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How to Vote
You have a surprising responsibility this election year: you can decide how long this primary season goes on.
When you do step into the voting booths, it's important to remember the real issues this year -- however contrary this runs to the words from the campaigns:
http://nysun.com/news/food-rationing-confronts-breadbasket-world
Food rationing. In the United States.
Major retailers in New York, in areas of New England,
and on the West Coast are limiting purchases of flour, rice, and
cooking oil as demand outstrips supply. There are also anecdotal
reports that some consumers are hoarding grain stocks.
The next four years will not be about who is bitter, how often someone fired a gun, who someone's pastor is... or universal health care.
It will be about the transformation of our present lifestyle due to the end of cheap energy. This is not an issue of walking to places. This is an issue of food production and clean water.
Basic to everyone's lives.
I implore the electorate in PA to consider who can lead the entire country through what seems to be very difficult times ahead.
Vote for the candidate who can tell us the painful truths -- because candidates who say they have a plan to lower the price of gasoline are lying. It's time to come to grips with the real facts, the real issues, and what is really important.
Good luck, PA!
Comments (16)
Thanks, Pal! I'll remember you when I go vote in the morning...
April 21, 2008 9:06 PM | Reply | Permalink
I don't think either of them have the cred to claim they can tell painful truths to the American public. Neither can tell the middle class that America is broke and we can't afford to give them tax cuts.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/19/us/politics/19obama.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
Senator Barack Obama proposed a plan on Tuesday to provide at least $80 billion a year in tax cuts to middle-class workers, homeowners and retirees
Then there's his support of ethanol.
Now, building cars that use less oil is only one side of the equation. The other involves replacing the oil we use with home-grown biofuels. The Governors in this room have long known about this potential, and all of you have been leading the way on ethanol in your own states.
He panders to AIPAC, lies about his position on gun control. He's just like any other politician. He'll say what it takes and he'll pander when its necessary. Sure Hillary is not better on that score. They both will do what it takes to win. I just do not see any evidence that Obama is any way above politics as usual or that he has in any way shown he has the ability to tell the American public painful truths.
April 21, 2008 10:09 PM | Reply | Permalink
He earned his status as being a serious challenger to Hillary. Hillary, in contrast, squandered her name recognition and "inevitable" status with no vision of America beyond health care.
Her campaign has turned off many early supporters. That's practically unheard of in politics.
April 21, 2008 10:23 PM | Reply | Permalink
I agree that he is and has been a very serious challenger to Hillary. But that doesn't show that he has the ability to tell painful truths to the American public.
Supporters on both sides have been turned off by the other sides campaign. But even if I were to agree that only Clinton has turned off people, which I don't, it still doesn't provide any evidence that Obama has the ability to tell painful truths to the American public.
April 21, 2008 11:03 PM | Reply | Permalink
You missed my point: I said early *CLINTON* supporters are now turned off by Hillary.
And that is extraordinary.
April 22, 2008 12:01 AM | Reply | Permalink
On the contrary, Obama's reactions against Clinton's attacks (as well as those by the media in the past couple of months) have shown him to NOT be above the fray, but to be simply another politician, albeit one that can give an excellent speech.
I think this post was very nice, OP, and I like how you didn't directly imply that one should vote for Obama or Clinton. But I will say, I would rather have the Clintons in power in a time of need than Obama, who not only does not seem to be anything new or different, but hasn't proven himself to be ready either.
April 22, 2008 5:06 PM | Reply | Permalink
That you support Clinton, but also support my posting, means a lot. We will all be stuck in the same boat going forward.
Thanks!
April 22, 2008 7:46 PM | Reply | Permalink
Now, building cars that use less oil is only one side of the equation. The other involves replacing the oil we use with home-grown biofuels.
Perhaps building better and more reliable public transportation is the answer. This type of transportation can use electric instead of carbon fuels.
Maybe that's just too elitists?
April 21, 2008 10:56 PM | Reply | Permalink
Most of your electricity currently comes from fossil fuels.
You are correct we would need more public transportation. It may be too late to build out the scale that we would need to really keep our current lifestyle.
For starters, we need much more in the way of trains to replace the planes that are too fuel consumptive by definition.
April 22, 2008 12:02 AM | Reply | Permalink
Even the electricity they produce in Europe?
April 22, 2008 6:31 PM | Reply | Permalink
European energy issues won't help us much here in the US to keep the trains running.
April 22, 2008 7:47 PM | Reply | Permalink
Mr. Clearthinker,
Thanks for the excellent post.
Though I am clearly a decided voter (but I haven't voted yet) I have to say neither candidate seems to realize just how desperate this issue could become. Soon. Like, it may be too late to avert some extreme changes coming on fast.
Do you read Clusterfuck Nation?
April 22, 2008 6:42 PM | Reply | Permalink
Yes, I often tell people here to check out THE LONG EMERGENCY. (But do avoid his recent -- and terrible -- fiction book WORLD MADE BY HAND.)
I have written about energy here before, you may want to check out this blog and the comment section. Several of us on TPM are educated enough on this issue to have a decent discussion. More are welcomed to join in -- and influence your governmental representation!
http://tpmcafe.talkingpointsmemo.com/talk/2008/04/do-we-have-the-energy-to-talk.php
April 22, 2008 7:50 PM | Reply | Permalink
European energy issues won't help us much here in the US to keep the trains running.
What I am saying if they can produce electricity by other means in Europe, the United States has the capacity to do so as well; it just a matter of whether our country will face the facts.
April 22, 2008 9:49 PM | Reply | Permalink
Europeans don't use as much energy per capita as we do here.
Europe was "settled" long before the industrial revolution and therefore has a layout more conducive to local, less energy-intensive, way of life.
It's not because they are particularly better than Americans, it's that their lifestyle has *always* been that way as a result of their geography.
In fact, I've known lots of Europeans who love to come to America and tool around at great speeds over great distances in rented cars, just because it's such a unique experience for them.
April 22, 2008 10:23 PM | Reply | Permalink
Europeans don't use as much energy per capita as we do here.
Europe was "settled" long before the industrial revolution and therefore has a layout more conducive to local, less energy-intensive, way of life.
I agree with you that Europeans don't use as much energy as Americans. And yes Europe was settled differently than the United States but we owe it to ourselves to develop a policy which severely cuts our use of fossil fuels.
So as Americans we have a decision to make. Do we change our lifestyles to fit the circumstances or do we continue to pay a premium for that lifestyle?
April 22, 2008 11:10 PM | Reply | Permalink
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