Energy Debate

I think that the demonetization of large corporations have skewed the issue in a partisan way. Certainly, supply and demand is the primary factor in fuel pricing. This, however isn't the only side of this very multi-sided coin.

The issue of conservation and ecological protection, while very much needed, has escaped the bounds of the extremists goals of zero growth, to become a main stream issue.It is very unfortunate that two or three extreme liberals control congress at this time. That isn't to say that control of congress should switch to extreme conservatives either.

We are at a crossroads that portend disaster.Industry has for the most part, fled the country, after ecologists drove them off shore. Steel, Manufacturing, and all down the list. The idea that by sending manufacturing offshore, it will help the planet is absurd. We have just moved the pollution to other parts of the world, that same world we live in.

The current congress is controlled by a senator from San Francisco,and a long term Senator from Nevada. Well, it would be nice to have a sagebrush rebellion type on the side of the smaller populated states, what we have is a man that has his hand out for the pork that he can deliver, to the smallest populated state in the union, and he has the power to stop even his own party from bringing energy legislation to the floor. One wonders whether this nation will survive this election year.

Currently, we,in this country, manufacture next to zero electronic components. Not just Television sets or DVD players, but radar sets, and other highly defense orientated issues. Soon, we are going to find ourselves in a position where we no longer can pick and choose our allies, in a war sense. Our country has become a consumer nation, not a productive country. This is going to eventually bite us in the ass, and in case of war, which appears to be never ending throughout history.

We need, desperately, to become more independent in more that just oil. We have as much in the way of raw materials as any other country with the exception of Russia, and they are so far behind the rest of the world in developing these resources, it will take them 50 years to catch up in technology. They may, however, just revert to the old Soviet trick of,"If we cant invent it, let's steal it."

Industry has to come back to where we, as a country can control the output. Sure, we need to pay attention to our air and water quality, but not at the expense of loosing our economy. Japan lost the second world war, not because of lack of determination, nor lack of industry, they lost because they had no raw materials to feed their factories. As long as we send our raw materials to the orient for manufacture, then ship the finished product back to us, we are a third wold country.

I am not advocating total protectionism, nor wide open, which we have now.Our balance of payments with counties such as China.Japan and others, are out of whack due primarily to their willingness to sell to us, but not buy from us. That doesn't constitute trade. Those that have egregious differences in B of P, slap tariffs on them until they see the light.