[Leanan]

I'm watching Florida Gov. Jeb Bush's press conference now. One reporter said many people were furious over the widespread gas shortages, and asked Bush what he was going to do about it. (Nothing.)

But I guess that's a warning. When the gas runs out, the politicians will be blamed.

[KiddieKorral]

Wow, that really tells you something about the sheeple. I mean, I'm no fan of Jebbie, but how can people think he has anything to do with the gas shortages?

[Soft_Landing]

Perhaps a Flawda local can fill me in here, but wasn't there some sort of tax amnesty on gas last month. I read something about how this contributed to the shortage of gas... If that's the case, surely it lays the blame for increase demand of gas squarely at the feet of Gov. Bush.

I hope US readers can appreciate the effort I went to to substitute 'gas' for petrol in that paragragh....

[KiddieKorral]

Yeah, there was a temporary 8-cent fuel tax cut last month, but it ended last week.

[KiddieKorral]

I just heard that gas was being shipped to Tampa, Jacksonville, and Ft. Everglades, to be trucked in ASAP. Of course, with all the trees that will be down, it won't get here for a while.

[Leanan]

In ancient Rome, they stopped their population from rioting by keeping them provided with "bread and circuses." I guess today it's gas and electricity to mollify the masses...

[Soft_Landing]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'S')addam was not likely to cut off supply. It would be cutting off his nose to spite his face. He was dependent on oil sales to support his country.

[Soft_Landing]

Bugger!

This last post was supposed to go into the "Iraq Offline Again" thread...

That will teach me for trying to respond to too many threads at one (while going off for coffee).

Can a moderator move this post over? Thanks.

[Guest]

It's clear to me now that the next POTUS will be Jeb Bush.

The corporations (the real power in the US) will always purchase the candidate that they select as most likely to further their interests, and why buy an imitation (BushLite) when the real thing is so cheap.

One of the other things that struck me about this election is that there isn't a two way divide in this country, there is a THREE way (did I just say 3Way ) divide between the Reps, the Demos and the INDEPENDENTS. From my tracking roughly a third of registered voters refused to select either of the two parties on their registration cards.

Now add the inevitability of another Al Queda-vitch attack (wouldn't want to be living in Ohio the next few years) and when that happens the country will move closer towards fascism. And lets be clear here, as gg3 has clearly outlined, there is no 'moral' high ground here ... the only choices are between freedom and the right-wing version of fascism or, with the Democrats, you'll get the order of left-wing fascism to chew on.

and you wonder why Kerry lost It's because as 'voters' (and I used the term lightly) we were given a choice between 2 antichrists, both of whom clearly stated their intentions of expanding Iraq into a global conflict.

Here is another factoid to chew on ... the POTUS Curse. Since the early 1800's every US President elected on a 20 year cycle has died in office (with the exception of Reagan who was only shot). Dubya is next in line.

HA ! I know what a lot of you are thinking, but you should be real careful about what you wish for, because if you think Shrub is a threat to world peace now, what do you think the minions of the Red states would do with good old GW as their own personal martyr ?

And now add the PeakOil omens to this stew. Clear thinkers will realize that long before we see the die-off and the martial law and such, we will see a whole slew of problems, both large and small that will point the way towards the end of oil. Some of them, like $50+ oil we are seeing already. Others like widespread unemployment and rampant inflation or economic collapse are waiting right in the wings.

Now take you average ignorant red-stater, take away his job, raise the price of heat, fuel and food, and then, on top of all that, take away their real American Idol, GW Bush.

Sure, it couldn't happen to a nicer bunch of people but you might want to think about why so many people are bringing up the CW (Civil War II) topic in the last week.

It's about to get real messy boys and girls.

[endoftheage]

I appreciate your optimism that there'll BE an election in 2008, Guest. Wish I shared it....

[pepper2000]

Whoa there.

First off, curses are, well, a bit sketchy. Bush may or may not survive the term; I won't call any predictions on that. But the "curse" is probably nothing more than an interesting coincidence.

According to Wikipedia, the word "fascism", which is somewhat vague, can refer to a state with one of the four following properties:

- exalts up nation and sometimes race above the individual,
- uses violence and modern techniques of propaganda and censorship to forcibly suppress political opposition,
- engages in severe economic and social regimentation, and
- espouses of nationalism and sometimes racism or ethnic nationalism.

Despite claims to the contrary, these things are not going on today.

There's a lot to be concerned about today, I agree, but we have to be careful to differentiate between real and present dangers and unfounded hysterics.

[Guest]

I've been persuing Dominionist message boards such as the rapture ready message board and reading much of their literature. Quite disturbing.

These people honestly believe that America's current problems, such as the bad economy, are a result of the liberals handing the country over to the gays, the abortionists, and the blacks - although they use the code word, "multiculturists."

Once they've done away with the gays and the economy still keeps getting worse, do you think they're going to mellow out? Not at all. They will interpret the worsening state of the economy and the ever rising price of oil as a sign from God that they have not yet succeded in making this country "Godly" again.

So they're just going to keep getting nutier and more violent.

Many of these people believe that God put plenty of oil in the earth and that so long as we have faith, there will always be more there. (Much like the Abiotic idiots).

When it becomes apparent that we are "running out," do you think they will accept that as discernable reality or do you think they're going to react like a bunch of vengeful freaks?

They will interpret the decline in production, rise in price as a sign that we should not listen to those naysayers (liberals?) who claim we may be "running out."

If we get rid of the people who claim we're running out of the stuff, that will prove to God that we have faith in his ability to provide for us!

If you think these people are beyond killing whoever they think they must kill to keep God happy, chew on this: in 2002, the Texas GOP proposed a law whereby a person who attacks (even kills) a gay person as a result of their faith or religious beliefs would be immune from civil and criminal prosecution.

Such a law could easily be extened to people who kill people who preach against creationism - which everybody here is actively doing, even if you don't realize it.

Believe oil is a fossil fuel? That means you are denying creationsim, which means you're not with Jesus. And if you're not with Jesus, you're with the Antichrist. And if we want to make sure Jesus takes us in the rapture, we have to make sure we prove we follow him and not the Antichrist. What better, bolder way to prove that than killing the people who preach non-biblical doctrine that encourages people not to maintain their faith in God's ability to supply them with resources?

Guest 2007

[Guest]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('pepper2000', 'W')hoa there.

First off, curses are, well, a bit sketchy. Bush may or may not survive the term; I won't call any predictions on that. But the "curse" is probably nothing more than an interesting coincidence.

According to Wikipedia, the word "fascism", which is somewhat vague, can refer to a state with one of the four following properties:

- exalts up nation and sometimes race above the individual,
- uses violence and modern techniques of propaganda and censorship to forcibly suppress political opposition,
- engages in severe economic and social regimentation, and
- espouses of nationalism and sometimes racism or ethnic nationalism.

Despite claims to the contrary, these things are not going on today.
.

[Matrim]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'T')hat means you are denying creationsim, which means you're not with Jesus.

[skateari]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'A')ccording to Wikipedia, the word "fascism", which is somewhat vague, can refer to a state with one of the four following properties:

- exalts up nation and sometimes race above the individual,
- uses violence and modern techniques of propaganda and censorship to forcibly suppress political opposition,
- engages in severe economic and social regimentation, and
- espouses of nationalism and sometimes racism or ethnic nationalism.

Despite claims to the contrary, these things are not going on today.

[Specop_007]

Skateari
Proof proof proof. You make as many claims as the next fool. Seperate yourself.

[gg3]

Here's one piece I find really disturbing.
http://archive.salon.com/politics/featu ... print.html

At the 2000 election in FLorida, a group of GOP operatives descended upon the election office and conducted what amounted to a riot. Government officials were so intimidated that they shut down the recount. Admittedly the source for the article above is left-leaning, but there was plenty about this on the mainstream newswires, including pictures of the type shown in the article above. (I got lazy and pulled up a first-page citation on my search; keep looking and you'll find the mainstream citations also.)

Now pardon my rhetoric, folks, but there is no other word for this than "brown-shirt tactics."

Also the recent instances of denying international treaty rights to prisoners, suspending habeas corpus, etc., all make for a very disurbing set of legal precedents.

And the tendency toward scapegoating: today gays & gynecologists, and perhaps later, the "less than acceptably pious." Scapegoating is a favored tactic of demagogues everywhere.

And the go-it-alone military policy.

But before we go on to overdraw the parallels, consider an alternative. "Friendly fascism," of the type described by Bertram Gross in his book by that title. It would not need to use heavy-handed means on a large scale (though perhaps on a small scale); it would merely consolidate power to the degree that it required, and then proceed along its merry way.

Re. Jeb Bush: At first I thought, "no way in hell," i.e. even those who are full-on supporters of GW Bush would in no way go for something that starts to look more like a monarchic dynasty. However the scenario of "what happens if GW Bush dies in office," particularly if he dies in a tragic way (something no sane person would wish for, even those who are furious about his getting a second term), could indeed produce that outcome. Now IMHO, Jeb could make a good Senator from Florida, he seems to have the talents and capabilities; and like the Kennedys before him, that would be an accepted route into a national role. But absent some kind of bizarre tragedy, Americans do not like to have serial presidents with the same last name.

And if I'm wrong, we're really really screwed.

[Dimitrivsky]

My guess is that the next US President will be Arnold Schwarzenegger...

That would be a laugh!

[tmazanec1]

Would have to amend the Constitution to get Ahnold.

[Jesus]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Specop_007', 'S')kateari
Proof proof proof. You make as many claims as the next fool.