Homestead forum diaspora

We, with our choices, have created despots in the middle east who have power due to oil...they become more and more entrenched as the revenue stream continues on and on...look at most of the middle eastern countries which are oil rich nations...despots all. My fear is, with the rush to become "energy independent" that North America is becoming a corporate oligarchy on the conservative side fueled by Koch brothers, et al...boom towns such as Williston, North Dakota and Fort McMurray with high paying temporary jobs, drugs, prostitution and violence...not to mention the environmental damage. Meanwhile that oil wealth is being used to fund the tea party, The Cato Institute, The Mercatus Center, The Institute for Humane Studies, Citizens for a Sound Economy (FreedomWorks), Americans for Prosperity, Patients United Now, American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), ad nauseum...as well as funding economic, scientific and other wings of some fairly powerful universities, even saying who can and who cannot teach there. Ramifications from The Project for the New American Century (PNAC) are still being felt in our economy. These tendrils all intertwine with our political system and can be found having infiltrated even our highest court. Oil can destroy a democracy unless its wealth is kept in check and not used to fuel these oligarchical structures. We, the people, have a choice to make...

As the Tampa Bay Times reported in 2011, a foundation funded by Koch gave $1.5 million to the school’s economics department in 2008, in exchange for Koch having the power to select members of an “advisory committee” that screens prospective new hires. A year later, Koch reportedly rejected 60 percent of job candidates suggested by FSU faculty.  $1.5 million is nothing to him. He loses that into a hankerchief when he sneezes

Unfortunatly Canada is indeed "becoming a corporate oligarchy on the conservative side " with our right wing government insiting that our economy will boom if we just expand those tar sands, let the Chinese and other foriegn nations 'invest' in the Alberts oil industy and ignore the fact that those international corporate giants in manufacturing and processing are pulling out and setting up where they can pay pennies on the dollar for labour. The good of the vcitizens of our two countries is no longer the prime objective , it is the good of the corporation  and the alreay ritch and powerfull that matter!

The sooner the Kook bros ad nauseum die, the better off this country (and some parts of the world) will be. May their decadence hasten their demise.

And if people would wake up, the commercial that says the US gets most of its energy from the US states, means we are being screwed. But tis convenient to keep the "blame" on the Saudis.

The Saudis...a wonderful group of despots...eh?

Unfortunately we have too many elected officials, appointed judges, and lobbyists who love said despots.

because oil rules the USA as much as Saudi Arabia...

You'll get no arguement from me.

For a brief history of govt. intervention and regulation of the oil industry, look here> http://www.downsizinggovernment.org/energy/regulations

As you can probably imagine, gov't. intervention had its usual effectiveness. But, according to this article, there has been no intervention since the 90's.

Revolving doors, the same people that abuse the regulations are then put in a position to enforce them. I don't think any of us are really surprised. When the Banksters and the credit card companies get to write the new bankruptcy laws and the only elected person to bitch is Kusinich, well I'd say the system is completely F*CKED!!

Warren Buffet, who has much invested in the railroads, has now put his money into pipeline investments...since the Casselden explosion last week.

Buffet and Koch, sitting in a tree...

Administer thrift, eliminate personal debt....reign in their consumer economy kingdoms.

Evolve from normalacy bias, quit electing their political cronies...then slay the dragon of inequality.

Inaction is dooming our posterity.

Tell us how you really feel Charlie.....

alancoll at January 7, 2014 at 2:34 PM

Tell us how you really feel Charlie.....

The old pickups exhaust must be leaking again....I'll have it checked

LMAO

Rob at January 7, 2014 at 12:25 PM

Revolving doors, the same people that abuse the regulations are then put in a position to enforce them. I don't think any of us are really surprised. When the Banksters and the credit card companies get to write the new bankruptcy laws and the only elected person to bitch is Kusinich, well I'd say the system is completely F*CKED!!

Took them a long time to buy enough politicians to pass bankruptcy "reform". Which was pretty much a BS law as few folks ran out and spent like Paris Hilton then filed bankruptcy. Most lost a job and/or medical insurance and/or primary breadwinner got sick. But you know how faux news & reagan worked.

Charlie at January 7, 2014 at 3:17 PM

alancoll at January 7, 2014 at 2:34 PM

Tell us how you really feel Charlie.....

The old pickups exhaust must be leaking again....I'll have it checked

My thoughts exactly.

 If my old car and truck had not both give out the same time and when I needed transportation the most I would have another auction viechle and no auto loan.

I do see cracks around the edges and like Goerge Carlin can't wait for the whole thing to come crashing down. I miss his voice and his views.  

Consider that the United States exported 2.6 million barrels of gasoline and other finished petroleum products each day in 2012, according to the government’s Energy Information Administration, more than double the 1.2 million barrels logged daily in 2007.

We're exporting 6 times as much finished product as the "need" for the Sandpiper expects to carry...350,000 barrels of oil per day...this isn't about need, it's about greed. Now the oil companies want to lift the ban on exporting crude...this is our nations resource...it belongs to our citizens. Frakkin' the Bakken is an unnecessary risk and contains only enough oil for domestic needs of perhaps 6 months of US consumption. The United States consumed a total of 6.87 billion barrels (18.83 million barrels per day) in 2011...between 2.8 billion and 4.6 billion barrels exist in the Bakken...Three Forks (much deeper and much more expensive to recover) is estimated to contain between 1.6 billion and 6.8 billion undiscovered ultimately recoverable barrels of oil.

The U.S. imported approximately 10.6 million barrels per day of petroleum in 2012 from about 80 countries...why do we want to export when we import, oftentimes supporting despotic governments? It's not about need...I reiterate...it's about greed. We, the people, are not benefiting...and yet we bear the crux of the pollution and risk. It's time for this nonsense to stop!!!!!

From the Minneapolis Star/Tribune yesterday:

http://www.startribune.com/business/238992931.html

And On It Goes: http://www.opednews.com/articles/Trans-Pacific-Partnership-by-Chey-Barnes-2014_International_Trans-pacific-Partnership-140110-318.html