’s assassination but I don’t know if they are readily available. The American movie “Paths of Glory”, depicting the incompetence and cruelty of French generals in WWI, was banned in France for the longest time and one had to take a chartered train to go see it in Brussels.
I learned not to trust political leaders a longtime ago, while in France. I was well prepared for the thoroughly corrupt American system when I arrived here.
Is this enough reality?
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Posted by ( Individualist ) on July 15, 2008 at 4:41 pm
Fred, have you actually read the book or just heard about it on CNN?
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Posted by ( JacksonPollock ) on July 15, 2008 at 4:05 pm
luv: <silence>
Individualist. “wealth envy?“ Forsooth. When a CEO, let’s call him Michael Perry, of a major bank in this country, let’s say the name of the bank is IndyMac, “nobly” calls for a 50% pay cut for himself. That means he will have to “struggle” along on a mere $8 million this year while thousands of customers will receive $100 thousand of their life savings plus 50% of what they saved above that $100,000. Perry runs the bank into the ground; Individualist, do you say he earned that $8 million he is left with? This is all the result of another failed Bush/Republican policy of deregulation.
Again, read the post Individualist. I said nothing about government bail-out, though it seems that Fannie and Freddie may need some government help to save the fragile economy Bush has saddled us with. 189 days left until we rid ourselves of the worst presidency in the history of this great, year floundering, nation. Peace.
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Posted by ( Individualist ) on July 15, 2008 at 3:23 pm
Fred if you read the history of the German anthem you would realize that it was composed in 1841 to illustrate that a unified Germany was more desirable than the continued division of the Germanophonic countries. It was mush later that the propagandists of the National Socialist Party used the song to perpetrate their own expantionist ideas.
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Posted by ( Fred ) on July 15, 2008 at 12:14 pm
This is a call to all “America Uber Alles Patriots”:
I am sure most of you were listening to the interview by Terry Gross (from “Fresh Air” on NPR) of Jane Mayer. They discussed the horrors perpetrated by this administration.
If you missed it, you can still read Jane’s book: “The Dark Side: The Inside Story of How The War on Terror Turned into a War on American Ideals”.
You will be so proud to be American, guaranteed!
P.S.: I am sorry to keep adding to your reading list! Just save time by not moving your lips!
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Posted by ( Individualist ) on July 15, 2008 at 10:23 am
Get real Fred. International relations are not a game for weaklings. It’s an arena in which you survive or you don’t. Nations, including ours, do unconscionable things so you can sit back in your recliner and whine about injustices. Yet if they didn’t do what’s necessary you’d be at the head of the line protesting that the administration hasn’t done their job. Your posts read like someone who hasn’t seperated fantasy from reality. Reality requires backbone, Fred, which it sounds as if you are either losing due to osteoporosis or have always lacked.
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Posted by ( Fred ) on July 15, 2008 at 10:05 am
Egotist,
This nation has committed so many crimes in the world for so long that, if the ICC treaty had been ratified, most of its leaders (including Kissinger!) would be in jail now, where they rightfully belong.
Instead of strutting around claiming sovereignty, why don’t you read “Killing Hope: US Military and CIA Interventions since WWII” the book I recommended to all “America uber alles patriots”.
By the way, how are you coming along reading “Just how stupid are we?“.
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