The author is not responsible for emotional distress caused by these words. Political correctness is not one of his favorite things.

Monday, June 18, 2007

Rising fuel and food prices

June 17, 2007 - Leesburg Indiana - HoJo Press

I am also emailing this to my entire address book.

The food/energy crunch is upon us. Evidenced by the immediate prospect of four dollar per gallon gasoline and five dollar per gallon milk (and the promise that both will continue to rise) Americans are becoming aware of something this writer wrote and spoke about at least twenty years ago. I did not think then it would happen so soon, predicting the crunch for somewhere around 2040. Increasing shortages of petroleum, a limited resource, has combined with increasing use of biofuels, another limited resource, as promoted by the President (and many politicians and environmental activists) to create a major crisis in both the energy and food industries. Read one article about what is going on at:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070617/ap_on_bi_ge/ethanol_refineries

This article is mainly about oil companies and refineries and, as usual, politicians are taking pot shots at oil companies and threatening punitive and corrective actions. Haven’t those politicians and their buddies in the media done enough damage to that industry already? First, they impose massive controls and restrictions on refining and prospecting for oil which is the real cause for much of our dependence on imported oil and lack of new refineries. Wasn’t that their real goal in the first place– to punish Big Oil for making impacts? Or do they and their co-conspirators in the media merely play the blame game and do it specifically to divert attention from their own miserable, self-serving actions. (Check out some earlier postings in this BLOG>)

I’m no fan of Big Oil, but doesn’t it seem logical to suppose that a for profit company of any kind would then do those things that made for high profitability and not make the huge investment required to build refineries? The monumental effort and investment they did make was in internal expansion of existing refineries. If not for that we would certainly now be importing most of our gasoline at world prices far above what we now pay. Add to that the very real threat our government makes to soon have 20% of our gasoline replaced by biofuels and you have a force that is a real threat to the profitability of adding refinery capacity. I doubt any of you would buy a home where there was a very real threat to reduce the value of that home by twenty percent in the very near future. Unless for charity, you wouldn’t go to work for anyone without pay (or profit). Also, you would not take a job you knew would soon be replaced. So why would you expect any company to do so? Those companies are made up of people just like you.

There is another force acting in this energy equation that will negatively impact everyone’s pocketbook. Not so obvious, but very real nevertheless, is the sharp boost in food prices brought about by just the threat of the increasing use of biofuels. About thirty miles south of me a huge plant is rising out of the cornfields along I-15. No, it is not an ethanol plant like at least twelve now built or being built in our state. It is a biodiesel plant which will convert soy beans into diesel fuel. The big difference between biodiesel and ethanol is that it can go directly into the fuel tanks of virtually all present diesel vehicles with no modification! Also, a soy bean oil plant is much simpler and cheaper than an ethanol plant, uses less energy per energy equivalent of ethanol, doesn’t produce carbon dioxide as a by product, and gives off fewer pollutants. This huge plant, scheduled for opening late in the year, will use as much as thirty percent of Indiana’s soy bean crop. I have no idea if they are on schedule but looking at the plant as I passed it yesterday, I seriously doubt it.

Already, soy bean futures are climbing along with corn futures. That’s great for Indiana farmers– farmers in all grain producing states– but does not bode well for food producers and the buying public. With milk soon to pass five bucks a gallon and other food products also on the rise, the public, and especially those governmentalists who look to the government for solutions to every problem, will soon be shouting, “Do something!” It’s already been noted by the media with their usual predictions of doom and crisis.

I am beginning to wonder about existing grain supply contracts with China and many other nations who cannot produce enough food for their people as it is. Because of population growth, many once food exporting nations have become food importers in recent years. How do you suppose diverting 30% of our raw food production into fuels will affect the completion and renewals of food export contracts. I’ll wager China will not be very happy– in spades! If five buck a gallon milk is here now, how soon do you suppose two dollar a dozen eggs will be a common reality? How about five bucks a box cereal?

OK, so I’ve described the problem. How about a solution? Well, I’ve been working on not one, but a whole complex of interwoven solutions. This is not a simple problem. It has many tentacles reaching into many aspects of our economy and our lives. You all know of what I speak. “A Convenient Solution” should be published by year’s end.
(for info, click on http://superh2ee.blogspot.com/)

No, it is not really a solution, but it is a collection of facts that could lead to several. The best thing government could do is to encourage private enterprise to work on it, grease the skids for as many of the proposals as could come out of it, not waste money on dead ends for political purposes, and just get out of the way. American ingenuity and can do spirit will provide the practical solutions, make a little profit (or maybe a lot), put many Americans to work in high paying jobs, boost our real economy and, as long as taxes stay low, provide a huge boost to tax income. In fact, this is already happening. (See the new innovations I found out about and recorded in the last portion of my book.)

I wonder why the media hasn’t been shouting about the fact that all but a few states are not only in the black, but are now having huge and growing surpluses– a very new thing. Thank you George Bush for those tax cuts. (Democrats insisted they would wreck our economy, remember? They were wrong as usual) Now these Democrats promise to demolish this economic miracle with huge new taxes. No wonder Congress has an approval rating far lower than Bush. Why doesn’t the media ever mention that? They shout about Bush’s low rating but never mention the dismal record and even worse approval rating of the Democrat controlled Congress. Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi each have ratings even lower than all of Congress. Hmmmmmmmm?

I’ll be interested to receive responses. Does anyone even care?

Happy father’s day!

Ho

Saturday, June 16, 2007

Another Destroy America Bill?

The mounting expressions of hatred and remarks and efforts I see as anti-American aimed to demean and damage our nation all in the cause of political expediency. Actually, this is just one factor among many self-serving ones that completely ignore the will of the people. Coming from so many politicians and media people, it causes me to seriously wonder about their intelligence, motivation and honesty. Why? The general public is so turned off by this that the President’s approval ratings have sunk to new lows. This is regularly and gleefully reported by the main-stream media (Rush describes them accurately as “the drive-by media”). Of course, that same media somehow neglects to mention that the Democrat controlled Congress has an even lower approval rating and that Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi have ratings even lower still. Now why would they not want us to know that? Hmmmmmmm?

The impending legislation supposedly aimed to stop illegal immigration is a sad example. Have we reached a point where we write laws and then refuse to enforce them? Why are we turning our border guards into the bad guys while describing illegal aliens, criminals actually, into heros? What is the real motivation of people like Ted Kennedy whose pronouncements about the last amnesty bill were out-and-out lies. (By his own words) Why is this bill actually described by that same Ted Kennedy as, “Too complex for anyone (but we in the Senate) to understand.” To me that is a clear indication that Senators consider themselves and their work as far beyond the understanding of the masses. Apparently we should bow to their superior abilities and do as they want. Or are they merely afraid that the people will discover the mischief they are actually up to.

None of the desires of the vast majority of Americans (by almost any poll numbers you can find) have the remotest chance of being part of that bill. They (The President and Senators) want to ram it down our throats over any and all objections, and without explaining why. I’d certainly like to know the real reason why? What motivates these people who so demean, flaunt and refuse to enforce the desires of such a vast majority of our people. Maybe they just want to bring in more people who hate America and will work to divide and destroy us.

The government refused to enforce the last law and as a result we now have at least four times as many illegal aliens as we had before the last law that was supposed to stop illegal immigration. Of course, all those who so opposed the last immigration law, the majority of Americans, said that it would only encourage more illegal entries. They were absolutely right while Ted Kennedy and his buddies were dead wrong. (I'm sure they knew they were misleading us) As far as I can see this will be a repeat of the last law. The gates will open up to an even greater invasion as illegals take advantage of the provisions in the law that favor them and our government will once more refuse to enforce any of the controls. I believe actions speak much louder than words and what happened after the last law was not enforced will be even worse when the new law goes into effect and its provisions remain unenforced.

That brings up a really big question. Have we reached a point at which criminal law is no longer being adequately enforced? You can find evidence of that everywhere. Statistics show that even hardened criminals including murderers, are only convicted about15% of the time when they are apprehended. Early release of some criminals, even violent ones, has become rampant. Police departments in many cities are now ordered not to apprehend or detain illegal aliens for virtually any reason. No wonder so many now flaunt our laws with impunity. That is becoming a motivator of vigilantism, but of course, such action will be punished with vengeance. Just who is in charge and how far are we now from total anarchy? I wonder! Do you wonder?

Freemen and G-men

This is a response to the increasing number of specific threats to the freedom of speech and talk radio in particular. Republican Trent Lott has now joined the numerous liberal Democrat voices in calling for muzzling talk radio. So much for freedom of speech.

I am terribly disappointed in our present crop of politicians and main stream media personalities. I am particularly disappointed in the Republican party who’s members seem now to be taking the same kinds of self-serving actions the Democrats have so mastered and practiced for so long, spending and expanding government power and control. Now they are even beginning to appear among the ranks of those who want to shut down talk radio, the one voice of many people, previously without a voice, pointing out the excesses of government– politicians, bureaucrats and other so-called public servants. Is “public servant” ever a misnomer. Many have become self-servants acting as if they were saying, “the public be damned.” It is no wonder they rant against the restraints of our Constitution and twist its meaning beyond recognition– that marvelous document designed specifically to protect the people from them, and would be tyrants like them– those who “know what’s best for the masses.” I lump all these people: Democrats, Republicans, Independents, Conservatives, Liberals and media personalities, into one group I call “Governmentalists” or “G-men.” They are the G-men (and women) of the current age. They have perverted the old saying about government to, “That government governs best that governs most.” They ultimately admire, support or become Vladimir Lenin, Hugo Chavez, Mao Tse Tung, Fidel Castro or Saddam Hussein. Their answer to virtually every problem is, “The government should do something about that” and then try to devise ways they can use that problem to gain power and money for themselves.

It looks as if the main body of real Americans, those I call “Individualists” or “Freemen”are now restricted mostly to the heartlands. For all intents and purposes, they have been completely rejected, reviled and frequently “dissed” by G-men. They are the self-starters and creative geniuses who built this country and made it a magnet for people from all over the world. I don’t believe I need to repeat the words engraved on the Statue of Liberty here– most of you, except those who graduated from public schools in the last thirty years, know them. Despite a huge invasion of criminals and political efforts to turn us into a gray, socialist state, this is still the safest, freest, most secure country in the world. It is not, as G-men would have you believe, the source of all evils and world problems and is undoubtedly doing more positive environmental effort than any other nation– we do while others discuss. And free enterprise capitalists among freemen do far more for the environment than do government bureaucrats. Sure there are some stinkers and criminals among them who do bad things, but I’ll wager they are a much smaller percentage than stinkers criminals among G-men.

The real evil doers who twist and interpret our Constitution to seem to mean the exact opposite of what it really says and means are found among those who seek to destroy our country– who speak against it at every opportunity. They are the Cindy Sheehans, Michael Moores, Cynthia McKinneys, and even Ted Kennedys among us that the media so loves to quote. They include the PC imposers and others who seek control and call it freedom. They verbally oppose slavery but work to make us all slaves of the state. They give active aid and support to Islamic terrorists and their Islamo-fascist leaders who almost daily announce their determination to exterminate us. I can’t believe those G-men I mentioned do not understand the Islamo-fascists fully intend to exterminate them and probably at the first possible moment.

OK! So maybe I am a bit worked up. I doubt I will live long enough to see my nation destroyed, but my children and grandchildren may and that’s why I’d like to wake up those who’s minds have been clouded by hatred and prejudice for anything or anyone who expressed a differing opinion. Have G-men their own definition of freedom of speech? It seems they believe only speech that supports their agenda should be free.

Here’s a list of what I see as the difference between G-men and Freemen - as defined in the previous paragraphs - at least most of them. Not all people can be painted with such a broad brush so exceptions are many.

● Freemen believe the rest of the world should be more like America.
● G-men believe America should be more like the rest of the world.

● Freemen believe we are fully capable for doing most things for ourselves and making our own decisions.
● G-men believe the government should do many things for us because we can’t take care of ourselves or make our own decisions.

● Freemen believe we are far better at handling our money than is the government.
● G-men believe government bureaucrats (read G-men politicians) are better equipped to handle our money than we are.

● Freemen believe the existing free enterprise capitalistic system is the best system for America and the American economy. (It’s what makes America a world leader and angers the despots of the world.)
● G-men believe European style socialism leading to dictatorship (ala Venezuela) with them in charge is best for them and who cares about Americans or the American economy. Besides America needs to be taken down a notch or two.

● Freeman version of an old Chinese saying: “If you give a man a fish, he has food for a day. If you teach him to fish, he had food from then on.”
● G-man version of the same saying: “If you give a man some fish, he has food for some time. If you continue giving him fish, he will become totally dependent on you. Don’t ever let him learn how to fish.

● Freemen support our military, join our military, respect our military and view them as our guardians against evil countries and despots.
● G-men despise our military, use all means possible to discredit our military and view them only as tools of American imperialism.

● Freemen believe our military is supposed to break things and kill people.
● G-men believe our military is supposed to be a tool for social action and food distribution.

● Freemen believe laws should be enforced and criminals punished.
● G-men believe laws one doesn’t like should not be enforced or obeyed. And that criminals are only misguided victims of troubled childhoods and should not go to jail.

● Freemen attract and support: the successful, the hard-working, the entrepreneurs, capitalists, the privately employed, concerned Americans, and those who value freedom and individual enterprise.
● G-men attract and support: the unemployed, the unemployable, criminals, free loaders, government employees, entertainment world types (celebrity status automatically makes them experts on everything), professional activists, trial attorneys, illegal aliens, Muslim extremists and those who hate America.

● Freeman definition of truth: That which is not false or lies or fabrications. (Almost completely absent from political speech.)
● G-man definition of truth: Any thing that agrees with the G-men agenda regardless of its veracity as long as it is spoken by or agrees with the G-men agenda.

● Freeman definition of false: That which is not true, lies or fabrications.
● G-man definition of false: Any thing that disagrees with the G-men agenda regardless of its veracity as long as it is not spoken by or disagrees with a G-men. Any thing uttered by a Freemen.

● How do Freemen keep from hearing anti Republican, liberal and anti America news? Turn off their TV and listen to talk radio.
● How do G-men keep from hearing the truth about Democrats, Conservatives and America? Turn off their radios and watch TV news.

● Freeman news, anything that’s good about of for America.
● G-man news, anything that’s negative or bad about or for America.

● Freeman definition of freedom of speech: The freedom to express one’s opinion in public regardless of the content. Vulgarity and shouting “Fire” when there is non is frowned upon.
● G-man definition of freedom of speech: The freedom to express ones opinion in public as long as it agrees with the G-men agenda. Speech that disagrees with G-men principles and ideas is strictly forbidden.

● Freeman opinion of the “Fairness Doctrine.” We certainly don’t need it.
● G-man opinion of the “Fairness Doctrine.” We desperately need it to silence talk radio.

● Freeman opinion on illegal aliens. “They should be rounded up and deported, criminals should be prosecuted, A sound registration with ID cards is required. Those who disobey the existing laws should be charged and prosecuted.”
● G-man opinion on illegal aliens. “Open the borders! Let them all in! Let them all vote as we know they will vote for us.”

● Freeman opinion on Islamo-Fascist terrorists. They should be fought and either incarcerated or killed as they pose a serious threat to America and Americans. Witness all the terrorist acts against Americans including 9/11.
● G-man opinion on Muslim “freedom fighters.” They’re merely expressing their religious beliefs and we should respect that. Maybe if we act nice toward them they will leave us alone. Don’t do anything to upset them or they might not like us.

● Freemen heros: George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Dwight Eisenhower, Ronald Reagan, Rush Limbaugh, those who died in our wars.
● G-men heros: Eugene V. Debs, Karl Marx, Fidel Castro, Hugo Chavez, Dan Rather, and those who dodged the draft and refused to serve in the military.

● Women admired by Freemen: Molly Pitcher, Jacquelyn Cochran, Elizabeth Dole, Condelezza Rice, and Dolly Parton (I don’t even know her politics)
● Women admired by G-men: Eleanor Roosevelt, Princess Di, Helen Gurley Brown, Paris Hilton (I don’t know her politics either) and the smartest, sweetest, kindest, most honest darling of them all, Hillary

● Freeman weather: sunny, bright, warm and pleasant.
● G-man weather: gloomy, gray, cold and unpleasant.

● Organizations supported by Freemen: Churches, Boy and Girl Scouts, Chambers of Commerce, private schools, most pro American organizations.
● Organizations supported by G-men: Mosques, the ACLU, Labor unions, Teachers union, MECHA (look it up), failing public schools, most anti American organizations.