Nora Ephron

[Michael Tee]

from a slightly longer piece in Huffington Post

just some amazingly wise, simply stated home truths - - I highlighted what I thought was the best part . . .

<<Then of course, there are the Republicans, and I always forget them too. I forget how white they are, and mean-spirited, and thin-lipped. I watch them and I think, is anyone buying this? Does anyone think we're better off today? That we're "winning" the war? That teaching creationism is simply a matter of exposing students to both sides of the question? That it's sexist to wonder whether a mother who just months ago committed to a Down syndrome child ought to be running for vice-president? Does anyone think that executive experience trumps wisdom and intellect? And who are these people who rise to their feet and cheer loudest when they hear the words "Off-shore drilling"?>>

I wonder the same things too.  My discussions on this board with "the other side" often take on a surrealistic tinge, as I find myself wondering how can there be people who actually believe that shit?  But there are.  There really are.

[Xavier_Onassis]

And who are these people who rise to their feet and cheer loudest when they hear the words "Off-shore drilling"?>>
==========================================================
I am guessing that they own less interest in big oil than I do.

It's not like it's going to make THEM rich, or even lower THEIR fuel costs.
THEY don't have an interest in oil companies for the most part.

The US government will do none of the drilling, and it's not like a fishing season, either: the citizenry are not going to be doing any of the drilling.

The rigs are as likely to be Total (French) or Brazilian (Petrobras) or Dutch (Shell) as American.

[Plane]

And who are these people who rise to their feet and cheer loudest when they hear the words "Off-shore drilling"?>>

I wonder the same things too.  My discussions on this board with "the other side" often take on a surrealistic tinge, as I find myself wondering how can there be people who actually believe that shit?  But there are.  There really are.

Canada exports oil , are Canadians happy with the drilling that is happening on Canadian territory?

[Plane]

The rigs are as likely to be Total (French) or Brazilian (Petrobras) or Dutch (Shell) as American.

Isn't that as it should be?

[Michael Tee]

<<Canada exports oil , are Canadians happy with the drilling that is happening on Canadian territory?>>

I don't see any huge protests here against drilling.  The big action now is in tar sands, which aren't drilled anyway. 

I'm really pissed that corporations are involved in this.  The oil belongs to the people of Canada and any decent government would take over the wells AND the tar sands in the name of the people of Canada so we could get the stuff at cost in our own tanks.  This bullshit of letting mega-rich corporations continue to make record profits from OUR resources while we pay through the nose at the pumps has just gotta stop!

[Plane]

<<Canada exports oil , are Canadians happy with the drilling that is happening on Canadian territory?>>

I don't see any huge protests here against drilling.  The big action now is in tar sands, which aren't drilled anyway. 

I'm really pissed that corporations are involved in this.  The oil belongs to the people of Canada and any decent government would take over the wells AND the tar sands in the name of the people of Canada so we could get the stuff at cost in our own tanks.  This bullshit of letting mega-rich corporations continue to make record profits from OUR resources while we pay through the nose at the pumps has just gotta stop!

In countrys that do provide oil to the people by nationaliseing the industry and subsidiseing the fuel , does this artificial arrangement cause no problems?  Does it lead to no waste?

[Knutey]

And who are these people who rise to their feet and cheer loudest when they hear the words "Off-shore drilling"?>>
==========================================================
I am guessing that they own less interest in big oil than I do.

It's not like it's going to make THEM rich, or even lower THEIR fuel costs.
THEY don't have an interest in oil companies for the most part.

The US government will do none of the drilling, and it's not like a fishing season, either: the citizenry are not going to be doing any of the drilling.

The rigs are as likely to be Total (French) or Brazilian (Petrobras) or Dutch (Shell) as American.

The screaming Repub morons that cheer for offshore oil drilling are the same selfish creeps that have the bumpersticker "We are spending our childrens inheritence" on their gas guzzling RV's. Fat greedy idiots that only want their immediate gratification. They are proud to say : "I got mine , fuck you" even to their progeny who surely hate their abusive guts.

[Plane]

And who are these people who rise to their feet and cheer loudest when they hear the words "Off-shore drilling"?>>
==========================================================
I am guessing that they own less interest in big oil than I do.

It's not like it's going to make THEM rich, or even lower THEIR fuel costs.
THEY don't have an interest in oil companies for the most part.

The US government will do none of the drilling, and it's not like a fishing season, either: the citizenry are not going to be doing any of the drilling.

The rigs are as likely to be Total (French) or Brazilian (Petrobras) or Dutch (Shell) as American.

The screaming Repub morons that cheer for offshore oil drilling are the same selfish creeps that have the bumpersticker "We are spending our childrens inheritence" on their gas guzzling RV's. Fat greedy idiots that only want their immediate gratification. They are proud to say : "I got mine , fuck you" even to their progeny who surely hate their abusive guts.

Spending the inheritance isn't that big a deal, worse , the way that the Social Security System works , we are spending their earnings .

[Knutey]

And who are these people who rise to their feet and cheer loudest when they hear the words "Off-shore drilling"?>>
==========================================================
I am guessing that they own less interest in big oil than I do.

It's not like it's going to make THEM rich, or even lower THEIR fuel costs.
THEY don't have an interest in oil companies for the most part.

The US government will do none of the drilling, and it's not like a fishing season, either: the citizenry are not going to be doing any of the drilling.

The rigs are as likely to be Total (French) or Brazilian (Petrobras) or Dutch (Shell) as American.

The screaming Repub morons that cheer for offshore oil drilling are the same selfish creeps that have the bumpersticker "We are spending our childrens inheritence" on their gas guzzling RV's. Fat greedy idiots that only want their immediate gratification. They are proud to say : "I got mine , fuck you" even to their progeny who surely hate their abusive guts.

Spending the inheritance isn't that big a deal, worse , the way that the Social Security System works , we are spending their earnings .

And when McSamasBush privatizes it , it will kill it off even faster and really screw up your childrens future.

[Plane]

And who are these people who rise to their feet and cheer loudest when they hear the words "Offshore drilling"?>>
==========================================================
The screaming Repub morons that cheer for offshore oil drilling are the same selfish creeps that have the bumpersticker "We are spending our children's inheritance" on their gas guzzling RV's. Fat greedy idiots that only want their immediate gratification. They are proud to say : "I got mine , fuck you" even to their progeny who surely hate their abusive guts.

Spending the inheritance isn't that big a deal, worse , the way that the Social Security System works , we are spending their earnings .

And when McSamasBush privatizes it , it will kill it off even faster and really screw up your children's future.

I wish!

This seems terribly unlikely to happen in time to save my children from paying a tremendous amount into the Social Security system , and see little return before it collapses just as they reach middle age.

If it happened in the next few years I could recover and my Children would never be harmed. This isn't what I expect , I expect it to require the collapse of the Social Security System to reveal the truth of this inevitability , too many people in severe denial.

James Carter included the military to widen the contributor base.
Ronald Reagan put off the collapse by expanding the number of people covered by SS and widening the contributor base , he added Civil servants , who really didn't need it ,It needed them.

Bill Clinton reduced the benefits payout by changing the formula that determines COLA , so he did his part to put off the collapse.

George Bush tried to produce a fund for the Social Security that would be inaccessible to the Congress and couldn't be spent away , this was called an attempt at destruction of SS so it didn't happen , It was really GWII trying to put off the collapse date a little so I should be glad it didn't happen.

No matter what the next President does to extend the life of Social Security , it will be inadequate because infinity is the only requirement of adequacy , it will fail sooner or later , sooner being better.

[Michael Tee]

<<In countrys that do provide oil to the people by nationaliseing the industry and subsidiseing the fuel , does this artificial arrangement cause no problems?  Does it lead to no waste?>>

I'm not aware of any problems.  Russia's doing fine with Gazprom, China's doing fine with its energy companies and before the American invasion, Iraq did fine with its state ownership.  Anyway I don't know what you mean by "subsidizing," all I want is for our government to give us our oil at our cost of extraction, refining and distribution.  That's a lot of middlemen to cut out, so we oughtta realize a huge break at the pumps.

[Plane]

<<In countrys that do provide oil to the people by nationaliseing the industry and subsidiseing the fuel , does this artificial arrangement cause no problems?  Does it lead to no waste?>>

I'm not aware of any problems.  Russia's doing fine with Gazprom, China's doing fine with its energy companies and before the American invasion, Iraq did fine with its state ownership.  Anyway I don't know what you mean by "subsidizing," all I want is for our government to give us our oil at our cost of extraction, refining and distribution.  That's a lot of middlemen to cut out, so we oughtta realize a huge break at the pumps.

For that ,you would give up the greater profit?

What about the national border makes oil a right of the citizen who does nothing to harvest it?

I am pretty sure that your government takes a tax , at this you should rejoice when the price is high and the sale is across the border.

[Michael Tee]

<<For that ,you would give up the greater profit?>>

What greater profit?  I'm not following you.

<<What about the national border makes oil a right of the citizen who does nothing to harvest it?>>

That's what I'm talking about.  Since the oil belongs to the people, it should be "harvested" by the people, i.e., by government-owned Crown Corporations that belong to the people.   The way it is now, some citizens own oil wells and some don't.  The citizens who own the wells get to do all the "harvesting" and get to keep all the profits; the citizens who DON'T own any wells don't get to share in any of the profits, even though all the oil belongs to all the people.  That is just plain bullshit.  The oil belongs to ALL the citizens, so ALL the citizens should get (through their government, via Crown Corporations) to "harvest" it and eliminate the profits that only a small minority of all our citizens are making off the people's oil.

<<I am pretty sure that your government takes a tax , at this you should rejoice when the price is high and the sale is across the border.>>

Even if the tax were 70% it would only mean that some fucking crooks are pocketing 30% of the profits on the nation's oil.  Taxing them is not the answer.  The oil belongs to the people and the people have got to take back their oil from the concessionaires.