Reading over at TPM this article.
Basically the GOP is killing alternative fuel strategy for our military. Not normally an issue I am vehement about, but something just makes me go 'eeeaaaarrrggghhhh!' about the party of the "double-standard: say something, do something different" to steal a line from -George Carlin
I struggle to understand this from the party of the 'Strong Military' and 'Drill Baby, Drill!'
Shouldn't we be encouraging our military, and the rest of the US to be working on an alternative fuels program.
The development of green energy for our military, to make them less susceptible to fluctuations on the world market should be seen as a good thing, right?
I knew someone who was developing bio-diesel out of his garage out of waste grease and his cars that smelled like french fries but worked on waste product. The guy was a die hard Republican, and thought cutting our dependence on foreign oil was in our country's best interest. Why do the politicians in his party not agree?
The Republican attacks on everything alternative energy has been a long standing campaign that goes against some of their stated positions.
From their own platform in '08 -
Our current dependence on foreign fossil fuels
threatens both our national
security and our economy and
could also force drastic changes
in the way we live. The ongoing
transfer of Americansí wealth to
OPEC ó roughly $700 billion a
year ó helps underwrite terroristsí operations and creates little
incentive for repressive regimes
to accept democracy, whether in
the Middle East or Latin
America
and...
In the long run, American production should
move to zero-emission sources, and our nationís fossil fuel resources are the bridge to that emissions-free
future.
Why then are the Republicans against every energy project that isn't petroleum or gas based? The repeated budgetary attacks against anything that isn't petrol or gas. It serves the Big Oil and Gas industry greatly, but conflicts with their own stated position.
I've heard fiscal arguments against the more costly energy alternatives. Again this doesn't square with the support of the nuclear industry, and the development of green energy alternatives has been reducing prices as time marches on. We are at a time where we can invest in new technology, and honestly make the country more energy independent, and at every turn we have decided to not pursue those options.
I just can not understand the disconnect.