Anyone watching the news must be frustrated.

[alltherage]

I made the mistake of watching a bunch of news shows yesterday. It seem the Israeli's and Palestian's have reached the point of boiling over and are on the verge of all out war. It is very discouraging to watch the reports from the region. Reports will show the passover bombing and I begin to understand the Israeli action but when the news then shows Israeli tanks rolling through the Palestian territory my understanding wains.

Most interesting to me is the reaction of the other Arab states. I have never seen such corrupt leaders and two faced liars in my life. They encourage the Palestian conflict with Israel but will do nothing to overtly support the Palestian cause. They are motivated to preserve themselves and little else. What truely bothers me is that the western world is dependent on these corrupt inbread fools for our economic survival.

In all the reports about the conflict I have not seen one discussion of how to reduce our dependence on foriegn oil. I read a report that stated that if caffe standards where raised by 3 miles per gallon per vehicle the United States would have no need for imported oil. Of course auto makers make their largest profit margin on SUVS and motifying that fact by improving proformance is not something they are willing to do. They ally themselves with big oil and voila the idea of conservation is dead on arrival. With Bush and Chenny at the helm there is no chance that conservation issue will even make the agenda.

As a result, when crisis looms in the middle east, we must always consider the petty depots that control the area. If we did not need their oil the entire equation would change. It is criminal that these issues are not discussed in a public forum. We are spending our national blood and treasure to support intolerance and hatred. It sickens me.

 

[Lasz]

How can they go to all out war, when the Isreli's have Rifles, and the Palastinians just have "pointy rocks". If I were the palastininas and couldn't get weapons I would make an army of archers, you can make a bow and arrow out of anything. Better then just throwing rocks.

 

[alltherage]

How can they go to all out war, when the Isreli's have Rifles, and the Palastinians just have "pointy rocks". If I were the palastininas and couldn't get weapons I would make an army of archers, you can make a bow and arrow out of anything. Better then just throwing rocks.

True. But don't you think the nature of "All out war" is changing? Can you tell me who is winning this current conflict? I have no idea. On one hand it is obvious that the Israeli's can bomb and bulldose the entire westbank if they choose too, but on the other they seem entirely helpless to stop the suicide bombers. So who the hell is winning. No one I suspect.

 

[april-wine]

Is there ever a winner in WAR..........

 

[patient1]

It makes me sick, too.

I gotta figure that those human handgrenades are even more frustrated than those of us watching the news.

I agree about the CAFE standards. As soon as they made mini-vans and SUV's subject to the same safety standards as passenger cars, they should have lost their mpg exemptions.

Back in the Carter administration, exceptions were granted to these vehicles because they were a niche used by farmers, loggers, surveyors & contractors....needed for towing , hauling & off-road use. There wasn't a lot of carpeting & airconditioning because they got used in mud.

I think that the president should have announced a hydrogen fuel cell program in the interest of national security shortly after the attacks...oh well.

 

[alltherage]

Is there ever a winner in WAR..........

There can be. It is rare. WW2 was a just war and their was a winner. Today it seems that all wars are like viruses. Once they start they unlease the desease and no one can predict if and when they will stop. There are days when I am truely terrifed about this freaking world.

 

[april-wine]

I know how you feel ATR, though I feel slightly insulated living here in Canada.....I wonder though if that feeling is deceptive....It could happen anywhere, hmmmmm even here.....

 

[LovetoGiveRoses]

It makes me sick, too.

I gotta figure that those human handgrenades are even more frustrated than those of us watching the news.

I agree about the CAFE standards. As soon as they made mini-vans and SUV's subject to the same safety standards as passenger cars, they should have lost their mpg exemptions.

Back in the Carter administration, exceptions were granted to these vehicles because they were a niche used by farmers, loggers, surveyors & contractors....needed for towing , hauling & off-road use. There wasn't a lot of carpeting & airconditioning because they got used in mud.

I think that the president should have announced a hydrogen fuel cell program in the interest of national security shortly after the attacks...oh well.

There's a lot of government research going into hydrogen fuel cells now and the car companies are sinking millions into them too. Oil companies are supporting it too cause they're smart and progressive (and you'll need to refuel hydrogen too and they own a large number of convenient places for you to refuel).

Instead of "regulating" compliance, all we have to do is "choose" not to buy SUV's. Mini-vans, for the most part, get pretty good mileage. Last year something like 73% of us (not me) "chose" to buy SUVs. We should be smart enough to "Choose" not to.

 

[Ishmael]

I made the mistake of watching a bunch of news shows yesterday. It seem the Israeli's and Palestian's have reached the point of boiling over and are on the verge of all out war. It is very discouraging to watch the reports from the region. Reports will show the passover bombing and I begin to understand the Israeli action but when the news then shows Israeli tanks rolling through the Palestian territory my understanding wains.

I FINALLY saw a news piece today that more clearly reflects the events. Two photo's the first was of two Palestinian gunmen firing AK-47's at the Israelis. Thse second photo shows 4 Palestinians dragging the dead body of one of the gunmen away. So much for the 'sticks and stones' theory. It appears that the press is ready to print the unvarished truth.

Most interesting to me is the reaction of the other Arab states. I have never seen such corrupt leaders and two faced liars in my life. They encourage the Palestian conflict with Israel but will do nothing to overtly support the Palestian cause. They are motivated to preserve themselves and little else. What truely bothers me is that the western world is dependent on these corrupt inbread fools for our economic survival.

The truth dawns, they don't want the Palestinians either. Except dead and out of their hair. The Palestinians are just not considered good neighbors and are wanted out of the neighborhood. Just can't be too upfront about it, after all, they're "brother" Moslems.

In all the reports about the conflict I have not seen one discussion of how to reduce our dependence on foriegn oil. I read a report that stated that if caffe standards where raised by 3 miles per gallon per vehicle the United States would have no need for imported oil. Of course auto makers make their largest profit margin on SUVS and motifying that fact by improving proformance is not something they are willing to do. They ally themselves with big oil and voila the idea of conservation is dead on arrival. With Bush and Chenny at the helm there is no chance that conservation issue will even make the agenda.

As a result, when crisis looms in the middle east, we must always consider the petty depots that control the area. If we did not need their oil the entire equation would change. It is criminal that these issues are not discussed in a public forum. We are spending our national blood and treasure to support intolerance and hatred. It sickens me.

First of all, we DON'T need their oil, but as long as any attempted developement of domestic oil is met with knee jerk reactions from the 'greens' we'll continue to import. The US doen't import all that much mid-eastern oil anyway. We tend to import from closer sources. The real importance of Mid-east oil is with regards to the the European and far eastern economies. The interruption of mid-eastern oil, at any price, would lead to the collapse of these economies and world wide recession, if not depression. Oil is NOT a U.S. issue. It is globally revelant.

Did it ever occur to you that the auto-makers make their biggest margins because of the demand? Economincs 101. Increased CAFE standards wouldn't make a damn bit of difference as long as people are willing to pay for what they want. I have to assume that you support the right of 'free choice' regarding abortions. But NOT when it comes to the car we drive. Sooooooooo, only what YOU like should be legal?

Regarding the hydrogen fuel cells. The government and the auto industry have been working on these since the late '70's. Many issues here, not the least of which is the fact the a ruptured gasoline tank 'may' burn, most ruptured hydrogen tanks 'DO' explode. (Go to the LASL site for more research on this topic.)

Ishmael

 

[NoRegrets]

A Looming Solution

Establishing the State of Israel was one of the most
anti-Semitic acts in history. There are plenty of fanatics
on both sides to keep this going until they turn the
desert into one big piece of glass.

All Arab states have rejected the proposal of getting
rid of Saddam Hussein by force. There was a hint that
if the Palestinian problem was solved that there might
be some support. If corporate America wants Iraq
neutralized enough to put some real muscle behind the
effort, this could offer a rare opportunity to end the
violence for a while.

It would probably be a temporary peace to rationalize
whatever is required to assassinate Hussein. Who would
be better and worse off? Would it be worth the effort?
This seems sufficiently complex to make any analysis
purely speculative. Am I too cynical?

 

[tigerjen]

If there were ever to be a WW III

it would start in the Middle East.....esp. with the way
things are going over there....its terrible, because I'm
Jewish, and actually have a family tie to Israel on my
dad's side to the family (my great-aunt Vera......she used
to divide her time between NYC and Israel for years).

And on top of things......they had to bomb on the first
nite of Passover



tigerjen