Comments on: I want My Country back from Big Oil http://www.juancole.com/2010/05/i-want-my-country-back-from-big-oil.html Thoughts on the Middle East, History and Religion Tue, 14 Feb 2012 00:17:06 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: 4. No Use Crying Over Spilt Oil « Tikkunista! http://www.juancole.com/2010/05/i-want-my-country-back-from-big-oil.html#comment-3879 4. No Use Crying Over Spilt Oil « Tikkunista! Fri, 07 May 2010 17:20:45 +0000 http://www.juancole.com/?p=6997#comment-3879 [...] I want My Country back from Big Oil Juan Cole Informed [...] [...] I want My Country back from Big Oil Juan Cole Informed [...]

]]> By: lloyd ross http://www.juancole.com/2010/05/i-want-my-country-back-from-big-oil.html#comment-3848 lloyd ross Thu, 06 May 2010 16:58:07 +0000 http://www.juancole.com/?p=6997#comment-3848 We knew of this problem 30 years ago. Why should the next 30 years be any different? We have seen the enemy... We knew of this problem 30 years ago. Why should the next 30 years be any different?
We have seen the enemy…

]]> By: eric ray http://www.juancole.com/2010/05/i-want-my-country-back-from-big-oil.html#comment-3828 eric ray Thu, 06 May 2010 00:51:39 +0000 http://www.juancole.com/?p=6997#comment-3828 I want my country back from the military industrial complex. I want my country back from both democrats and Republicans - including President Obama - who serve the interests of the military industrial complex. Watching Obama joke about the drone attacks at the Correspondence Dinner made me want my country back. I want my country back from the military industrial complex. I want my country back from both democrats and Republicans – including President Obama – who serve the interests of the military industrial complex. Watching Obama joke about the drone attacks at the Correspondence Dinner made me want my country back.

]]> By: PRS http://www.juancole.com/2010/05/i-want-my-country-back-from-big-oil.html#comment-3817 PRS Wed, 05 May 2010 20:42:35 +0000 http://www.juancole.com/?p=6997#comment-3817 Whenever talking energy the facts of this lecture should always be kept in mind: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-QA2rkpBSY In the desperate scramble for energy resources--and other resources--going into this century, the nations of the world are not going to be nice at all. Alternative energies as they are understood now have no potential to replace fossil fuels. Price is going to affect demand, and the standard of living will go down significantly for everyone in the industrialized nations. That's how the energy problem is going to solve itself. The diplomatic problems caused by the scramble will probably solve themselves in a much less pretty fashion. Whenever talking energy the facts of this lecture should always be kept in mind:

link to youtube.com

In the desperate scramble for energy resources–and other resources–going into this century, the nations of the world are not going to be nice at all. Alternative energies as they are understood now have no potential to replace fossil fuels. Price is going to affect demand, and the standard of living will go down significantly for everyone in the industrialized nations. That’s how the energy problem is going to solve itself. The diplomatic problems caused by the scramble will probably solve themselves in a much less pretty fashion.

]]> By: Tomgram: Engelhardt, All-Volunteer Wars – Rethink Afghanistan War Blog http://www.juancole.com/2010/05/i-want-my-country-back-from-big-oil.html#comment-3809 Tomgram: Engelhardt, All-Volunteer Wars – Rethink Afghanistan War Blog Wed, 05 May 2010 15:18:35 +0000 http://www.juancole.com/?p=6997#comment-3809 [...] lobbied against “new, stricter safety rules” for offshore drilling, had experienced an offshore disaster for which ordinary Americans are going to pay through the nose (again).  News photographers were [...] [...] lobbied against “new, stricter safety rules” for offshore drilling, had experienced an offshore disaster for which ordinary Americans are going to pay through the nose (again).  News photographers were [...]

]]> By: Bridger http://www.juancole.com/2010/05/i-want-my-country-back-from-big-oil.html#comment-3800 Bridger Wed, 05 May 2010 04:59:55 +0000 http://www.juancole.com/?p=6997#comment-3800 Interesting criticism, however I have one major point which I'd like to raise with your analysis. While you may (and probably are) be correct that resolving the current energy fiasco in the US is going to take a long time, I can't help but point out the real world implications of publicly stating that the problem is unresolvable in a much shorter period of time. That point emerges out of an inherent reality of politics - especially in a system such as ours which was designed from the outset to prevent rapid change - thus setting a goal of 30 years to revitalize our Energy system will only result in disappointment as delays occur and the process gets sidetracked. Rather, what's needed is something akin to the massive docket of environmental legislation which was passed in the 1960s to 1970s, a single moment of rapid governmental action which immediately shifts policy in somewhat unrealistic degrees. Why aim for unrealistic goals? Because by shooting for the stars we might just be able to reach the moon. And everyone knows that the moon has a much lower specific gravity then the Earth, making the second step of the journey that much easier. Also, one concluding point, if I may. While it's certainly true that Big Oil doesn't care how they produce our energy needs, they will certainly want to get all that they can from their existing developed resources and avoid the costs associated with the construction of additional infrastructure for as long as possible. I think what's more important then anything else in this issue to take away is that just as in the industrial era when it was first assumed that workers would be able to gain sufficient rights by themselves through market forces, yet the evolution of society saw the emergence for the need for government regulations to be put in place to give certain rights to workers; with Big Oil similar steps need to be taken, as our social knowledge evolves about the effects which oil consumption has upon our climate and geopolitics, government forces need to act to both create incentitive to move to cleaner fuels and toooooo........... F it we're addicted to oil let's just admit it. Sorry if this seemed like a rant against you or your viewpoints, please take this extensive comment as both a compliment to your comment as well as, of course, professor Cole's ability to inspire discourse and intelligent thought. Interesting criticism, however I have one major point which I’d like to raise with your analysis. While you may (and probably are) be correct that resolving the current energy fiasco in the US is going to take a long time, I can’t help but point out the real world implications of publicly stating that the problem is unresolvable in a much shorter period of time. That point emerges out of an inherent reality of politics – especially in a system such as ours which was designed from the outset to prevent rapid change – thus setting a goal of 30 years to revitalize our Energy system will only result in disappointment as delays occur and the process gets sidetracked.

Rather, what’s needed is something akin to the massive docket of environmental legislation which was passed in the 1960s to 1970s, a single moment of rapid governmental action which immediately shifts policy in somewhat unrealistic degrees. Why aim for unrealistic goals? Because by shooting for the stars we might just be able to reach the moon. And everyone knows that the moon has a much lower specific gravity then the Earth, making the second step of the journey that much easier.

Also, one concluding point, if I may. While it’s certainly true that Big Oil doesn’t care how they produce our energy needs, they will certainly want to get all that they can from their existing developed resources and avoid the costs associated with the construction of additional infrastructure for as long as possible. I think what’s more important then anything else in this issue to take away is that just as in the industrial era when it was first assumed that workers would be able to gain sufficient rights by themselves through market forces, yet the evolution of society saw the emergence for the need for government regulations to be put in place to give certain rights to workers; with Big Oil similar steps need to be taken, as our social knowledge evolves about the effects which oil consumption has upon our climate and geopolitics, government forces need to act to both create incentitive to move to cleaner fuels and toooooo……….. F it we’re addicted to oil let’s just admit it.

Sorry if this seemed like a rant against you or your viewpoints, please take this extensive comment as both a compliment to your comment as well as, of course, professor Cole’s ability to inspire discourse and intelligent thought.

]]> By: menomnon http://www.juancole.com/2010/05/i-want-my-country-back-from-big-oil.html#comment-3796 menomnon Tue, 04 May 2010 23:59:58 +0000 http://www.juancole.com/?p=6997#comment-3796 And the place, again, for investigating specific high GG-producing power generating plants around the world is www.carma.org (this time I'm not going to muck around with trying to use html tags). And the place, again, for investigating specific high GG-producing power generating plants around the world is

www.carma.org

(this time I’m not going to muck around with trying to use html tags).

]]> By: menomnon http://www.juancole.com/2010/05/i-want-my-country-back-from-big-oil.html#comment-3795 menomnon Tue, 04 May 2010 23:58:19 +0000 http://www.juancole.com/?p=6997#comment-3795 Argh. Unclosed html tags or whatever. The addition of a preview function to this blog would be appreciated. Argh. Unclosed html tags or whatever. The addition of a preview function to this blog would be appreciated.

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