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Politics : Ask Michael Burke -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Tommaso who wrote (78632)	3/26/2000 9:22:00 PM
From: Don Lloyd	Respond to of 132070

Tommasso - I'll grant you partial credit. -g- --that the OPEC countries can be expected to act in their own interests === absolutely correct --that we need to encourage wind and even (amazing!) nuclear power === mostly wrong - The surest way to kill a developing technology is to grant it government subsidies and official status and protection against competition. Nuclear power already went thru the government-approved technology process once, and look where it ended up. The space program, synfuels, and electric vehicles are just a few of the technology areas that have been delayed for generations by government adoption. If current technologies are not protected against competition, new technologies will arise in a self-sustaining manner when they become economic at sequentially larger scales over time. --that cutting the small federal gas tax will do no good === mostly true - All taxes diminish the standard of living over time, but the price of oil and gas needs to be allowed to re-allocate supply to its best use. --that raiding the strategic oil reserve is a bad idea === absolutely true --that adding to strategic oil reserve is a good idea === Probably a bad idea, at least as a response to current circumstances. --that allowing more natural gas offshore drilling and using more natural gas is a good idea === absolutely correct, but only as a market-driven response, not a political mandate. --that developing ways of using ethanol and making oil synthetically is a good idea === Correct in theory, but not in practice as we are really talking about government subsidies and mandates here, not market responses. There certainly is a developing energy crisis and it has nothing to do with politicians. It has to do with what's there in the ground. Or rather, what's not there. === There is no indication whatever that the tripling in oil price over the last year is a result of depletion of worldwide reserves, proven and potential. As long as prices and extraction profits are not controlled, centuries worth of oil remain to be exploited until such time as oil once again becomes merely an obsolete, dirty substance through normal technological evolution. Did you watch the Senate hearings on Friday? The supposed experts from the government mouthed bureaucratic jargon. The senators were mostly sensible and well-informed.Even better, they were from both parties. No, and that sounds somewhat encouraging, although the idea that two distinct parties exist is mostly counterproductive. Regards, Don