Black Hawk Down...cont\'d
There is a thread over in the LED forum...Black Hawk Down with some chit-chat on the nature of governments (mostly U.S.).
Comments like:
"USA has arguably the most corrupt government on the planet"
"...can you say Enron?"
"I'll ... assume you are speaking of the PREVIOUS administration"
"most corrupt after what the Clinton administration foisted upon us"
Here is my 2 cents...
Citizens of democracies get the gov't they invest in.
Poor investment = not so good gov't.
Most of us (including me) go about our daily lives with very little knowledge or concern about what our gov't is doing. Election time comes around and we either don't vote (I try to always at least vote) or we prepare by absorbing the ad campaigns pushed onto us and MAYBE we read an editorial piece in the paper or a quick glace at a voter's guide (The League of Women Voters usually tries to prepare a pretty objective discussion).
If this is all you are doing (its about all I do), it is pretty low investment.
So, who really runs things when we aren't paying attention? People with a REALLY vested interest. Usually that is people with money or investments that are impacted in a big way by Gov't policies.
Did you know that Enron was the 7th largest corporation in the U.S. but paid no income taxes in 4 of the last 5 yrs? They made a profit those years, but, they contributed so much to political causes (over .5 million to GWBush) and paid so much out in bonuses (especially stock options...tax deductable as an "expense"), that they paid no income tax. NO TAX. Their contributions helped pay for some of those ads we "absorb".
I paid more income tax in my little household than the 7th largest U.S. corporation (kinda makes me proud...huh?).
I won't try to argue for Bush or Clinton. My point is... pay attention, or let someone else do it. If you let someone else do it, you've let THEM run YOUR government.
President Bush is pushing for another economy stimulus package. Look around on the web for some details...read about it. You might be surprised at some of the content that is not revealed by listening to "sound bites" from politicians.
Now, a little on foreign policy...
Gov'ts (including the U.S.), do what is in their "national interests".
Our U.S. gov't has:
-Overthrown democratically elected gov'ts when it suited us (Iran before the Shah).
-Stopped democratic elections when it looked like the outcome wouldn't be favorable (Vietnam)
-Fomented rebellions (To get Panama to split off from Columbia...so we could build the canal)
Much of this, regular "Americans" might not have agreed with if they were paying attention (after all, we are for democracy...right?). But... we mostly don't pay attention. So, someone with a vested interest lobbies our gov't to use its power and the lives of our military people to swing a world event in the favor of their "interests".
The folks in this CandlePower Forum are interested in energy...right? I know I love my Infinity Task Light 'cause it uses batteries SO efficiently.
Are you curious at all as to why the latest "energy policies" have so little content about conservation and so much about expanding the sources of petroleum (drilling in the Alaskan Nat'l Wildlife Refuge)?
It just might be that continuing with the processing and sale of vast amounts of petroleum is quite profitable for some people with very large interests. Someday, that petroleum will run out. Why are we waiting until that becomes a crisis to start developing and promoting alternative fuels?
Right now, there is technology to convert soy beans into diesel fuel. For every 1 unit of energy put into creating the fuel, you get 3 units back out. So, Bio-Diesel could replace up to 20% of the diesel fuel we use in the U.S.; making us more energy independent and benefiting our farmers instead of Arabian princes.
But...Bio-diesel isn't being pursued very vigorously. Hmmm. How come? One reason might be that re-locating the sale of 20% of a petroleum based fuel will REALLY impact a certain set of well informed, powerful and well connected people.
Just an example. Stay interested. Read. Draw your own conclusions and be involved with your own gov't to the extent that you want to be.
Just my 2 cents...
There is a thread over in the LED forum...Black Hawk Down with some chit-chat on the nature of governments (mostly U.S.).
Comments like:
"USA has arguably the most corrupt government on the planet"
"...can you say Enron?"
"I'll ... assume you are speaking of the PREVIOUS administration"
"most corrupt after what the Clinton administration foisted upon us"
Here is my 2 cents...
Citizens of democracies get the gov't they invest in.
Poor investment = not so good gov't.
Most of us (including me) go about our daily lives with very little knowledge or concern about what our gov't is doing. Election time comes around and we either don't vote (I try to always at least vote) or we prepare by absorbing the ad campaigns pushed onto us and MAYBE we read an editorial piece in the paper or a quick glace at a voter's guide (The League of Women Voters usually tries to prepare a pretty objective discussion).
If this is all you are doing (its about all I do), it is pretty low investment.
So, who really runs things when we aren't paying attention? People with a REALLY vested interest. Usually that is people with money or investments that are impacted in a big way by Gov't policies.
Did you know that Enron was the 7th largest corporation in the U.S. but paid no income taxes in 4 of the last 5 yrs? They made a profit those years, but, they contributed so much to political causes (over .5 million to GWBush) and paid so much out in bonuses (especially stock options...tax deductable as an "expense"), that they paid no income tax. NO TAX. Their contributions helped pay for some of those ads we "absorb".
I paid more income tax in my little household than the 7th largest U.S. corporation (kinda makes me proud...huh?).
I won't try to argue for Bush or Clinton. My point is... pay attention, or let someone else do it. If you let someone else do it, you've let THEM run YOUR government.
President Bush is pushing for another economy stimulus package. Look around on the web for some details...read about it. You might be surprised at some of the content that is not revealed by listening to "sound bites" from politicians.
Now, a little on foreign policy...
Gov'ts (including the U.S.), do what is in their "national interests".
Our U.S. gov't has:
-Overthrown democratically elected gov'ts when it suited us (Iran before the Shah).
-Stopped democratic elections when it looked like the outcome wouldn't be favorable (Vietnam)
-Fomented rebellions (To get Panama to split off from Columbia...so we could build the canal)
Much of this, regular "Americans" might not have agreed with if they were paying attention (after all, we are for democracy...right?). But... we mostly don't pay attention. So, someone with a vested interest lobbies our gov't to use its power and the lives of our military people to swing a world event in the favor of their "interests".
The folks in this CandlePower Forum are interested in energy...right? I know I love my Infinity Task Light 'cause it uses batteries SO efficiently.
Are you curious at all as to why the latest "energy policies" have so little content about conservation and so much about expanding the sources of petroleum (drilling in the Alaskan Nat'l Wildlife Refuge)?
It just might be that continuing with the processing and sale of vast amounts of petroleum is quite profitable for some people with very large interests. Someday, that petroleum will run out. Why are we waiting until that becomes a crisis to start developing and promoting alternative fuels?
Right now, there is technology to convert soy beans into diesel fuel. For every 1 unit of energy put into creating the fuel, you get 3 units back out. So, Bio-Diesel could replace up to 20% of the diesel fuel we use in the U.S.; making us more energy independent and benefiting our farmers instead of Arabian princes.
But...Bio-diesel isn't being pursued very vigorously. Hmmm. How come? One reason might be that re-locating the sale of 20% of a petroleum based fuel will REALLY impact a certain set of well informed, powerful and well connected people.
Just an example. Stay interested. Read. Draw your own conclusions and be involved with your own gov't to the extent that you want to be.
Just my 2 cents...