Al Gore not setting a good example

Once again, political infighting and turf battles are keeping us from leading the world in a whole new area of technological and economic development.

If global warming is real, then we would be well served to do something about it. Even if it is not, the development of new technologies can only add to our economy and global competitive position.

This great country was built on innovation, raw materials, control of raw materials and know-how.

Look around you...we have lost much of the above to global competitors like China, India and Brazil. The status quo will not help us to reverse the trend.

Who cares about Al Gore giving his little performance? Who cares about the Republican performance?

These people have big interests at stake and they are fighting tooth and nail for them.

But if global warming is real, then the overall cost to the economy will be catastrophic. This is why Fortune 500 CEO's are now reversing their position to cautiously support a broad strategic plan to counter a worst case scenario.

The United States is facing the most serious economic challenge in its history. The elite have chosen to send millions of jobs abroad. This administration has amassed the largest government debt in our history. China is our biggest creditor. We are losing the most educated specialists with graduate degrees to other countries in key areas such as mathematics, the sciences and engineering. Research and development budgets for American concerns are the lowest in modern times, while other nations are actually spending vast amounts to develop the next generation of technologies and the derivative products that will drive the global economy over the next 20 to 50 years. Add global warming to this picture and I just don't see a happy ending for us.

It's sad that we have become so politically polarized that no one seems to talk of a common sense middle of the road approach any more. Many people are so entrenched in their point of view that it appears to me few will even listen to another point of view.

I don't think that one side or another has the total truth. I think all sides should be listened to and the best arguments from all sides can be negotiated into workable solutions. Otherwise, we are reduced to the rule of the mob or of the strongest or of the connected or of the guys with the best propaganda machine.

My little note turned out to be longer than I wanted. Kindly excuse me.

[Tom_Turner]

While I am somewhat sympathetic to environmentalist zealots, I am not really convinced there is anything we can do about Global Warming.

Misallocating resources on an incorrect notion may only hasten any economic ruin that might be coming anyway...for reasons unrelated.

We could have more nuclear power - but that has its own issues - and was politically derailed not too long ago. There was a "No Nukes" concert in New York. I went to it and enjoyed it. I hear there will be a big conert for Global Warming soon.

Our elected leaders are vastly overrepresented by lawyers (not economists -- and certainly not scientists). I hope they are up to the challenges the future holds.

There are a lot of things that might "get us". Asteroids and Pandemics and Nuclear weapons probably foremost amongst them. Stil some time to work on those hopefully. Probably nothing to be done in the event of a Super Volcano except to worry about it.

[mirrodie]

It's sad that we have become so politically polarized that no one seems to talk of a common sense middle of the road approach any more. Many people are so entrenched in their point of view that it appears to me few will even listen to another point of view.


100% agreed. It's plainly obvious that too many people flood a simple concept with their political upbringing. THat Gore is a Dem, or Republican is irrelevant to the matter at hand, but some are so myopic that they can't see that.

Some people are simply cerebrally challenged in that they cannot separate politics from religion, environmental issues, etc.