One of the latest attacks on reasonable energy policy and conservation is a popular YouTube video titled “If I wanted America to fail,” produced by Free Market America. I was going to ignore this one, but one person asked for an evaluation, and another accused me of being a “lib” who can’t offer a “meaningful [...]
In the past few weeks since gas has passed $3.40 per gallon, misunderstandings of what drives gasoline prices have once again become prominent. This has included a resurgence of the old supply-side myth with an emphasis on the source of the oil. Since this is a presidential election year, the opposing candidates have used and [...]
There is an interesting discord between two protest groups that have been in the news in the past few months. Many of the most vocal supporters of the annual March for Life—now in its 38th year—are among the most vocal opponents of the Occupy movement. They claim the Occupiers are just ‘whiny protesters’ taking the [...]
It is good to see all the opposition to SOPA and PIPA, including today’s website blackouts. The flow of information due to the right to free speech is necessary for a democracy to function. SOPA and PIPA will have a negative impact on free speech and fair use, all for the cause of allowing a [...]
I’d like to propose a new word to fill a gap in our vocabulary: competitiofideism Literally, faith in competition or rivalry. The belief that all competition is inherently good and that since some competition is good, more is better. The irrational belief that competition is the solution to all problems. ORIGIN this post: from late [...]
I am pro-clean air. I am pro-clean water.—Rand Paul Libertarians invariably claim they want clean air and water, but then go out of the way to ensure that gratuitous damage to the earth continues. An example of this pattern is Senator Rand Paul’s recent attempt to prevent the EPA from regulating cross-state pollution from power [...]
Today is the 10th anniversary of the KGB USA/PATRIOT Act. A large portion of this disturbing law is still on the books, though there has been a some progress getting parts ruled unconstitutional. Read more from the EFF.
There is a new email circulating claiming that if we’d just drill for oil in the Bakken Formation, we could have inexpensive gas and could free ourselves from dependence on foreign oil. I was asked for my take on the email, so here is my evaluation. As always with this type email, the conclusion turns [...]
Oh, joy. The Republicans of the 112th Congress are going after the Antiquities Act. This is the latest of several attempts to remove the President’s ability to apply the Antiquities Act. Passed under Theodore Roosevelt in 1906 as An Act for the Preservation of American Antiquities, The Antiquities Act is one of the Republican Party’s [...]
Well, the United States has indefinitely given up on independently flying to space. It’s time to hurry up and start seriously working on a new NASA vehicle to launch humans into space. For those who say that not using the Shuttle anymore is no big deal because it is so old, look at how old [...]