[Zentric]

George Bush's intellectual and personality flaws? He's got a ton of them. But does he actually want to see us suffer through this unfolding crisis? Does he actually *want* to see Armegedon delivered, as by prophecy?

Seriously, what would be the harm in telling Americans it's "patriotic" to conserve, for instance to drive less or slower, or to turn down the thermostat?

It's as if he's fixing for things to go badly, then conveniently scapegoat someone, ultimately using the occason to tighten the screws further on all the little people. Or ... what?

Can anyone offer a plausible explanation in regards to this apparent gap in leadership?

[Grimnir]

"Starving the beast", an admitted conservative strategy. Crash the economy, then rebuild it the way you want. No more New Deal.

[Colorado-Valley]

What's he supposed to say?

"Sorry, I should have pushed for renewables 30 years ago instead of helping make America so completely dependent on oil.

"Now we're toast ... Oops, my bad."

[killJOY]

Dear Prez Boosh,

When rapture come, may I siphon the tank of your automobile?

[nth]

Actually, he has been talking about the need for more energy by passing his energy policy bills.

[Sys1]

Zentric told "Can anyone offer a plausible explanation in regards to this apparent gap in leadership?"

Things are pretty simple. Capitalism needs growth to survive or it's economic collapase. By cutting energy, USA will soon be worse than it was in 1929, and that forever.

It's not Bush's fault, it's just the death of this system which is unavoidable. What politics can do is like what a doctor can do in regard to someone dying of a cancer.
Giving him painkillers.

[nth]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Sys1', 'Z')entric told "Can anyone offer a plausible explanation in regards to this apparent gap in leadership?"

Things are pretty simple. Capitalism needs growth to survive or it's economic collapase. By cutting energy, USA will soon be worse than it was in 1929, and that forever.

It's not Bush's fault, it's just the death of this system which is unavoidable. What politics can do is like what a doctor can do in regard to someone dying of a cancer.
Giving him painkillers.

[CarnbY]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('nth', 'W')hat is 1929's oil consumption for US?

I have been to countries that use very little oil and their lifestyle is tolerable to me. It is not that bad to be without cars and other plastic goods.

[nth]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('CarnbY', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('nth', 'W')hat is 1929's oil consumption for US?

I have been to countries that use very little oil and their lifestyle is tolerable to me. It is not that bad to be without cars and other plastic goods.

[Yavicleus]

Actually, Bush recently said this:

[quote]
“I think if you look at all the statistics, demand is outracing supply and supplies are getting tight. And that’s why you’re seeing the price reflected,â€

[nth]

[quote="Yavicleus"]Actually, Bush recently said this:

[quote]
“I think if you look at all the statistics, demand is outracing supply and supplies are getting tight. And that’s why you’re seeing the price reflected,â€

[nth]

Bush and Energy

President George W. Bush urged Americans to curb their consumption of energy, and he called for more progress in reducing air pollution from coal-fired power plants.

``We're using a lot of it and we need to conserve better in the United States,'' Bush said today in Waco, Texas, during a press conference with the leaders of Canada and Mexico. ``We'd like to become less dependent on energy overseas.''

Bush said North American consumers are ``going to have to change our habits'' when it comes to energy, citing the need to shift to hydrogen-powered automobiles, increase imports of liquefied natural gas, and operate ``zero-emission'' coal-fired plants that generate electricity.

http://quote.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pi ... refer=home

[Liamj]

"We need an energy bill that encourages consumption.", Trenton, New Jersey, Sep. 23, 2002

"Our greatest strength -- well, let me -- gas prices are coming down, which, by the way, is positive for the American consumer, American people." Santa Clara, California, May 2, 2003

I HOPE he keeps silent, cos he hasn't got anything intelligent to say. But when TSHTF, it'll be him not Cheney telling the US public the bad news. I can see it now...

Teleprompter/earpiece: "our oil supply has peaked and will never rise again.."
Bush: "Your oil is peaky and, well, we'll never ride again."
("...but mr binladen & my daddy have another great investment opportunity... " )

[savethehumans]

Here's a nice article about how Bush's stance on PO will be viewed, and what might have been:

Published on 27 Mar 2005 by NY Times. Archived on 28 Mar 2005.

Geo-Greening by Example
by Thomas L. Friedman

How will future historians explain it? How will they possibly explain why President George W. Bush decided to ignore the energy crisis staring us in the face and chose instead to spend all his electoral capital on a futile effort to undo the New Deal, by partially privatizing Social Security? We are, quite simply, witnessing one of the greatest examples of misplaced priorities in the history of the U.S. presidency.

"Ah, Friedman, but you overstate the case." No, I understate it. Look at the opportunities our country is missing - and the risks we are assuming - by having a president and vice president who refuse to lift a finger to put together a "geo-green" strategy that would marry geopolitics, energy policy and environmentalism.

By doing nothing to lower U.S. oil consumption, we are financing both sides in the war on terrorism and strengthening the worst governments in the world. That is, we are financing the U.S. military with our tax dollars and we are financing the jihadists - and the Saudi, Sudanese and Iranian mosques and charities that support them - through our gasoline purchases. The oil boom is also entrenching the autocrats in Russia and Venezuela, which is becoming Castro's Cuba with oil. By doing nothing to reduce U.S. oil consumption we are also setting up a global competition with China for energy resources, including right on our doorstep in Canada and Venezuela. Don't kid yourself: China's foreign policy today is very simple - holding on to Taiwan and looking for oil.

Finally, by doing nothing to reduce U.S. oil consumption we are only hastening the climate change crisis, and the Bush officials who scoff at the science around this should hang their heads in shame. And it is only going to get worse the longer we do nothing. Wired magazine did an excellent piece in its April issue about hybrid cars, which get 40 to 50 miles to the gallon with very low emissions. One paragraph jumped out at me: "Right now, there are about 800 million cars in active use. By 2050, as cars become ubiquitous in China and India, it'll be 3.25 billion. That increase represents ... an almost unimaginable threat to our environment. Quadruple the cars means quadruple the carbon dioxide emissions - unless cleaner, less gas-hungry vehicles become the norm."

All the elements of what I like to call a geo-green strategy are known:

We need a gasoline tax that would keep pump prices fixed at $4 a gallon, even if crude oil prices go down. At $4 a gallon (premium gasoline averages about $6 a gallon in Europe), we could change the car-buying habits of a large segment of the U.S. public, which would make it profitable for the car companies to convert more of their fleets to hybrid or ethanol engines, which over time could sharply reduce our oil consumption.

We need to start building nuclear power plants again. The new nuclear technology is safer and cleaner than ever. "The risks of climate change by continuing to rely on hydrocarbons are much greater than the risks of nuclear power," said Peter Schwartz, chairman of Global Business Network, a leading energy and strategy consulting firm. "Climate change is real and it poses a civilizational threat that [could] transform the carrying capacity of the entire planet."

And we need some kind of carbon tax that would move more industries from coal to wind, hydro and solar power, or other, cleaner fuels. The revenue from these taxes would go to pay down the deficit and the reduction in oil imports would help to strengthen the dollar and defuse competition for energy with China.

It's smart geopolitics. It's smart fiscal policy. It is smart climate policy. Most of all - it's smart politics! Even evangelicals are speaking out about our need to protect God's green earth. "The Republican Party is much greener than George Bush or Dick Cheney," remarked Mr. Schwartz. "There is now a near convergence of support on the environmental issue. Look at how popular [Arnold] Schwarzenegger, a green Republican, is becoming because of what he has done on the environment in California."

Imagine if George Bush declared that he was getting rid of his limousine for an armor-plated Ford Escape hybrid, adopting a geo-green strategy and building an alliance of neocons, evangelicals and greens to sustain it. His popularity at home - and abroad - would soar. The country is dying to be led on this. Instead, he prefers to squander his personal energy trying to take apart the New Deal and throwing red meat to right-to-life fanatics. What a waste of a presidency. How will future historians explain it?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Editorial Notes ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Influential NY Times columnist Thomas Friedman has been pushing "Geo-Greening" recently. Friedman has been liberal on social policy, hawkish on foreign policy. Friedman's geo-greening ideas sound similar to those of the "green" neo-conservatives.

[nth]

savethehumans,

Corporate america will never go with it. When Whirlpool invested in millions of dollars to come out with a green refrigerator, it didn't sell. When GM, Ford, Chrysler came out with electric cars, they were not popular. There are quite a few lessons that taught corporate america to be cautious. But it is sad to see the politicians even more right than corporate america. That is what we are seeing, so sad.

[Colorado-Valley]

A. Whom will he blame?

B. What will he propose?

C. Will he wear a sweater and tell us to turn down our thermostats?

[NevadaGhosts]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Colorado-Valley', 'A'). Whom will he blame?

B. What will he propose?

C. Will he wear a sweater and tell us to turn down our thermostats?

[theshadypeach]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Colorado-Valley', 'A'). Whom will he blame?

B. What will he propose?

C. Will he wear a sweater and tell us to turn down our thermostats?

[Raxozanne]

I hate George Bush.

[jato]

A. Whom will he blame?

Those pesky terrorists in Iraq that are bombing the oil infrastructure!


B. What will he propose?

Drill baby drill... everywhere we can!


C. Will he wear a sweater and tell us to turn down our thermostats?

He will be wearing a Rolex watch and a Kevlar vest (hidden under his clothing). He will tell us to go out and be good little Americans. Go forth and buy Fords, GMs and Harleys (so America won’t go bankrupt)!

“Our economy is growing faster than any other Superpowers’ within the Milkyway Galaxy! We are spreading peace, freedom and democracy to far away and savage lands (even if it kills them)! Good night and God Bless America (we are going to need it)!”