Yeah, I think we'll just agree to disagree on this one. It's really much
too big and complex an issue to debate in this forum. It's too easy to get
wrapped up in the small, hot-button issues surrounding the 'big-picture"
issue.
One thing I firmly believe is that no one group, or individual, or
philosophy is entirely right or wrong on any of it. There needs to be a
whole lot of intelligent, reasoned dialog, and some intelligent, reasoned
compromises and solutions. Instead, we get partisan politics, and a poorly
informed public eager to find scape-goats.
But, since it's "a bullshit world", we're always going to have to deal with
a lot of bullshit.
As for me, I'm going to flee to my workshop for some Spridget therapy.
Bud Osbourne
-----Original Message-----
From Hal Faulkner [mailto:hal at katemuir.com]
Sent: Monday, February 06, 2006 1:26 PM
To: Bud Osbourne; bjshov8; Spridgets@autox.team.net
Subject: RE: Bugeye Group..... Re: [midgetsprite] SHELL RANT
Bud,
We don't see eye-to-eye on this one. I for one believe that the US public
has long subsidized the oil companies. Remember the oil depletion
allowance? Who eventually paid for the clean-up after the Exxon Valdez
incident? I doubt very strongly that the process of removing a diminishing
quantity of oil from the ground under extremely harsh environmental
conditions is as safe as you claim. After all, the profit motive means that
there is little incentive for the oilfield operators to spend money on
anything that isn't essential to getting the oil to market. Such niceties
as safety and clean-up are simply not a priority as they subtract from the
bottom line.
Your comment about stopping "stupid partisan politics" is exactly that:
anybody who sees things from a different perspective is playing politics,
your solution is the only correct one.
Personally, I feel that we are better off with most of our environmental
regulations and that the current trend to reduce regulation is a step
backwards. Don't think for one minute that the refineries would be run with
any consideration for those people , plants and animals downwind if they
were not forced to do so.
Right now gasoline is far from being expensive in historical terms.
Hal
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