Let me say this on a serious note, then I promise I'll lighten up about global warming for good, and I mean that. I do feel that I owe Mr. Kidder and maybe a couple others an explanation about my stance. I certainly don't mean to scare anyone with what I'm about to say, but maybe it will shed some light on why I believe the way I do.
I think that the world may or may not be experiencing a warming trend. It may be a natural cyclical occurance, and it may be man made. Regardless, I strongly believe that the threat of increasing temperatures pales in comparison to the real threats that face mankind.
On the other side of the world, in a place called "The Middle East", there are these people who strap bombs to their bodies, look for the nearest innocent bystanders and blow themselves up. During WWII, they called them Kamamazis. The Japanese who killed themselves for their cause were men....warriors who killed themselves and others because they felt strongly that the Allies were going to finish that which they had started by taking the Japanese homeland, and I'm sure through their propaganda, believed that the Allies would rape and murder their civilians. But even the Japanese never intentionally killed innocent civilians via suicide bomber.
In the Middle East, some Muslim groups have that same mentality, only more fanatical. I strongly believe that the United Sates and it's allies try very hard to minimize the number of civilian caualties in the event of war. I believe that radical Muslims have no such scruples, to the contrary, they intend to harm and kill civilians for it's shock effect and because they believe the free world to be such cowards, that we will eventually knuckle under to their tactics. The hell of it is that it is working. People in Congress every day clammoring about getting us out of Iraq. BTW, the very same people that don't want to drill for oil in Alaska. Keep this up and the radical Muslims will win.
I'm all for alternative energy. I love to drive through the Panhandle and New Mexico and see the giant wind tubines turning, but until there is a reliable alternative to oil and gas, we WILL continue to use it and it WILL continue to be the blood that makes the body of the world move.
I get tickled to hear both Republicans and Democrats in the arguement about the war in Iraq taking place for the "Oil". Republicans say, "No, we're there to set the Iraqi people free from tyranny". The Democrats say, "No, the only reason Bush went in was for the oil, the people of Iraq had nothing to do with it." Well, I've got news for both. You're damned right we're there for the oil, and the entire world had better thank their lucky stars we are. Without the flow of oil through the Persian Gulf, the entire world economy will collapse, and we're in the Middle East to make sure that doesn't happen. If you recall, Saddam Hussein ran right over Kuwait, didn't give it a thought. During that peiod, he seriously threatened the Saudis. Let them get over run by a raving lunatic and see what happens?
Then I hear those who champion the ever popular, "diplomacy". The Arabs and the Israelis have been going at it for 5000 years, we back the Israelis (Thank God), and we're going to talk and be nice and it will all go away?
Now, back to where we were. Does anyone really believe that if a radical Muslim government gets their hands on nuclear weapons, they wouldn't use them? What color is the sky in your world? And this threat is here, now! A threat that can become reality in an instant. You talk about global warming.....start throwing a few of these around and see how hot the world gets! Then, shortly thereafter, serious global cooling.
I spent many months living in a country that was 95% Muslim. I heard the prayers on the PA system each day. Stayed in places with the arrow on the ceiling pointing towards Mecca. My company let the entire workforce leave for an hour on Fridays for pray day. These people believe what they believe and they believe that we are evil and should be destroyed at all costs. Not all Muslims mind you, but enough.
No gentleman, I can't get too bent out of shape about global warming. I just see other threats as being far more serious.
West