Going the way of dinosaurs

With Christmas behind us and the new year a few days away, I would hope that we’ll be spending some time both reminiscing about the year just past and reflecting on what our future may hold for us. I believe 2012 will be a very important year for our country and for each and every one of us. As the middle class has been watching their standard of living fall over the past several years, with wages stagnant for the past 30 years, we all have to wonder at what point this will bottom out and, what will our standard of living look like by that time this decline is reversed. Unfortunately some would like to reduce this topic to no more than political rhetoric blaming George Bush or Barack Obama or their respective political parties. In fact the issues go way beyond Bush and Obama and will continue into the future beyond whoever may be elected in November. We have a worldwide economic crisis on our hands the likes of which none of us have ever seen and yet the political chatter we hear on this blog and most media is in most part nothing more than platitudes. The so called presidential debates on TV have been a shameful spectacle and a waste of time since the candidates are not prepared to be honest with the American people and discuss the issues and solutions since they fear losing their popularity. First, the average person is unforgivably ignorant of the issues, second, most candidates don’t have a clue as to what to do and third, if they did, the proposed solutions would not be acceptable to the average voter. The reason people would not support the appropriate steps is that most of those steps would require personal sacrifices and a change in their lifestyle. Telling people what they don’t want to hear is not a winning strategy for winning a popularity contest. So what are these issues and what are the steps most people would not support? In my opinion there are many, but the two that jumps at me are the issues of energy (oil) and its cost. Related to energy is our sacred cow the Pentagon and, our unchallenged and unrivaled military spending. For the past 30 to 40 years we’ve seen the cost of energy skyrocket in price while at the same time, developing countries such as China are evolving into energy consuming societies. As more and more of our disposable  income is directed at purchasing energy to drive our vehicles and heating our homes, less and less money is available to buy those “finer things in life” thus our standard of living goes down. (So are the jobs) It’s estimated that we waste from 25% to 50% of all energy resources and, where at one time due to its low price it was tolerable, it’s now breaking the bank. Some 40 years ago President Jimmy Carter proposed an energy policy that would make us energy independent within 10 years and the voters terminated his political career quickly. As I claimed earlier our military spending is directly related to our energy issue since for the past several years we’ve had an ongoing war in Iraq and Afghanistan that no politician dare call an “OIL WAR”. I also don’t need to remind you that “military anything” carries an inflated price tag.(Remember the $600 toilet seat) President Eisenhower warned us of the financial and political power of the Military Industrial Complex, but several of our large corporations deleted that message from our history and our memory. I believe that until we address these two issues in a serious manner our standard of living will continue to fall and the middle class will shrink to the point where it will no longer influence political decisions and direction. At that point we will have a two class society where the disparities between classes will determine if you receive healthcare or not or if your children receive an education. The whole notion of the “American Dream” will be just a memory, owning luxuries such as camps, boats or snow machines will be nothing more than quaint stories told by grandparents and recorded in family photo albums. I believe that there are enough remnants of the government of the people, by the people and for the people to re-ignite the flames of our democracy, but only if the people wake up soon and become involved. It’s almost time for New Years Resolutions and I urge all of you to become informed and, involved in saving the middle class from extinction.

Comments

[James on the Left]

Nice topic but I believe this will be an impossible task.

[Antonio Andolini]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_eyFiClAzq8

[Rocky]

AA, unlike the song,...I'm not so sure we'll be fine????????????

What's impossible James? I don't believe it! Difficult to say the least, but not impossible. Some of what's going to happen is inevitable and it's not a matter of choice. We're depleting oil reserves just as the world demand is increasing etc. ......>Let me share something that I just discovered. I'm thinking of constructing a solar power system, not to go off grid, but say....50% to 75% of my needs. There's a device that you install to convert DC to AC and to interface with the utility,..so I went shopping online for this device called an inverter and guess what? Most of them are made in China. That's right, here's the future technology that we should deploy all over the country and the Chinese have already captured the market. Our corporations have sold us and our .potential jobs to the 3rd world which will soon be the 1st world! Anybody want to know why I'm pissed at our corporations and their leadership? Here's an example.

[jon]

Controlling waste certainly isn't impossible especially to those paying the bill. For example, if every household in NH spent an average of $500.00 to add 9 inches of insulation in their attic, most attics would have an r factor of at least 40 creating a massive savings in energy for little money. You'd be surprised at how many attics I venture into that have under three inches of bat feces to keep the heat in. Where it becomes impossible in our thinking is when we try to solve the entire country's woes by thinking a mass will unite when most people lie stagnant in their involvement with life in general. NH is making serious strides in offering energy efficiency. The "oil war" needs to be handled by eliminating waste one household at a time. To get a united effort to bring down energy prices will happen on a cold day in hell, unfortunately. I've taken a few of these steps and can painfully say...my daily winter energy bill is now approximately $175.00-good thing I insulated!;)

[Rocky]

Excellent comment Jon. You're right, "we" you and I and those reading this blog will change the energy picture, but people need to be educated to a point where they won't feel victimized. Once people become aware of the issues and the facts, they'll demand more appropriate action by the public sector.

[Antonio Andolini]

Agreed, Rocky. That tune just popped into my head while reading your latest rambling.
Instead of the technology you mention in your reply to James, the utilities are spending government and ratepayer money (so realistically, our money) to install "smart meters" to make the grid "more efficient." With these meters the power companies constantly track usage down to the minute so they can charge peak rates and off-peak rates. They also get to do away with meter readers.

We have both been ringing the bell to wake up and get involved for awhile now. All we can do is keep ringing and hope the sheeple start to pay attention. It's easier though to just go along in this disposable (buy another one), dumbed-down (sorry to be unPC to mute persons), cash-less society.

We have discussed before why manufacturing jobs, along with more and more technologies, end up overseas. In addition to the ever expanding bureaucracy and ever increasing tax burden, another roadblock, according to Segway (among many other things) inventor Dean Kamen, is that,
"For whatever reason, we now have a culture that is so risk-adverse, that what most companies that want to innovate are doing, are saying ‘I will take my new products to Japan, to China, to India, even as close as Canada,’ and in those places, people are welcoming the opportunities to do new things to innovate,” he said.
http://www.wmur.com/health/30039692/detail.html

Blame the "corporations" all you like but without business, there is no economy. Governments do not create jobs.
We are nearly a two-class world: the haves and the have less. The have nots are supported mostly by the haves, but we are lead to believe that the have less are bearing most of the burden. Class warfare is a dangerous fire to feed, yet it is the major theme for the President's reelection campaign.
Wake up, America!

[Antonio Andolini]

Well said, Jon!
Rocky, why is it "action by the public sector" we are waiting on? If each and every one of us starts doing something it gets done. If you wait for the government to do it, you will have lived, frozen and died.

[warren]

Just a Little unfinished business Rocky...Then We can Drop This Subject...Let's Hope?

Just got back from celebrating Christmas in the southern part of our beautiful state. I hop everybody had a terrific day.

Now...toonist, and everybody, I would like to apologize for some of my posts. I should not have let Mr. Warren dictate how my posts should go. You're right about the fact that I shouldn't speak for the gay and lesbian community and for that I also apologize. From now on I will stay on topic.

I see that Mr. Warren answered you in his typical ignorant manner. He apparently is not man, or woman, enough to admit he is wrong. BUT as long as that piece of crap keeps bashing gays and lesbians I WILL keep rubbing his face in feces he spreads!
He does need psychiatric help I agree.

Again I wish to apologize to the decent people who post on this forum.

BTW toonist that wasn't a bad post for a 1/2 Liberal ;)

Posted by: James on the Left | December 26, 2011 at 02:20 PM

James, You Know a Lot about Feces, dont you...? Why not Apologize Completely? I'll accept, and will not bring up the Subject of Your Deviant Behavior again... as Long as You do not bring it up. Your comments on this Site so far have been All Insult and No Information to back them up. Why dont you Grow a Little and Apologize for ALL of Your Lacivious Posts? Then I'll apologize for Telling You How American's used to Think and Act.....Capiche?

Posted by: warren, | December 26, 2011 at 06:36 PM

«

[Antonio Andolini]

"Tax the rich, feed the poor
Till there are no rich no more?

I'd Love to Change the World
But I don't know what to do
So I'll leave it up to you."
Alvin Lee

[warren]

From the Album Sssh?, Tony. I Think Rocky's Latest Post is By Far His Best, as it Lack ANY Political Bias! What a Breath of Fresh Air...Now Can We Really Talk?

[Antonio Andolini]

A Space in Time.
Sure, Warren, Rocky didn't actually say, "Dick Cheney" or "Pentagon." No political bias, no siree, not a lick of that. Certainly, a great post, though. From somewhere (I do not recall) I have an image of dropping coins into a slot in a box to get more gas?
Like Jon said, earlier, they are called "power" companies.

[James on the Left]

This is what it must have felt like during the last days of the Roman Empire."
...under three inches of bat feces to keep the heat in." They did that on purpose Jon?

[warren]

On the Subject of Personal Energy Bills, I've just Totally Eliminated My Home Heating Oil Consumption! I drained My Baseboard System and Furnace of Water. Shut the Furnace Off. Isolated it from the rest of the System and now Run on My Electric Hot Water Tank Only. My Electric bill has gone up about $40 per month for continuous use of the 40 Gallon Tank. Compare this with the price of a hundred gallons of oil!! I Heat my downstairs with a Pellet Stove ( I also have a Wood Stove, which I seldom use any more ). This works for Me, it probably will not wok for YOU, but The Energy Problem Should be Tackled on a Case by Case Basis, No? I Agree that those Power Inverters should be Made in America!...You did not shop Online? The net is FULL of "Kit's" for Sale...

[Rocky]

AA, the problem with your view of the world (vs-mine) is that you don't seem to appreciate the positive role government should/could play in resolving many of our issues. You're always knocking down government as if it's to be killed/that it's evil. Government at times is evil, but that's because we collectively allow it to be evil. I think it's evil when we go half way across the world to kill people over our addictions.(drugs & oil)For example, if it wasn't for Rural Electrification Coos County would not have electricity or telephone. Look at broadband, the private sector doesn't want to share its profits in rural areas, therefore no broadband. Roads, who in hell should build and maintain roads? My list can grow and grow, but my point and where I agree with you is that it's difficult to keep government from becoming a cancer, but like cancer, you don't cut someone's head off because they have brain cancer, you cut-out the cancer and cross your fingers. Responsible and accountable government and accountable to the citizens, not to corporations who are in it only for profit.

[Antonio Andolini]

The proper term is "guano." It was a major export of Peru (before "Peruvian Soda".)
http://www1.american.edu/ted/guano.htm

[warren]

Tony. I read that Everyone's Electric Bill ( Irregardless of Supplier! ) will go up about 55 cents to pay for the "Five Sister's" new 2 year Power Purchase agreements with PSNH! Seems like Kharmic Justice to me...

[toonist]

Yes Rocky government is a necessary evil but too much government is just plain evil!
James who do you think is fiddling while Rome burns?
And I see warren can't let it go! Had to copy and paste that on this thread instead of leaving it on the other thread like James did with his answer.

[warren]

Can Cate St. Burn some Chicken or Turkey "guano" here at Berlin Biomass??? Save on the Tree's some? More Seriously,How about Torriefied Wood?

[Rocky]

Warren, with this comment I warn you that I will ban you from byte&chew unless you discontinue your negative references pertaining to anybody's sexuality. You're one click away!

[Antonio Andolini]

Oh, come, come now, Rocky. Let's not fly over the top here(gotta love mixed metaphors.) I never said anything about killing off the evil government. (Can you say "watch list"?) I haven't booby-trapped the back yard, and there is no bunker stockpiled with ammo and water and canned goods and twinkies(they never mold, ya know.) Of course, I wouldn't tell you if there was. (Can you say "watch list"?) I actually lived on a road that residents built and maintained so that's not a good one to use on me.
I have never disagreed that government plays a role in society. Where we differ is the extent to which the government should run things as opposed to the "dreaded private sector." We agree about accountable government. The Federal government has not passed a budget for nearly three years. So much for accountability. The corporations can be citizens so long as any and all political contributions, by individual and by corporation, are publicly disclosed. As for brain cancer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M68GeL8PafE

[warren]

How about a Full Apology from James Rocky?

- You Did this Before when the going got Rough, Remember? Also Remember what Happened? No more "Crystal Balls" near the VFW I see?, Hmmm. There are others! and THAT is a Promise!!!!

[Antonio Andolini]

Now Warren, you know perfectly well, that EFSEC and the good citizens of Berlin were promised that nothing but pure virgin wood chips would be burned in the converted black liquor boiler. Fact is, that fluidized bed boiler can burn just about anything. Oh, and the EPA thinks it's better to burn tires than to fill up landfills with them.

[Antonio Andolini]

Seriously, Warren, don't let James on the Left "win." Just ignore him and quit the personal attacks on family. We will all be better for it. Thank you.

[warren]

Burn Baby Burn! Just add a Scrubber, that's all. Imo.

[warren]

Tony, Apologies all 'round would be sweeter. Rocky has been warned!