Bait and Switch
Lately, Bill Maher has been saying that he doesn't think America has it in her to do big things. He points to Brazil's announcement of complete energy independence this year and bemoans our inability to do the same. Sure, some of it's a matter of public will; we must be ready to sacrifice and work to achieve greatness. But it's also a bit of human nature that we need to be asked to do it, and nobody's doing the Ask. Who will ask the American public to commit to securing what could easily be one of the most important facets of our national security? Is anyone serious about it?
Yesterday, a group of congresspeople held a press conference at a gas station to speak out against high gas prices and to demand action. In a nice bit of political theater, they arrived in hydrogen fueled cars to show that there is technology out there that can help free the United States from dependence on foreign produced energy (almost ALWAYS procured from unstable regions). They made their speeches and did some glad handing and then piled back into the hydrogen cars and sped away—around the corner where they jumped right back into their SUVs. Sadly, this says more about our commitment to energy independence than any gas station grand standing.
Photo: Yahoo News
Comments
Royce will beat Hughes and Babalu will beat Chuck. With that, Brasil's (yes, with an "s")intent of world domination will become frightenly clear.
Posted by: poopypoopoop | April 29, 2006 7:58 PM
Turns out Maher wasn't bullshiting
Brazil really is on track to produce all the oil it needs. Good for them. Of course, they also have a large chunk of their population in poverty and moving those people into a higher standard of living is going to raise energy use and quickly push Brazil out of having energy independence. But Brazil seems like a country that is heading in the right direction in alot of ways.
It's bullshit energy indepedence wasn't a major part of the government's agenda after 9/11. And energy independence tends to be more of a national security issue than an enviromental one.
Posted by: Billy Green | May 5, 2006 12:39 AM