By William L. Garvin
There were so many changes in direction this past week that one would think they were following the fortunes of the USA soccer team in the World Cup. To start with, let’s take President Obama’s ill conceived and sweeping moratorium on oil drilling in the Gulf of Mexico. It was struck down by a federal judge. “If some drilling equipment parts are flawed, is it rational to say all are?” U.S. District Judge Martin Feldman asked. “Are all airplanes a danger because one was? All oil tankers like Exxon Valdez? All trains? All mines? That sort of thinking seems heavy-handed, and rather overbearing.”
What was even more heavy-handed was the manner in which Interior Secretary Ken Salazar developed his rationale to support the moratorium. He had seven handpicked experts evaluate the situation and according to Secretary Salazar, all recommended the moratorium. Wrong! In fact, none of the seven supported the moratorium and all said their views were “misrepresented.” Judge Feldman’s ruling pointed out that Salazar’s moratorium “does not seem to be fact-specific and refuses to take into measure the safety records of those others in the Gulf.” The Judge also noted that 150,000 jobs are directly related to offshore operations…not that unemployment is an issue in Louisiana or the country.
You would think that with data being manipulated and “misrepresented” the Associated Press would be focusing on the Interior Secretary’s misdeeds. Wrong! A significant thrust of the article and the headline in the Contra Costa Costa Times was “Judge has owned stock in oil-related firms.” Digging up his 2008 financial disclosure report the author found that he then had holdings in “eight petroleum companies or funds that invest in them.” Also buried in the fine print was the note that “most of his holdings were valued at less than $15,000” and he owned zero shares of BP.
There are very few diversified funds that would not have some holdings in oil and energy. For instance, look at CalPers, the pension fund for most state and local government employees. According to CNN, they now own over 60 million BP shares. Given the loss of 50% of their market value and BP foregoing their next three dividends, you’d think they would be a little leery of this investment. Wrong! Again, CNN says they have bought over 2 million shares of BP since the rig exploded on April 20. Maybe that’s why CalPers has already asked the State for $700 million dollars to meet this year’s pension obligations.
Another stunning self-inflicted reversal came on the President’s promise to Arizona’s Governor Brewer. Several weeks ago, he said he would provide 1,200 troops to protect our border with Mexico within two weeks. Of course this ignores the fact that Senators Kyl and McCain had requested 6,000 just for Arizona and Sheriff Paul Babeu of Pinal County said he needed 3,000 just for his county. Well, the troops still aren’t there. Adding insult to injury, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, while visiting Ecuador, announced the Administration will be suing Arizona. Neither the Senators nor the Governor was informed of this decision in advance. Even Arizona Democrat Reps. Giffords, Kirkpatrick, and Mitchell are urging the President not to sue but probably to no avail. Since President Felipe Calderon of Mexico has said he will join in on the lawsuit, will the trial be conducted in English or Spanish?
This lawsuit is particularly galling since the Feds recently placed warning signs around the Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge in Arizona warning Americans to keep out! The danger they are concerned about is from “heavily armed foreigners smuggling drugs.” An Arizona police chief has had to tell his officers to keep their weapons with them at all times since they have been targeted by a Mexican drug cartel. The American public continues to support Arizona law SB 1070 by a two to one margin. Mr. President why don’t you listen to the people, secure the border and protect United States citizens? It’s your job!
What wasn’t reversed: the unemployment rate, the oil spill, or the oil containment. What wasn’t reversed: the casualties in Afghanistan, the deficit, or this Administration’s continued “redistribution” spending plans. What wasn’t reversed: increases in health care costs, expanding federal government, or back room deals. What wasn’t reversed: government ineffectiveness, abysmal border security, unemployment, our failing economy, and the erosion of personal liberty. There is no objective indicator that this administration will reverse the pattern of national and international failure it has established over the last eighteen months. This country is being driven into chaos and President Obama’s foot is on the accelerator.
Monday, June 28, 2010
Monday, June 21, 2010
"The Incredible Shrinking Tiger"
By William L. Garvin
"Under my plan of a cap-and-trade system, electricity rates would necessarily skyrocket." Barack H. Obama
To be sure, Tiger's back nine in the third round at Pebble Beach was a thing of beauty. Thunderous roars of approval from the crowd urged him to greatness in the final round. While the gallery wanted him to succeed, the mere mortal fell short. But this isn't about a golfer's fall from grace or his journey to atonement. Instead, this is about the shrinking stature of the United States and its presidency.
Warren Bennis, in his writings on leadership, refers to the crucible-the transformational experience that all leaders have had. He notes that some people find times of testing and adversity a great source of strength while others become discouraged and shrivel up. Adversity often separates winners from losers. Last week, America was looking for a leader. America wanted a leader. America needed a leader. Instead, we got a cap and trade salesman.
In the big picture, there's a reason why North Korea feels free to sink South Korean ships. There's a reason why Turkey feels comfortable trying to smuggle munitions through Israel and Egypt's blockade. There's a reason why Iran continues to poke its nuclear finger in Uncle Sam's eye. There's a reason why Chinese generals speak openly about "punishing" the United States. It's because the USA has become a paper tiger that is continuing to shrink throughout this presidency.
President Obama likes to talk. He thinks that he can talk anyone into anything. So he talks and he talks and he talks. He meets, he consults, and he talks. He does very little leading but he talks and he blames. He dithers for weeks on end and then he announces an appointment of a new czar as if this is some monumental achievement. Unfortunately for the President, people are beginning to tire of his act. Chris "tingle up my leg" Mathews, a fawning Obama sycophant, is now singing "The Thrill is Gone." Keith Olberman and Rachel Maddow, Democrat cheerleaders masquerading as news people, were equally nonplussed with the latest tone deaf presidential performance. When you lose your Greek chorus, your act is in trouble.
Maybe it was the lack of command presence. Maybe it was the lack of specifics. Maybe it was the vacation in Chicago, the fund raisers in San Francisco, the Paul McCartney concert, the baseball game or the half dozen rounds of golf the President has played during this crisis. (Thank goodness it wasn't Tony Hayward.!) Maybe it was his failure to talk to the aforementioned Hayward of BP until the 59th day of the crisis. Maybe it was the "boot on the throat" of BP. Maybe it was Democrat Congressional threats to "take his hide off, as they should" and that he (Hayward) would be "sliced and diced" Maybe it was the childish phrasing in finding out "whose ass to kick."
More than likely, it was the shallow thinking the President employed in trying to equate the gulf oil spill with the September 11 attack on the United States thereby costuming himself in heroic terms. The oil spill and 9/11 have NOTHING in common! The BP oil spill was an industrial accident that unfortunately resulted in eleven workers being killed. It was not a deliberate, premeditated murder of 3,000 innocent civilians. It was not a deliberate assault on our sovereignty. It was not an act of war. They are similar in neither form nor substance. To equate the two is political chicanery of the most repugnant order.
Desperate times call for desperate measures. Out of desperation, all the power and authority of the Oval Office was vainly used for a sales pitch. Never mind the ten percent unemployment. Never mind the thousands of Louisiana oil workers who are now unemployed because of the drilling moratorium. Never mind the $1.4 trillion deficit. Never mind that the bailout for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac (now delisted from the New York Stock Exchange) could reach $1 trillion dollars. Never mind the Arizona border chaos. Never mind the details of containing the oil spill and correcting the insufferable delays. (The Coast Guard stopped the barges from sucking up oil so they could inspect to make sure they had fire extinguishers and life jackets.) Never mind the delays in accepting foreign expertise and equipment. Never mind the reality of today. Just look at this shiny new object of tomorrow. After all, I'm the President! I won and I know what's best for everybody in everything. Just listen to my dulcet tones as I read this teleprompter.
"Under my plan of a cap-and-trade system, electricity rates would necessarily skyrocket." Barack H. Obama
To be sure, Tiger's back nine in the third round at Pebble Beach was a thing of beauty. Thunderous roars of approval from the crowd urged him to greatness in the final round. While the gallery wanted him to succeed, the mere mortal fell short. But this isn't about a golfer's fall from grace or his journey to atonement. Instead, this is about the shrinking stature of the United States and its presidency.
Warren Bennis, in his writings on leadership, refers to the crucible-the transformational experience that all leaders have had. He notes that some people find times of testing and adversity a great source of strength while others become discouraged and shrivel up. Adversity often separates winners from losers. Last week, America was looking for a leader. America wanted a leader. America needed a leader. Instead, we got a cap and trade salesman.
In the big picture, there's a reason why North Korea feels free to sink South Korean ships. There's a reason why Turkey feels comfortable trying to smuggle munitions through Israel and Egypt's blockade. There's a reason why Iran continues to poke its nuclear finger in Uncle Sam's eye. There's a reason why Chinese generals speak openly about "punishing" the United States. It's because the USA has become a paper tiger that is continuing to shrink throughout this presidency.
President Obama likes to talk. He thinks that he can talk anyone into anything. So he talks and he talks and he talks. He meets, he consults, and he talks. He does very little leading but he talks and he blames. He dithers for weeks on end and then he announces an appointment of a new czar as if this is some monumental achievement. Unfortunately for the President, people are beginning to tire of his act. Chris "tingle up my leg" Mathews, a fawning Obama sycophant, is now singing "The Thrill is Gone." Keith Olberman and Rachel Maddow, Democrat cheerleaders masquerading as news people, were equally nonplussed with the latest tone deaf presidential performance. When you lose your Greek chorus, your act is in trouble.
Maybe it was the lack of command presence. Maybe it was the lack of specifics. Maybe it was the vacation in Chicago, the fund raisers in San Francisco, the Paul McCartney concert, the baseball game or the half dozen rounds of golf the President has played during this crisis. (Thank goodness it wasn't Tony Hayward.!) Maybe it was his failure to talk to the aforementioned Hayward of BP until the 59th day of the crisis. Maybe it was the "boot on the throat" of BP. Maybe it was Democrat Congressional threats to "take his hide off, as they should" and that he (Hayward) would be "sliced and diced" Maybe it was the childish phrasing in finding out "whose ass to kick."
More than likely, it was the shallow thinking the President employed in trying to equate the gulf oil spill with the September 11 attack on the United States thereby costuming himself in heroic terms. The oil spill and 9/11 have NOTHING in common! The BP oil spill was an industrial accident that unfortunately resulted in eleven workers being killed. It was not a deliberate, premeditated murder of 3,000 innocent civilians. It was not a deliberate assault on our sovereignty. It was not an act of war. They are similar in neither form nor substance. To equate the two is political chicanery of the most repugnant order.
Desperate times call for desperate measures. Out of desperation, all the power and authority of the Oval Office was vainly used for a sales pitch. Never mind the ten percent unemployment. Never mind the thousands of Louisiana oil workers who are now unemployed because of the drilling moratorium. Never mind the $1.4 trillion deficit. Never mind that the bailout for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac (now delisted from the New York Stock Exchange) could reach $1 trillion dollars. Never mind the Arizona border chaos. Never mind the details of containing the oil spill and correcting the insufferable delays. (The Coast Guard stopped the barges from sucking up oil so they could inspect to make sure they had fire extinguishers and life jackets.) Never mind the delays in accepting foreign expertise and equipment. Never mind the reality of today. Just look at this shiny new object of tomorrow. After all, I'm the President! I won and I know what's best for everybody in everything. Just listen to my dulcet tones as I read this teleprompter.
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
“Showing My Papers”
By William L. Garvin
Recently, I had occasion to travel to Southern California. Before I could board the plane, I had to show proper identification (driver’s license or passport) complete with photograph. When I tried to pick up my rental car, again they demanded that I show proper identification with a valid driver’s license. As I presented my credit card to check in to the hotel, I was again asked for additional proper identification. Needless to say, I again had to provide proper identification before boarding the aircraft for my return flight home.
Last year, while vacationing in Michigan, I had the misfortune to drive through a local speed trap. (I’m still pretty sure that the main reason I was pulled over was because our rental car had Texas license plates!) In any event, I had to provide my driver’s license, registration, and proof of insurance. Not only that, but I had to provide the local constable with twenty dollars in cash because I was from “out of state”!
Now I suppose that I could work up a good case of “righteous indignation” or I could hysterically proclaim that I was “offended” or even shriek that the Michigan law was “discriminatory.” The fact of the matter is that being able to prove that you are who you say you are is a daily occurrence in American life. In case you don’t know it, the number one white collar crime in America is identity theft. I am actually thankful for the daily annoyance when I am asked for my identification before I can use my credit card. I lament the fact that our society has deteriorated to the point that such caution is necessary, but I appreciate the care exhibited by the merchant. And if standing in a boarding line for a few extra minutes while my identity is verified keeps a terrorist at bay, I think it’s a very small price for me to pay.
I think it is also worth considering what would have happened if I had traveled a couple of hundred miles farther south into Mexico. What would have been the consequences in any of the aforementioned situations if I had not been able to provide the “proper documentation”? How would I have been treated by their officials? What would have been the results? Now consider the possibility that I had broken a law and then was unable to prove my status. Luckily, that was never an issue since I took the Kingston Trio’s warnings about the “Tijuana Jail” seriously and have never been without “my papers” or a friend to “go my bail.” In fact, I have entered and exited Mexico legally dozens of times over the years and have always scrupulously avoided incurring the wrath of the federales. I think that’s my responsibility as a “global citizen.” I wish that was a reciprocated Mexican norm but we know that it is not.
Shifting eastward to the Gulf of Mexico, can Louisiana possibly survive? Obviously, the fishing industry is totally decimated. Strike one. Then the President declares a six month moratorium on drilling in the Gulf and somewhere between forty and sixty thousand Louisianans become unemployed for that length of time. Strike two. Then the totally ineffectual containment effort of the oil spill destroys the summer tourism season. Strike three.
To be sure, the President bears no responsibility for capping the leak. That’s all BP. In fact, government has absolutely no ability or qualifications to cap the leak. The containment effort is a different story. When the Dutch in Week One offered four of their skimmers to aid in the oil recovery effort, why are they still waiting in Week Eight? Why hasn’t the President cleared the way? Why are there warehouses of unused booms still sitting in Maine when oil is seeping onto the shores of Louisiana, Mississippi, Georgia, and Florida? Why wasn’t the burn plan ever executed? Why upon why?
When Governor Jindal of Louisiana asked to build twenty-four sand berms, the EPA (after weeks of delay) initially approved six but said they would only pay for one, where was the President? Why isn’t the Gulf the world’s largest test tube? Yes we know this is an ecological disaster of huge proportions but there are thousands of creative, imaginative Americans willing to pitch in and help. Why haven’t these folks been given sections of threatened Gulf coasts to apply their ideas, their genius, and their creations? That is part of the fabric of the American tapestry. That is part of the fabric of leadership. Kevin Costner has invested $24 million of his personal fortune in developing machinery that will separate oil from water. Why haven’t his machines been deployed? It’s a failure of leadership.
On the good side, the twenty dollars to the Michigan constable was applied to my fine!
Recently, I had occasion to travel to Southern California. Before I could board the plane, I had to show proper identification (driver’s license or passport) complete with photograph. When I tried to pick up my rental car, again they demanded that I show proper identification with a valid driver’s license. As I presented my credit card to check in to the hotel, I was again asked for additional proper identification. Needless to say, I again had to provide proper identification before boarding the aircraft for my return flight home.
Last year, while vacationing in Michigan, I had the misfortune to drive through a local speed trap. (I’m still pretty sure that the main reason I was pulled over was because our rental car had Texas license plates!) In any event, I had to provide my driver’s license, registration, and proof of insurance. Not only that, but I had to provide the local constable with twenty dollars in cash because I was from “out of state”!
Now I suppose that I could work up a good case of “righteous indignation” or I could hysterically proclaim that I was “offended” or even shriek that the Michigan law was “discriminatory.” The fact of the matter is that being able to prove that you are who you say you are is a daily occurrence in American life. In case you don’t know it, the number one white collar crime in America is identity theft. I am actually thankful for the daily annoyance when I am asked for my identification before I can use my credit card. I lament the fact that our society has deteriorated to the point that such caution is necessary, but I appreciate the care exhibited by the merchant. And if standing in a boarding line for a few extra minutes while my identity is verified keeps a terrorist at bay, I think it’s a very small price for me to pay.
I think it is also worth considering what would have happened if I had traveled a couple of hundred miles farther south into Mexico. What would have been the consequences in any of the aforementioned situations if I had not been able to provide the “proper documentation”? How would I have been treated by their officials? What would have been the results? Now consider the possibility that I had broken a law and then was unable to prove my status. Luckily, that was never an issue since I took the Kingston Trio’s warnings about the “Tijuana Jail” seriously and have never been without “my papers” or a friend to “go my bail.” In fact, I have entered and exited Mexico legally dozens of times over the years and have always scrupulously avoided incurring the wrath of the federales. I think that’s my responsibility as a “global citizen.” I wish that was a reciprocated Mexican norm but we know that it is not.
Shifting eastward to the Gulf of Mexico, can Louisiana possibly survive? Obviously, the fishing industry is totally decimated. Strike one. Then the President declares a six month moratorium on drilling in the Gulf and somewhere between forty and sixty thousand Louisianans become unemployed for that length of time. Strike two. Then the totally ineffectual containment effort of the oil spill destroys the summer tourism season. Strike three.
To be sure, the President bears no responsibility for capping the leak. That’s all BP. In fact, government has absolutely no ability or qualifications to cap the leak. The containment effort is a different story. When the Dutch in Week One offered four of their skimmers to aid in the oil recovery effort, why are they still waiting in Week Eight? Why hasn’t the President cleared the way? Why are there warehouses of unused booms still sitting in Maine when oil is seeping onto the shores of Louisiana, Mississippi, Georgia, and Florida? Why wasn’t the burn plan ever executed? Why upon why?
When Governor Jindal of Louisiana asked to build twenty-four sand berms, the EPA (after weeks of delay) initially approved six but said they would only pay for one, where was the President? Why isn’t the Gulf the world’s largest test tube? Yes we know this is an ecological disaster of huge proportions but there are thousands of creative, imaginative Americans willing to pitch in and help. Why haven’t these folks been given sections of threatened Gulf coasts to apply their ideas, their genius, and their creations? That is part of the fabric of the American tapestry. That is part of the fabric of leadership. Kevin Costner has invested $24 million of his personal fortune in developing machinery that will separate oil from water. Why haven’t his machines been deployed? It’s a failure of leadership.
On the good side, the twenty dollars to the Michigan constable was applied to my fine!
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Cause and Effect
By William L. Garvin
“Someone didn’t think through the consequences of their action.”
President Barack H. Obama
If you pronounce that “as of today the oceans will recede and the earth will begin to heal,” you stand to fall mightily when you can’t deliver. When a single volcanic eruption in Iceland negates all the worldwide effort of mankind to reduce “global warming” over the last five years, you should be humbled. When a single oil spill defies all the efforts of both public and private enterprise to correct and contain, all the underlying system failures should be examined. Will that be the case?
If history is any indication, probably not. In 1962, Rachel Carson wrote a book called Silent Spring in which she popularized the idea that DDT, a prevalent insecticide, was the primary cause of cancer in children. In fact, DDT had wiped out untold numbers of mosquitoes and the resultant malaria in major parts of the world and had probably saved millions of people. An EPA Administrative Law Judge named Edmund Sweeney held months of hearings and concluded: “DDT is not a carcinogenic hazard to man…DDT is not a mutagenic or teratogenic hazard to man…. The use of DDT under the regulations involved her do not have a deleterious effect on freshwater fish, estuarine organisms, wild birds or other wildlife.” Nonetheless, EPA administrator William Ruckelshaus banned it anyway. From that point forward, 300 to 500 million people per year were infected with malaria, primarily in Africa. There it was the number one killer of children and resulted in millions of deaths. It was not until 2006 that the World Health Organization reversed its policy and again endorsed the use of DDT to combat outbreaks of malaria. Someone didn’t think through the consequences of their action.
When you insist that there is an economic crisis of such proportion that a trillion dollar Stimulus Bill must be passed or unemployment will reach 8%, then you stand to fall mightily when you can’t deliver. It’s a year later and you haven’t delivered. Unemployment in May is now at 9.7% and the only reason it isn’t higher is because 322,000 workers DROPPED OUT of the search for work and are no longer counted! The administration predicted 540,000 new jobs in May and only delivered 431,000. Not bad except for the fact that 411,000 of those jobs were temporary government jobs for the census. When the census is completed, all 411,000 of those folks will again be unemployed! To make matters worse, there are multiple reports of census workers being hired, fired, then rehired, two, three, and four times. You just can’t tally with a fork, blow smoke, and expect to get away with it. The Department of Labor also revised the number of jobs created in March DOWNWARD from 230,000 to 208,000. Now the President smiled and said that it was a great jobs report. The stock market plummeted 323 points. Someone didn’t understand the consequences of their action.
According to a U.S. Department of Interior, U.S. Geological Survey of 2008, there are somewhere between 3 and 4.32 BILLION barrels of oil available in the Baaken Formation in North Dakota and Montana. In a Wall Street Journal article last week, Governor Sean Parnell of Alaska commented on the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska: “Although familiar with ANWR, most Americans are less likely to know about NPR-A and how vital it is to our energy security. Given recent developments, it’s time to elevate the position this area holds in our national discourse.
NPR-A, a 23 million acre stretch of Alaska’s North Slope, was set aside by President Warren Harding in 1923 for the specific purpose of supplying our country and military with oil and gas. Since 1976 it has been administered by the Department of the Interior, and since 1980 it has been theoretically open for development. The most recent estimates indicate that it holds 12 billion barrels of oil and 73 trillion cubic feet of natural gas.
In addition to containing enormous hydrocarbons, NPR-A is very close to the Trans-Alaska Pipeline, which means that there would be relatively little additional infrastructure needed to bring this new oil to our domestic market.
But even here, progress has been stalled.”
A single oil spill in Santa Barbara killed offshore drilling in California. The solitary Three Mile Island incident killed nuclear development in the United States. Environmentalists have stopped drilling in more accessible onshore areas where the United States and the States are the largest landholders. Consequently, oil production has been continually outsourced or pushed further and further off shore into deeper and deeper and riskier and riskier environments. Now we have an ecological catastrophe. Someone didn’t think through the consequences of their action.
“Someone didn’t think through the consequences of their action.”
President Barack H. Obama
If you pronounce that “as of today the oceans will recede and the earth will begin to heal,” you stand to fall mightily when you can’t deliver. When a single volcanic eruption in Iceland negates all the worldwide effort of mankind to reduce “global warming” over the last five years, you should be humbled. When a single oil spill defies all the efforts of both public and private enterprise to correct and contain, all the underlying system failures should be examined. Will that be the case?
If history is any indication, probably not. In 1962, Rachel Carson wrote a book called Silent Spring in which she popularized the idea that DDT, a prevalent insecticide, was the primary cause of cancer in children. In fact, DDT had wiped out untold numbers of mosquitoes and the resultant malaria in major parts of the world and had probably saved millions of people. An EPA Administrative Law Judge named Edmund Sweeney held months of hearings and concluded: “DDT is not a carcinogenic hazard to man…DDT is not a mutagenic or teratogenic hazard to man…. The use of DDT under the regulations involved her do not have a deleterious effect on freshwater fish, estuarine organisms, wild birds or other wildlife.” Nonetheless, EPA administrator William Ruckelshaus banned it anyway. From that point forward, 300 to 500 million people per year were infected with malaria, primarily in Africa. There it was the number one killer of children and resulted in millions of deaths. It was not until 2006 that the World Health Organization reversed its policy and again endorsed the use of DDT to combat outbreaks of malaria. Someone didn’t think through the consequences of their action.
When you insist that there is an economic crisis of such proportion that a trillion dollar Stimulus Bill must be passed or unemployment will reach 8%, then you stand to fall mightily when you can’t deliver. It’s a year later and you haven’t delivered. Unemployment in May is now at 9.7% and the only reason it isn’t higher is because 322,000 workers DROPPED OUT of the search for work and are no longer counted! The administration predicted 540,000 new jobs in May and only delivered 431,000. Not bad except for the fact that 411,000 of those jobs were temporary government jobs for the census. When the census is completed, all 411,000 of those folks will again be unemployed! To make matters worse, there are multiple reports of census workers being hired, fired, then rehired, two, three, and four times. You just can’t tally with a fork, blow smoke, and expect to get away with it. The Department of Labor also revised the number of jobs created in March DOWNWARD from 230,000 to 208,000. Now the President smiled and said that it was a great jobs report. The stock market plummeted 323 points. Someone didn’t understand the consequences of their action.
According to a U.S. Department of Interior, U.S. Geological Survey of 2008, there are somewhere between 3 and 4.32 BILLION barrels of oil available in the Baaken Formation in North Dakota and Montana. In a Wall Street Journal article last week, Governor Sean Parnell of Alaska commented on the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska: “Although familiar with ANWR, most Americans are less likely to know about NPR-A and how vital it is to our energy security. Given recent developments, it’s time to elevate the position this area holds in our national discourse.
NPR-A, a 23 million acre stretch of Alaska’s North Slope, was set aside by President Warren Harding in 1923 for the specific purpose of supplying our country and military with oil and gas. Since 1976 it has been administered by the Department of the Interior, and since 1980 it has been theoretically open for development. The most recent estimates indicate that it holds 12 billion barrels of oil and 73 trillion cubic feet of natural gas.
In addition to containing enormous hydrocarbons, NPR-A is very close to the Trans-Alaska Pipeline, which means that there would be relatively little additional infrastructure needed to bring this new oil to our domestic market.
But even here, progress has been stalled.”
A single oil spill in Santa Barbara killed offshore drilling in California. The solitary Three Mile Island incident killed nuclear development in the United States. Environmentalists have stopped drilling in more accessible onshore areas where the United States and the States are the largest landholders. Consequently, oil production has been continually outsourced or pushed further and further off shore into deeper and deeper and riskier and riskier environments. Now we have an ecological catastrophe. Someone didn’t think through the consequences of their action.
Friday, June 4, 2010
Setting the Record Straight
Dear Editor:
In reading last week's letters, both signed and unsigned, I noted an incredible number of errors of fact and interpretation. I was dismayed to see that I had been unceremoniously demoted to "Lt. (j.g.)" (a rank that does not even exist in the United States Army) however, congratulations to Lt. Monroe for his promotion to "Major"! I always thought the Marines were capable of fighting their own battles but apparently that's not true on the local front. So be it.
Apparently I am not to be offended or insulted when I am called an anarchist but am to be castigated for referring to such charges as "naive and ignorant." For the record, I am not now nor have I ever been an anarchist nor have I played one on tv! I have never been nor would I be a member of any organization that was composed of anarchists or advocated anarchy. I will not be standing idly by when these canards and baseless charges are repeated since they are the antithesis of my political views. Any resemblance to any anarchist, living or dead, is purely coincidental or a deliberate concoction of a reader's demented imagination!
Also for the record, I did NOT call Lt/Major Norman ignorant; I said his hyperbole was naive and ignorant. Any attempt to equate the Tea Party movement with anarchy is indeed naive and ignorant, including the fanciful and farfetched suppositions of his surrogates. The first letter is a perfect example of predictable and pedantic extremist rhetoric filled with "harsh accusations, half-truths, and caustic criticism laced with racial overtones...that tyrants throughout history have used...to inspire national lunacy." The author should pull out his Psychology 101 text and reread the chapter on projection...seeing in others what they most dislike in themselves. Physician, heal thyself!
It is also oxymoronic and outright silly to impute anarchy to an organization whose opening phrase in its mission statement is "To support and defend our Constitution". Now if you can point to an article in our Constitution that advocates anarchy, you might have a semblance of logic in your argument. But you can't so you have to huff and puff and repeat the "radical extremist" motif over and over and over again. Let's not forget "astroturf", "corporate shill", "racist", and "mindless mob"! Talk about "antiphonal"! It does raise the question as to why an anarchist would frequent "neo-con and neo-fascist" websites since they are philosophically incompatible. But then, the dearth of logic is surpassed only by the dearth of proof.
It is all factually unsupported conjecture, hypothesis and implausible fantasy. However, that's the Alinsky rules. When you're caught in a lie, tell it louder and more often. Attack the messenger; never debate the message. By the way, the unsigned letter suggests I erred in referring to International Workers of the World as an example of an anarchist organization. The writer indicates it is "long defunct." Again, please do your homework. Just Google their name and you will immediately find their web page stating "Welcome to the International Workers of the World; the anarchosyndicalist trade union, worker's confederation and section of the Anarchist International." At the bottom of the page you will find extensive recaps of their May Day, 2010 activities. It hardly meets the definition of "defunct." I didn't say it had anything to do with President Obama. Also, Mr. Price, since I seldom ever watch Glen Beck (he's not my cup of tea!), the answer is "no." But thank you for your WW II service where all gave some and some gave all.
The final ruse is to trot out the old "It's all George Bush's fault!" shibboleth. Much of the economic success of the Clinton era was due to a Republican congress. Much of it was also due to a tech and housing bubble that had yet to burst. The economy was already stalling when George Bush took over. There were many fiscal conservatives complaining about the Bush administration's spending practices, his failure to veto Democratic spending bills, and TARP. To pretend that no one was saying anything back then is sophistry of the highest order. It's also selective amnesia to forget that the last budgets of the Bush era were from a Democrat congress and that Senator Obama voted for them. He helped drive the car into the ditch and still seems unable to find reverse! He is now quadrupling the deficit of the worst Bush year with his "spend our way into prosperity" government fiasco entirely on his own.
In summary, neither I nor my associates are anarchists and I will strongly oppose any effort to paint us as such. I will also reject and oppose any attempts to paint us as racist, xenophobic, homophobic, Nazi, fascist, mindless, corporate shill, astroturf or a mob. I will also actively oppose lies, innuendoes, slurs, and half truths whenever I see them. We'll see how it turns out if we ever get to a battle of ideas.
Sincerely,
William L. Garvin
In reading last week's letters, both signed and unsigned, I noted an incredible number of errors of fact and interpretation. I was dismayed to see that I had been unceremoniously demoted to "Lt. (j.g.)" (a rank that does not even exist in the United States Army) however, congratulations to Lt. Monroe for his promotion to "Major"! I always thought the Marines were capable of fighting their own battles but apparently that's not true on the local front. So be it.
Apparently I am not to be offended or insulted when I am called an anarchist but am to be castigated for referring to such charges as "naive and ignorant." For the record, I am not now nor have I ever been an anarchist nor have I played one on tv! I have never been nor would I be a member of any organization that was composed of anarchists or advocated anarchy. I will not be standing idly by when these canards and baseless charges are repeated since they are the antithesis of my political views. Any resemblance to any anarchist, living or dead, is purely coincidental or a deliberate concoction of a reader's demented imagination!
Also for the record, I did NOT call Lt/Major Norman ignorant; I said his hyperbole was naive and ignorant. Any attempt to equate the Tea Party movement with anarchy is indeed naive and ignorant, including the fanciful and farfetched suppositions of his surrogates. The first letter is a perfect example of predictable and pedantic extremist rhetoric filled with "harsh accusations, half-truths, and caustic criticism laced with racial overtones...that tyrants throughout history have used...to inspire national lunacy." The author should pull out his Psychology 101 text and reread the chapter on projection...seeing in others what they most dislike in themselves. Physician, heal thyself!
It is also oxymoronic and outright silly to impute anarchy to an organization whose opening phrase in its mission statement is "To support and defend our Constitution". Now if you can point to an article in our Constitution that advocates anarchy, you might have a semblance of logic in your argument. But you can't so you have to huff and puff and repeat the "radical extremist" motif over and over and over again. Let's not forget "astroturf", "corporate shill", "racist", and "mindless mob"! Talk about "antiphonal"! It does raise the question as to why an anarchist would frequent "neo-con and neo-fascist" websites since they are philosophically incompatible. But then, the dearth of logic is surpassed only by the dearth of proof.
It is all factually unsupported conjecture, hypothesis and implausible fantasy. However, that's the Alinsky rules. When you're caught in a lie, tell it louder and more often. Attack the messenger; never debate the message. By the way, the unsigned letter suggests I erred in referring to International Workers of the World as an example of an anarchist organization. The writer indicates it is "long defunct." Again, please do your homework. Just Google their name and you will immediately find their web page stating "Welcome to the International Workers of the World; the anarchosyndicalist trade union, worker's confederation and section of the Anarchist International." At the bottom of the page you will find extensive recaps of their May Day, 2010 activities. It hardly meets the definition of "defunct." I didn't say it had anything to do with President Obama. Also, Mr. Price, since I seldom ever watch Glen Beck (he's not my cup of tea!), the answer is "no." But thank you for your WW II service where all gave some and some gave all.
The final ruse is to trot out the old "It's all George Bush's fault!" shibboleth. Much of the economic success of the Clinton era was due to a Republican congress. Much of it was also due to a tech and housing bubble that had yet to burst. The economy was already stalling when George Bush took over. There were many fiscal conservatives complaining about the Bush administration's spending practices, his failure to veto Democratic spending bills, and TARP. To pretend that no one was saying anything back then is sophistry of the highest order. It's also selective amnesia to forget that the last budgets of the Bush era were from a Democrat congress and that Senator Obama voted for them. He helped drive the car into the ditch and still seems unable to find reverse! He is now quadrupling the deficit of the worst Bush year with his "spend our way into prosperity" government fiasco entirely on his own.
In summary, neither I nor my associates are anarchists and I will strongly oppose any effort to paint us as such. I will also reject and oppose any attempts to paint us as racist, xenophobic, homophobic, Nazi, fascist, mindless, corporate shill, astroturf or a mob. I will also actively oppose lies, innuendoes, slurs, and half truths whenever I see them. We'll see how it turns out if we ever get to a battle of ideas.
Sincerely,
William L. Garvin
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Problems in Perspective
By William L. Garvin
After hearing many of the wonderful tributes to our fallen warriors over this Memorial Day weekend, it is important to keep our earthly trials in perspective and reexamine our priorities. We all owe a debt that can never be paid to those men and women who paid the ultimate price for our freedom. Our founding fathers knew that an informed electorate was the only hope for our nascent nation. It is the men and women who have fallen in the line of “duty, honor, and country” who have kept those hopes alive.
Perspective is an interesting phenomenon. For instance, when you see those athletes flying off the Olympic ski jumps, it seems like they are soaring halfway to the heavens. In reality, they are seldom more than ten feet off the ground. It’s a matter of perspective. On a more mundane level, when the warning on the side mirror says “objects are closer than they appear,” the objects really are closer than they appear! It’s a matter of perspective. When governments are faced with conflict, disasters and catastrophes, it is equally important to keep perspective.
When an airplane crashes, are all the flights throughout the world cancelled? No, because it’s a matter of perspective. When there is an explosion or collapse in a mine, is there an immediate cessation of operations in all the mines throughout the nation? No, because it’s a matter of perspective. When there is an explosion of a deep water oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico, are deep water oil rigs throughout the world shut down? No, because it’s a matter of perspective.
The reason that other nations did not shut down their oil producing operations is that they realize that any extraction undertaking, whether it’s on land, off shore, or a mile under water is inherently risky. Accidents will happen. There will never be a risk free operation when you are working with equipment of this size and complexity. There are over hundreds of oil rigs in the Gulf. One has had a terrible accident; the remainder has not. The shutdown ordered by this Administration shows a lack of perspective. It will also result in a loss of American production of nearly a million barrels of oil every day. Furthermore, the shutdown will do absolutely nothing to mitigate the current environmental disaster so the action raises a number of questions.
First of all, why are we drilling for oil a mile down where humans cannot repair damage and must rely on robots for remote assistance? Maybe it’s because the government will not let companies drill for oil or natural gas in the more accessible depths or on land. What other nation puts such incredible restrictions on the use of its natural resources? Where is the perspective?
Why wasn’t the containment plan that was developed after the Exxon Valdez catastrophe executed? Why wasn’t the boom that could contain and burn the spilling oil available? Why didn’t the EPA immediately give the okay to Louisiana to build the sand islands to ward off the oil? Maybe it’s because they lack perspective. It’s not quite as bad as the New York Times printing secret military strategies on the front page but it’s close in lacking appropriate perspective and priority.
Energy independence should be an immediate national priority and is an important segment of national security. When the President was doing his priority fund raising at the home of Gordon Getty in San Francisco, he should have gathered some valuable perspective. Mr. Getty is of course the heir of J. Paul Getty who made his vast fortune in…oil. At $17,500 per dinner ticket, the black gold has been effectively converted into Boxer gold. When Americans along the Gulf Coast are crying out for help, both priorities and perspective are lacking. Obviously, the President can do nothing about containing the leak but for someone who has been in charge “from day one,” the mobilization of containment and clean up was surprisingly haphazard.
It’s a disturbing pattern of questionable perspectives and priorities. For instance, when this Administration transferred 300 of our Border Patrol agents from Mexico to Canada, there’s no perspective. When Arizona asks for 6,000 National Guard and 1,200 are sent, there’s no perspective. When we suffer our thousandth casualty in Afghanistan and the President fails to appear at Arlington National Cemetery on Memorial Day, there’s a questionable priority. We should hope and vote for a change in perspective.
After hearing many of the wonderful tributes to our fallen warriors over this Memorial Day weekend, it is important to keep our earthly trials in perspective and reexamine our priorities. We all owe a debt that can never be paid to those men and women who paid the ultimate price for our freedom. Our founding fathers knew that an informed electorate was the only hope for our nascent nation. It is the men and women who have fallen in the line of “duty, honor, and country” who have kept those hopes alive.
Perspective is an interesting phenomenon. For instance, when you see those athletes flying off the Olympic ski jumps, it seems like they are soaring halfway to the heavens. In reality, they are seldom more than ten feet off the ground. It’s a matter of perspective. On a more mundane level, when the warning on the side mirror says “objects are closer than they appear,” the objects really are closer than they appear! It’s a matter of perspective. When governments are faced with conflict, disasters and catastrophes, it is equally important to keep perspective.
When an airplane crashes, are all the flights throughout the world cancelled? No, because it’s a matter of perspective. When there is an explosion or collapse in a mine, is there an immediate cessation of operations in all the mines throughout the nation? No, because it’s a matter of perspective. When there is an explosion of a deep water oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico, are deep water oil rigs throughout the world shut down? No, because it’s a matter of perspective.
The reason that other nations did not shut down their oil producing operations is that they realize that any extraction undertaking, whether it’s on land, off shore, or a mile under water is inherently risky. Accidents will happen. There will never be a risk free operation when you are working with equipment of this size and complexity. There are over hundreds of oil rigs in the Gulf. One has had a terrible accident; the remainder has not. The shutdown ordered by this Administration shows a lack of perspective. It will also result in a loss of American production of nearly a million barrels of oil every day. Furthermore, the shutdown will do absolutely nothing to mitigate the current environmental disaster so the action raises a number of questions.
First of all, why are we drilling for oil a mile down where humans cannot repair damage and must rely on robots for remote assistance? Maybe it’s because the government will not let companies drill for oil or natural gas in the more accessible depths or on land. What other nation puts such incredible restrictions on the use of its natural resources? Where is the perspective?
Why wasn’t the containment plan that was developed after the Exxon Valdez catastrophe executed? Why wasn’t the boom that could contain and burn the spilling oil available? Why didn’t the EPA immediately give the okay to Louisiana to build the sand islands to ward off the oil? Maybe it’s because they lack perspective. It’s not quite as bad as the New York Times printing secret military strategies on the front page but it’s close in lacking appropriate perspective and priority.
Energy independence should be an immediate national priority and is an important segment of national security. When the President was doing his priority fund raising at the home of Gordon Getty in San Francisco, he should have gathered some valuable perspective. Mr. Getty is of course the heir of J. Paul Getty who made his vast fortune in…oil. At $17,500 per dinner ticket, the black gold has been effectively converted into Boxer gold. When Americans along the Gulf Coast are crying out for help, both priorities and perspective are lacking. Obviously, the President can do nothing about containing the leak but for someone who has been in charge “from day one,” the mobilization of containment and clean up was surprisingly haphazard.
It’s a disturbing pattern of questionable perspectives and priorities. For instance, when this Administration transferred 300 of our Border Patrol agents from Mexico to Canada, there’s no perspective. When Arizona asks for 6,000 National Guard and 1,200 are sent, there’s no perspective. When we suffer our thousandth casualty in Afghanistan and the President fails to appear at Arlington National Cemetery on Memorial Day, there’s a questionable priority. We should hope and vote for a change in perspective.
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