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 15, 2008 at 8:22 am
Egotist,
You know as well as do that if the US had ratified the treaty creating the ICC, the inhabitants of the White House would be arrested, transferred to La Hague and charged with war crimes and crimes against humanity. By the way, have you ever wondered why Kissinger has not been travelling abroad for a long time? The answer is not old age!
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Posted by ( luv2bliberal ) on July 15, 2008 at 6:36 am
JacksonPoleLock,
You my dearest naive friend are the uneducated one. Muslims DO strap on bombs and kill themselves and many others as a result of their training in the Madrassahs. You may have a loose nut calling himself a christian bombing abortion clinics, but you don’t have schools with the sole purpose to train future suicide bombers like muslims do in the middle east.
You must be one of those open minded professors at Lynchburg College with scrupples like that. So open-minded your brains have fallen out.
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Posted by ( Individualist ) on July 15, 2008 at 12:57 am
Sorry Fred but the United States is a sovereign state and as such it will not subordinate itself or it population to any other state or group of states.
Jackson, what banks has the government bailed out? Bear Sterns was purchased by JP Morgan Chase with financing arranged by the government along with some guarantees. (Like L-burg and Craddock). Indy Mac was taken over by the FDIC. The FDIC insurance fund is funded by member banks, not the government. Fannie and Freddie are not banks and the government hasn’t done anything there as of yet. The problem is that the majority of our legislators as well as our preidential candidates don’t have a clue as to what Fannie and Freddie actually do. Do you? Big oil?? Pull back tax cuts for the rich? Have some wealth envy, do we?
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Posted by ( JacksonPollock ) on July 14, 2008 at 9:04 pm
God Help Us!!! How Stupid Can One Person Be! I can’t believe that luv actually wrote: “Muslims train people to strap bombs on and walk into a marketplace and blow up innocent women and children.“ I suppose Christians train people to bomb abortion clinics?
Like you, Fred, I’m going to refrain from any future discourse with luv who lacks any indication of education.
Unfortunately, when one tries to discourse with a person who is incapable of uttering anything more logical than “Muslims train people to strap bombs on and walk into a marketplace and blow up innocent women and children,“ it is a waste of time. I shall no longer waste my time with one who is so uninformed. To luv I say, “Fac ut vivas.“
To Individualist. I don’t recall in any post of criticizing the govt. for bailing out people with sub-prime loans. I do think that Bush needs to pull back the tax cuts for the rich to help the working class pay those bills. It is amazing, though, how benevolent the Republicans are when it comes to bailing out big oil and banks. Amazing.
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Posted by ( Fred ) on July 14, 2008 at 5:42 pm
The International Criminal Court has just charged Bashir, the President of Sudan, with war crimes and crimes against humanity, and issued a warrant for his arrest.
Has anybody wondered why the US has not ratified the treaty creating the ICC?
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Posted by ( luv2bliberal ) on July 14, 2008 at 2:52 pm
Fred,
Back off the kool-aid. It stunts your growth! Too late for you. I believe the UN gave Israel permission to occupy that land. During the 1967 war, the PLO assisted by Egypt ATTACKED Israel. Israel whipped their butts and kept the land. Thats what they get for messing with them. Israel didn’t ask them to attack. The reason more Palestinians die than Jews is because the idiots keep showing up to a gun fight with rocks. That is the way to keep the gene pool cleaned up. Rasoul probably didn’t have a good throwing arm, so he came over here to vindicate his 19 dead brothers from the Trade Center.
Will he be yelling Allah Aqbah if he wins?
Your “Hate America” first speach is enough to nauseate even me. You should be ashamed of yourself. The US bends over backwards to minimize civilian casualties in every war, including the pre-emptive strike Bill Clinton did in Kosovo. How many civilians did he kill? You make me sick. Go back to Poland with your peg-leg squeeze and leave a home for a homeless person to move into and do crack. It would be an improvement over you america haters. Which I suppose is what Rasoul is courting for his voters. Typical for a muslim. Did you attend a Madrassah?
What will you do when all of those suicide bombers take control and start killing homosexuals and start forcing the teaching of the Koran?
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Posted by ( Fred ) on July 14, 2008 at 2:11 pm
I finally get it! I “misundestimated” luv’s powers of persuasion. As usual, he has the facts, which makes him a formidable opponent!
According to him “Muslims train people to strap bombs on and walk into a marketplace and blow up innocent women and children”. Doing so they have killed less than 5,000 people in the last few years and that includes 9/11.
In contrast, Americans (92% believers in God) train people to fly airplanes, drop bombs all over the place (including marketplaces) and kill hundreds of thousands of civilians (for some strange reason those routinely include women and children). Vietnam and Iraq come easily to mind.
Who can forget the glory of My Lay? Nothing is more exhilarating than massacring women and children in a ditch. And the hundreds of women and kids machine-gunned to death by American soldiers under a bridge in Korea? And just a few days ago, American flyers bombing a wedding party in Afghanistan and killing some 51 civilians, mostly women and children.
And our friends, the Israelis, have killed at least ten times more Palestinians than Palestinians have killed Israelis. Please refresh my memory. Who has been occupying and plundering the others’ territory illegally for 41 years (with our unwavering support)?
Thanks to luv, I know now who the real murderers are.
.
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Posted by ( luv2bliberal ) on July 14, 2008 at 12:09 pm
Fred,
I believe that I can explain. Even for a muslim-loving athiest such as yourself. Muslims train people to strap bombs on and walk into a marketplace and blow up innocent women and children. Watch the news once in awhile and see the Palestinians marching their children up and down the street with guns and fake bombs. What is the best innovation brought to modern society by the palestinians? Other than killing that is? Even when Israel leaves them alone they kill each other!
Palestinans are barbarians that simply hate the jews more than they love their own children.
Does Rasoul believe this? I honestly do not know. But he is too risky for mainstream america to take a chance on.
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Posted by ( luv2bliberal ) on July 14, 2008 at 12:02 pm
Fred,
I stand corrected. Thank you very much for straightening me out. I think the gubment should take over our health care system. Look how well they have done with Social Security, Medicare, Welfare, Education.
After seeing those wonderful successes, I want to see them in charge of our health care!
They’ll have the efficiency of the Post Office with the compassion of the DMV!
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Posted by ( Fred ) on July 14, 2008 at 11:19 am
And now I know luv is going to rush to explain to us why it is patriotic to be a politician of Jewish origin supporting McCain (Joe Lieberman) but reprehensible to be one of Palestinian origin supporting Obama (Sam Rasoul).
I just can’t wait. I know it is coming soon so I am holding my breath! Let’s have it luv!
BTW, I met a guy at a party yesterday who told me, in all seriousness, that Obama is the same as Osama. Was he luv?
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