The American Spectator

Reader Mail

Oil for One

5.11.06 @ 12:01AM

A HEALTHY SHOCK
Re: Quin Hillyer's Produce More Domestic Energy, Now!:

Many thanks, Mr. Hillyer, for your comprehensive article on the current energy production impasse. Wouldn't it be the height of irony if Castro turned out to be the impetus for giving the cowering pols in D.C. the political cover to finally allow for the expansion of U.S. costal drilling? After all, it's now a matter of national pride that the U.S. can cause less environmental damage than the Cubans drilling 35 miles off of Florida. Thanks Fidel! You've done your bit for America's economy, even if Washington wasn't much interested in America's self sufficiency.

But in all seriousness, with the President fixated on CAFE standards for autos and trucks rather than hitting the political grand slam over the left's and the Dems' constant objection to more energy production, one wonders why Karl Rove is credited with being the policy genius of this administration. Somebody is not connecting with the base or the majority of Americans who want energy independence, and it's not those who write for or read TAS. Even some of the aforementioned political weenies in Congress seem to have woken up and appear to have actually authored some rational legislation that actually addresses the problem in a meaningful way. I do note however, my sarcasm notwithstanding, that the impetus behind states opting out of the off shore drilling moratorium revolves around one thing; and it's not the economic security of America. Rather, it's good ole fashion greed. Yep, a 50/50 split of revenue sharing to the states has a way of putting the high-minded rhetorical concerns of the environment on the back shelf, especially when big bucks are on the table. This is a classic example of the first principle of politics on display: "Follow the Money." Oh well, what ever it takes for Washington to finally do something right for its citizens.
-- A. DiPentima

If you paid $1.00 in 1973 for a gallon of gas, the inflation adjusted cost would be $4.42 now, assuming that there are no adjustments in state and local taxes since 1973. Gas is costing a lot more than I would like to pay, but at least we are not driving 55 miles per hour and lines or empty filling stations are rare.

I congratulate Mr. Hillyer on his emphasis on long term solutions but, he fails to explain how that can be turned into immediate gratification. Without leaders who are willing to forego the political credit until after their possible demise, we are without effective leadership.
-- Danny L. Newton
Cookeville, Tennessee

DON'T COUNT ON IT
Re: Lisa Fabrizio's American Compassion:

If LIFE really always meant LIFE I would be against the death penalty, but in state courts that is not the case. Give someone life and in 15 years they get a parole hearing. Staying in that little cage to me would be worse than death and I was not unhappy with the Moussaoui verdict.
-- Elaine Kyle

A STRANGE ISLAND
Re: Mark G. Michaelsen's What's the Idea?:

Sounds like things are just peachy up in ol' Madison right now. Reminds me of a popular saying when I lived in Milwaukee: "Madison is twenty square miles surrounded by reality."
-- unsigned

A LITTLE CONTEXT
Re: Ben Stein's What You Need to Know:

Ben's statement, "Knowledge of history is context and context is everything" caught my attention. Not only do I agree whole heartedly with that statement but I would even go further in saying that being "educated" in worldly matters is essential to understanding anything about what has transpired throughout human history. In today's climate, "schooling" and "education" are considered one in the same and nothing is further from the truth. In general, the American population is well schooled at enormous cost to the taxpayers but uneducated in some of the most basic skill sets needed for life.

Take any hot button issue off the front page of any 8th grade reading level news paper and you would be hard pressed to find enough factual information presented to provide its readers any hope of making an informed choice about the matter at hand.

Take the price of gas? You don't need an advanced degree in economics to understand the basis of Supply and Demand but you would have difficulty finding anyone in the MSN or Congress that can demonstrate any understanding of what is involved in the running of a capital intensive business like the energy, airline or automotive industries. All of these can go from large profits to loss in a single quarter. Even when a member of the MSN or Congress reads the right words prepared for them by a paid staff member, you don't get the feeling they actually understand what the words mean.

Take Social Security and its pending meltdown. The moment Ida May Fuller received her first SS check, the system was on a collision course with financial ruin. Ida paid $24.74 into the system over the three years she paid into it and received $22,888.92 in income over the 35 years she received benefits. No mathematical equation will sustain a system that rewards tens of millions with more than they paid into the system (with compound interest included) and yet you can't find a single MSM person or member of Congress willing to go on record as to why Social Security is failing and will continue to do so as structured. The truth is ugly and protected by political correctness it seems. No one wants to put the system in its proper "context" I suppose out of respect for the "good intentions" of the dead. Even the President of the United States will not spell it out even though he knows the train wreck is coming and why it is. Robin Hood would be proud.

Context is often the difference between the truth and a lie. Much of what passes as News today is simply not the truth and the public is badly served by that and remains uneducated in the most fundamental truths of life. A well-rounded person needs a good understanding of history and all the lessons there and has to be well founded in economic truths. These aren't things you get in our public institutions of learning as core requirements any more. The generations that follow my generation, the Baby Boomers, are going to learn some hard economic truths regardless of their schooling and apparent education level. Respect for history's lessons would have made this unnecessary. Being an individual and not part of a "group" as Ben suggest is the first step in the right direction. The signers of the Declaration of Independence would understand because they were "individuals" first and foremost and very well educated in historical context.
-- Thom Bateman
Newport News, Virginia

Letter to the Editor

topics:
Taxes, Education, Economics, Business, Federal Budget, Social Security, Environment, Constitution, Law, Supreme Court, Military, Iraq, Energy, Oil