Conservative VS Liberal

[pattygreen 5]

Associated Press: "All along the Gulf Coast, where the tea party thrives and socialism is a common description for any government program, conservatives who usually denounce federal activism suddenly are clamoring for it."

I'd like to see Rand Paul go down to the gulf and tell those people that government should stay out of the affairs of BP.

That's EXACTLY what the government is supposed to be set up for. Disaster relief! (among other things like defense) Conservatives do not want to abolish the federal government. They want it to do what it was originally set up by the people to do. The government is supposed to be there for disasters like this. It shows you how screwed up the government is. In a disaster such as an oil spill like this one, they stay out of it, but then they stick their nose everywhere else it doesn't belong.

[pattygreen 5]

I don't care what the reason is for BP drilling where they did. The accident was THEIR fault, not the environmentalists. They lied about their ability to contain or solve a oil leak like this one. THEY LIED. Their license was awarded based on these lies. Geez! What don't you get?

Fault:

BP: 100%

Environmentalists: 0%

Got it?

I agree totally that the accident was their fault. I never said that it wasn't. I just feel that if the government did not listen to the crazed liberal environmentalists, we would be drilling in the Arctic instead, where noone lives and would be as severely effected by an accident such as this. I partially put the blame on the environmentalist nuts!

[BJean 16]

It really is sad BJean. It reminds me of the movie The Matrix where people are serving the big machine as human batteries. I'd like to unplug from it and live a more natural existence. I guess that's not possible these days (like ever since the industrial revolution!) :confused:

I suppose the only way it is possible for us to change our way of life is for one catastrophy after another to happen until we find ourselves unable to breathe or physically survive what we've created. That means that a lot more people are going to have to die before enough people learn what they need to do and actually make the changes. Won't happen in my lifetime, sad to say.

[BJean 16]

I agree totally that the accident was their fault. I never said that it wasn't. I just feel that if the government did not listen to the crazed liberal environmentalists, we would be drilling in the Arctic instead, where noone lives and would be as severely effected by an accident such as this. I partially put the blame on the environmentalist nuts!

That is one of the most ridiculous things I've ever read. Environmentalist nuts. Has a cool ring to it doesn't it? Straight from the wizard's mouth to your ears. Lap, lap, lap, lapping up the kool-aide as fast as it can be handed to you.

[BJean 16]

That's EXACTLY what the government is supposed to be set up for. Disaster relief! (among other things like defense) Conservatives do not want to abolish the federal government. They want it to do what it was originally set up by the people to do. The government is supposed to be there for disasters like this. It shows you how screwed up the government is. In a disaster such as an oil spill like this one, they stay out of it, but then they stick their nose everywhere else it doesn't belong.

The reason the government sticks it's nose in is because people are incredibly stupid and can't resolve issues on their own. You of all people should be able to understand that!

[leroyspuds 0]

Patty, I agree that we shouldn't have a bunch of nuisance regulations and need to carefully choose what to regulate and how. What I want is a balance between what's fair to Americans and what's fair to businesses so we all prosper. I don't want powerful corporations controlling Congress. We've seen so much abuse that our entire economy was brought to it's knees. The government surely has it's faults but we need it to do what's necessary to protect us from those abuses.

I think BP is a good example of this. They knew there was a problem and they kept drilling anyway because they didn't want their profits adversely affected. People died, the environment was damaged and people's livelihoods were ruined. Corporations only see the bottom line and their decisions will always be based on how to make the most money. They have no conscience.

Sure they want to drill in sensitive habitats. Do you think it's right to destroy habitat and kill off life on this planet so they can make a buck? We don't need more drilling, we need individuals and corporations to invest their time and money in finding an alternative energy source. We need to end our dependence on oil and the Middle East. Do think the oil companies want us to become independent? Heck no! Their propaganda is going to be that we need to loosen regulations and let them drill anywhere they want so they can keep selling oil.

[Cleo's Mom 257]

I agree totally that the accident was their fault. I never said that it wasn't. I just feel that if the government did not listen to the crazed liberal environmentalists, we would be drilling in the Arctic instead, where noone lives and would be as severely effected by an accident such as this. I partially put the blame on the environmentalist nuts!

Typical neocon idea that if no PERSON lives in the area of an oil spill it is less severe. What about the ocean, marine and land animals? Not to mention other aspects of our delicate ecology. I guess they don't count.

[Cleo's Mom 257]

That's EXACTLY what the government is supposed to be set up for. Disaster relief! (among other things like defense) Conservatives do not want to abolish the federal government. They want it to do what it was originally set up by the people to do. The government is supposed to be there for disasters like this. It shows you how screwed up the government is. In a disaster such as an oil spill like this one, they stay out of it, but then they stick their nose everywhere else it doesn't belong.

There is a difference between natural disasters (Katrina) and man made ones (BP oil spill). And the government wouldn't have to clean up after man-made (read: corporate) disasters if they had STRICT REGULATIONS, with strict enforcement and big, painful fines. THAT'S the government's job - to keep us safe from the abuses of the corporate world.

My second mantra: Regulate, baby, Regulate!!!

[leroyspuds 0]

Associated Press article on what Obama said today about corporate welfare:

Obama also said it is time to roll back "billions of dollars in tax breaks" for oil companies and use the money for clean energy research.

He said the catastrophic Gulf oil spill shows the country must move toward clean energy by embracing energy efficiency, tapping natural gas and nuclear power and eliminating tax breaks for big oil. Obama said that the Gulf spill "may prove to be a result of human error — or corporations taking dangerous shortcuts that compromised safety" — but that deepwater drilling is inherently risky and America cannot rely solely on fossil fuels.

The president said that as the election approaches, he expects Republicans to make the same economic argument they have for decades. He described that as giving tax cut to millionaires "who didn't need them," gutting regulations and putting industry insiders in charge of oversight, as well as shortchanging investment in research.

"To be fair, a good deal of the other party's opposition to our agenda has also been rooted in their sincere and fundamental belief about government," Obama said. "It's a belief that government has little or no role to play in helping this nation meet our collective challenges." He added: "It's an agenda that basically offers two answers to every problem we face: more tax breaks for the wealthy and fewer rules for corporations."

[Cleo's Mom 257]

Associated Press article on what Obama said today about corporate welfare:

Obama also said it is time to roll back "billions of dollars in tax breaks" for oil companies and use the money for clean energy research.

He said the catastrophic Gulf oil spill shows the country must move toward clean energy by embracing energy efficiency, tapping natural gas and nuclear power and eliminating tax breaks for big oil. Obama said that the Gulf spill "may prove to be a result of human error — or corporations taking dangerous shortcuts that compromised safety" — but that deepwater drilling is inherently risky and America cannot rely solely on fossil fuels.

The president said that as the election approaches, he expects Republicans to make the same economic argument they have for decades. He described that as giving tax cut to millionaires "who didn't need them," gutting regulations and putting industry insiders in charge of oversight, as well as shortchanging investment in research.

"To be fair, a good deal of the other party's opposition to our agenda has also been rooted in their sincere and fundamental belief about government," Obama said. "It's a belief that government has little or no role to play in helping this nation meet our collective challenges." He added: "It's an agenda that basically offers two answers to every problem we face: more tax breaks for the wealthy and fewer rules for corporations."

That really nails it. Now we can sit back and watch the republicans stand with the oil companies just as they have stood with the insurance industry, the banking industry and wall street.

And this brings me to my third mantra: And these are the people some want to elect more of? :confused:

[LeighaMason 19]

I think BP is a good example of this. They knew there was a problem and they kept drilling anyway because they didn't want their profits adversely affected. People died, the environment was damaged and people's livelihoods were ruined. Corporations only see the bottom line and their decisions will always be based on how to make the most money. They have no conscience.

This has been well documented in the auto industry. In the mid 90's Ford knew they had a rollover problem with the Explorer, so they sent the numbers to their bean counters who determined that it would be cheaper to pay settlements to the people who were maimed and killed instead of recalling the dangerous vehicles and fixing them. Human life has no value in a math equation. Its dollars in and dollars out.

BP did the same thing, they knew this was a time bomb but they also knew that it would be cheaper to "fix" it (with the governments help) after the fact than to admit to the problem and stop drilling.

Until we make it more expensive to ignore life threatening problems (via fines) than it is to fix them these abuses will continue. Corporations will take the least expensive option every time.

[leroyspuds 0]

They don't get it. All the Republican polititians need to do hit the abortion, guns, gays and big govt buttons and they get the votes. As is always the case the little guy gets manipulated by fear and religion into unwittingly supporting the bad guys.

[leroyspuds 0]

Most endangered U.S. river is drinking Water source for millions

PHILADELPHIA (Reuters Life!) – The Upper Delaware River in New York State, the source of drinking water for 17 million people, is the most endangered river in the United States, according to a new report.

It is one of 10 rivers on a list, compiled by U.S. environmental group American Rivers, which are threatened due to causes such as natural gas drilling, mining and poor flood management.

The Upper Delaware topped the list because of the threat of contamination from chemicals used in gas drilling in New York and on the Pennsylvania side of the watershed.

Gas drilling was also the reason why the Monongahela River in western Pennsylvania was rated ninth on the list.

[Cleo's Mom 257]

Most endangered U.S. river is drinking Water source for millions

PHILADELPHIA (Reuters Life!) – The Upper Delaware River in New York State, the source of drinking water for 17 million people, is the most endangered river in the United States, according to a new report.

It is one of 10 rivers on a list, compiled by U.S. environmental group American Rivers, which are threatened due to causes such as natural gas drilling, mining and poor flood management.

The Upper Delaware topped the list because of the threat of contamination from chemicals used in gas drilling in New York and on the Pennsylvania side of the watershed.

Gas drilling was also the reason why the Monongahela River in western Pennsylvania was rated ninth on the list.

The Mon River is a hop, skip and jump from my house. But the corporate supporting republicans always slam the environmentalists. I wonder what they would do if they could no longer drink their water? Why, they would ask the government to "do something" - that's what!!

[leroyspuds 0]

CM: "I wonder what they would do if they could no longer drink their Water? "

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To quote BJean's previous post:

"I suppose the only way it is possible for us to change our way of life is for one catastrophy after another to happen until we find ourselves unable to breathe or physically survive what we've created."