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More Wildfires, Higher Crude Oil Prices: Greater Tragedy

Read more articles on Science and Technology and Finance and Politics.

October 29, 2007

Posted by neillevine

About This Editor: I am a writer. Have been writing for other sites, but expect to do most of my future work HERE! My expertise extends from the esoteric such as burning hydrogen to the unpredictability of the stock market and my writing makes me a jack of all trades and exasperated master of none. I have had some influence over national wildfire and water policy and there are hints of a change in energy policy, BUT as Samuel Goldwyn once said, "A verbal promise is not worth the paper it is written on."

         

The current rash of wildfires in California reminds me that when politicians do not have a soothing solution to a problem, they talk blathering nonsense.

First, there is the claim that people are building new homes and, therefore, living too close to dangerous fire prone forest areas. Well, once upon a time this country was mostly forest with birds, bees, other frisky animals and Native Americans living on the non-European continent. Early paintings of New York City show a lot of trees. I assume that the same holds true for Los Angeles, Malibu and San Diego. So either the early settlers built their simple cabins near the woods or they couldn’t build at all. The logic behind this official thinking is that it is your fault that you have a home and were silly enough to build in a quiet suburb, more so in light of the fact government officials appear helpless to fight another of nature’s vicious onslaughts.

Then there is the fairy tale that burning old forest helps prevent future fires. Well, I believe the rumor is that there were serious fires in California a mere four years ago. It appears that this did not do much to prevent the current fires.

While stories about people surviving at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego indicate federal officials did a lot of things better as compared to the performance in the Super Bowl in New Orleans, it seems to be that buying more supertankers capable of dumping three quarters of a mile of water or fire retardant would be another big improvement. Admittedly, all these things cost money, but as I have said before, Washington politicians believe in free benefits and free taxes.

Then there is the high price of a barrel of crude oil, which currently costs more than $90 a barrel, a new world record. The big buzz is that the Fed is going to cut interest rates to stimulate the economy increasing demand for fuel to run things and for home heating oil to keep homes and people warm. So much for federal bureaucrats solving problems.

Then there is the complaint that Hillary Clinton has no morals. Mitt Romney has picked this up to point out she lacks family values, which is what he is selling. Unfortunately, she treasures her family. It is just that her practice is very accommodating to a hormonal male like Bill since she has said positive things about porn, perhaps validating Mitt Romney’s point, but distancing herself from the six year olds who complain to the FCC about naked belly buttons, also providing valuable hype for slick media operators.

Last 5 Entries by neillevine

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