http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/04/25/bush.saudi/index.html
CRAWFORD, Texas (CNN) -- President Bush welcomed Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah to his Texas ranch Monday for a meeting likely to focus on soaring oil and U.S. gas prices.
Vice President Dick Cheney and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice joined Bush as he greeted Abdullah with an embrace and a kiss on each cheek before leading him inside for the talks.
It's Abdullah's second visit to the Crawford ranch, making him the first world leader to get a return invitation. Cheney also met with the oil-rich kingdom's prince Sunday in Dallas.
Am I the only one that sees things like this and feels like its like your (Parent/Pastor/Employer/Mayor, insert authority figure you ought to be able to respect) holding hands with a drug dealer? Instead of thinking "crap, oil is going up, lets focus effort on kicking this addiction, finding alternatives", its "oh please, dealer, give us a cheap joint"... makes me sick!
more...
All data points seem to indicate we are at or past peak oil. Things are going to start sucking. Fossil fuels underly EVERYTHING in our civilization. Moreso than gold or silver ever did past civilizations. Meanwhile, using them is tinkering with the complex systems of our worlds climate and ecology in ways we can't predict but not likely good. Getting fossil fuels at a good price skews all sorts of policy decisions in all coutnrys. And yet, the best our leaders can do is drop lines about hydrogen cars in SOTU address and then hold hands with the neighborhood dealer with the most crack to sell, er, I mean, crown prince Abdullah...
Do you realize that fossil fuels are responsible for the bounty of FOOD we have in this world today? That's right, fossil fuels (
green revolution) are used to create fertilizers that allow us to feed 6+ billion people. As the price of oil rises, the price of all fossil fuels will go up, and therefore the price of food. Not to mention the oil price embedded in food prices due to the fact we transport food all over the friggen world with fossil fuels.
Do you realize that most of our military might, which we use to keep the world in the just-so state that allows the U.S. to gobble up glutteness portions of world resources, is run very largely on fossil fuels? Sure we have nuc-u-lar subs and whatnot, but tanks, jeeps, supply trucks, jets, etc, all run on fossil fuels. As the cost of those go up, so will the cost of keeping our military up.
Many/most drugs, pharmeceuticals, plastics of all kinds, etc, all come from fossil fuels. If we use every last drop like policy appears to be aiming for, we deny our decendants a whole class of materials to work with (unless we get nanotechnology going safely, cross fingers).
Damn, I could go on and on and on. The point is, as fossil fuel prices begin to rise FOREVER from here on out, so is the cost of our ridiculous way of life, but also bottom line things like food, drugs. Sure, market forces will make us find the best replacement(s)
eventually, but what's going to be going on during the period that force is being applied? What will the force on the market look like? Do we have to endure it or can't we PLAN AHEAD in our progeny's best interest?
As our military costs more and more (as fuel costs embedded in the total cost to run it, and as we have to keep using it as a force to keep oil flowing), we will be forced to gut more and more domestic programs. The reversal of the green revolution internationally (as chemical fertilizers go up in price) may mean famine (cataclismic or slow and cruel) for millions or possibly
billions. It ain't gonna matter if we saved social security.
The bottom line is, we should all be screaming to get the nation's (democrat and republican) leaders figuring out how to kick the oil habit as a top priority. Right now, all we have is Bush saying ""Please, my kids need cheap crack just a little longer..." and serving BBQ to Abdullah. "Here, have some ribs. Huh? What do you mean you don't eat pork? You're not Jewish..."