Environmentalism and the Economy

Conservatives support good stewardship of our earth. We depend on the earth's resources for everything we do and to trash the earth or to waste the resources is wrong and foolish and short-sighted. However, there are radical environmentalists who insist that humans are nothing more than just another species of animal and that preserving the earth should take precedence over everything else, including human life and well-being. This is a very wrongheaded view of things.

We have watched as Al Gore and his supporters have preached global warming and have blamed man for it. They have claimed that the earth is in dire straits because of global warming. They have also proclaimed that the debate is over and some have even threatened to charge those who disagree with them with serious crimes. Additionally, those who disagree with these global warming theories face loss of funding and loss of jobs.

In spite of all this noise, the earth has actually been cooling since 1998. More and more scientists are fed up with the false information being put out by Al Gore and his comrades and are speaking out, providing much data that proves the errors in the global warming theories. I have to wonder how some scientists have become so politicized. They, of all people, should support the truth and search for the truth.

Perhaps much of the problem comes from science jobs and funding being politicized and so scientists play along with the currently politically popular theories in order to get jobs and funding. This happens with evolution, as well as with global warming. On top of all that, there are people who, because of their indoctrination at school, have so bought into evolution and, lately, global warming, that they attempt to intimidate those who disagree with them into silence, shouting them down and accusing them of being ignorant. Actually, we aren't ignorant at all. We just have the good sense to search beyond mainstream media and the popular science magazines to find the facts and to not swallow whole some idea just because it's taught in school. It's certainly true that there are crazies out there supporting any and all viewpoints, but their writings are also not where we turn for facts. I realize that no one supporting either evolution or global warming will admit that those who disagree with them have any legitimate sources of information, but we do. There are scientists and journalists out there with the integrity to dig for facts and to publish them.

What brings all this to my attention right now is that our current administration is ready to push harsh environmental regulations on the auto industry, regulations that will cost so much to implement as quickly as demanded that they will likely kill the auto industry. This after the government handed over billions to save the auto industry. Kind of schizophrenic, isn't it?

Environmentalism, in going beyond good stewardship and common sense, will ruin our economy and damage our national security. Why do I say this? Because the environmental regulations being demanded will cost more to implement than our nation can afford and because wind, solar, biofuels, and other alternate sources of energy are nowhere near well-developed enough to provide this nation with all of its energy (and they may never be), yet environmentalists want to prevent us from drilling for our own oil and natural gas, using our coal, and building nuclear plants. This leaves us dependent on foreign nations, some of whom are enemies and none of whom will put our interests over their own, which is where national security issues come into play.

Forget utopia, we're headed for dystopia if these laws and regulations are allowed to be put into effect.

As usual, I will provide you with a list of articles to read and contemplate. There are many more out there, of course. This is just a sampling.

"Tear Down the Amazon Rainforest Idol" at World Net Daily (which also links to an article in The New York Times (!) titled "New Jungles Prompt a Debate on Rain Forests" by Elizabeth Rosenthal )

"Lefty, It's Cold Outside" by Deroy Murdock (It's good to know that not everyone on the Left is fooled!)

"The Rise of Self-Defeating Industrial Policy" by Rich Lowry

"California's Carbon-Tax Lesson for America" by Edward John Craig (on the Planet Gore blog at National Review Online )

"Who is the 'They' Now in California?" by Victor Davis Hanson (This piece talks about more than just the environment, although that is in there, too.)

"Anthropogenic Global Warming: The Greatest Fraud in History?" by James Lewis

"Mileage Standards: Not the Way to Energy Independence" by Brian Douglas

"All Seriousness Aside" by Paul Chesser

"His Winter of Discontent" by William Tucker

That will give you sufficient reading for now. In addition, several of the above articles have interesting links in them.

Whether we are talking about "stimulus" bills or environmental regulation bills, it is so important that we stop the panicked rushing about and think these things through carefully, gathering actual facts to use in making the decisions.

Ideology and Politics

There are two articles at American Thinker that are worth your time to read. They both discuss, in different ways, today's ideology and how it came to be and how it affects American politics. I believe that we need to be aware of what various groups believe in and are pursuing if we want to protect our freedoms and maintain America as she began.

The first article is "The Misnomer of Conservatism" by Bruce Walker. In his article, he discusses the terms "liberal", "conservative", and others and what they mean or don't mean. He writes about where these terms came from and says:

Why, then, do we have so many problems identifying what conservatism is in American politics? There is an easy, though not simple, answer to that question: What we have come to call "conservative" or the Right is a group of principles whose definitional names have been invented by those who hate those principles.

Intriguing, yes? I found the article thought-provoking. Mr. Walker also says:

What those of us who believe in the importance of liberty in human affairs, the vital goodness of America, the necessity of personal honesty in any healthy society, and the necessity of a Blessed Creator to any noble concept of life is to define ourselves and also to define our enemies. We who have been called "conservative" (because we somehow have not accepted the Marxian idea of progress) are ultimately just people who believe in truth. Many "conservatives" came to conservatism (whatever that is) because the Left is so permeated with lies and self-delusion (Exhibit A: Global Warming.)

How do we define our enemies? Some of us might like to call them "socialists," but that is using a vacuous Marxist term to describe a very real attitude. They do not really believe in anything, except power. Why is Hillary running for president? She wants power -- it is her turn. Why did Democrats lust to regain Congress in 2006? Power is the answer (have they even tried to do anything but harass President Bush?)

It's an article worth reading with an open mind and it's worth serious consideration as we look at America's future, and at a hope for the world's future, if there are those who can be influenced for good.

The second article is called "The Materialist Faith of Communism, Socialism, and Liberalism" by Linda Kimball. Ms. Kimball begins by writing:

For over eighty-five years, America has been incrementally conquered by the same madness-inducing demon of hatred and violence that earlier took over Russia, China, Germany, and Italy. Rabbi Aryeh Spiro concurs,"There is a madness in today's liberal thinking. It insists on policies that tie our hands to defend ourselves while given free reign to the jihadists intent on killing us. It is dangerous because it is becoming the law, and thinking of the land in the western world. (Liberal Madness is Deadly (1/24/08) This demon is embodied in "enlightened" Liberals and the West's transnational "elite," both of which are deeply infected by materialistic Communism (Cultural Marxism) and the delusion that the true enemy of America is always on the Right. Having rejected God and the religious heritage of our civilization, they embrace instead a new order of beliefs of which Communism and Socialism are logical expressions. A new world order is what they seek, but in order that it can emerge, the existing culture must be completely destroyed.

Rather startling, isn't it? As Ms. Kimball goes on to explain what she means and to give a little background, you come to understand what she means and why it is important that we be aware of what is going on in our country.

It is not too late to reclaim America, but Americans need to wake up to what is going on around them. Gradual erosion of all our country stood for from the beginning is still erosion.

Science is Supposed to be About Investigation

Like global warming, another object of scientific study is evolution. And again, a small group of people insist that the debate is over and evolution, like global warming being caused by man, is a fact, even though it is assuredly not. I found an interesting article called "Theory of Evolution" at the Conservapedia. Like Wikipedia, this is a publicly written/edited online encyclopedia, so you would want to do some research of your own to confirm the information. However, this article is full of names and quotes and footnotes, so it gives you plenty of information to research.

My reading on the topic of evolution shows little, if any, evidence confirming it. Yet this is what is taught in our schools, and other viewpoints and ideas and facts are shut out. It can take years, even decades, for such indoctrinated students to realize they've been had. Who knows how much scientific research goes undone because everyone thinks "the debate is over". How many ideas and solutions and new discoveries are delayed or never found because research is stifled in certain directions?

Wikipedia has a good article on "Scientific Method" which should serve as a good reminder of what science is supposed to be about.

This past week, Newsweek had a story called "The Truth about Denial" by Sharon Begley. An excellent rebuttal of this article can be found at Townhall.com in an article called "Paralyzing Fog of Uncertainty on Climate" by Debra J. Saunders.

Just keep an open mind and search out all sides of an issue. You might be surprised at what you find. And don't forget to consider motivation for taking one side or another--the spokespeople might have hidden agendas.

On a Scientific Note...

Phyllis Schlafly has an interesting piece about evolution and Kansas and schools at Townhall.com. It's called "Criticism of Evolution Can't be Silenced."

Phyllis Schlafly is sometimes put down, but she is actually a highly intelligent, highly accomplished woman. Here is a brief bio of her--very much worth a read.

The Science of Evolution?

Chuck Colson has an interesting article at Townhall.com entitled "Censoring Science: The Kansas Controversy." He makes some excellent points and refers to a number of resources for further study.

Personally, I don't buy evolution. If I try to discuss it with someone who does buy into evolution, all I get is an insistence that he is right and I am wrong. What's more, I'm fearful, threatened, and ignorant! Never are the actual issues addressed. That just reinforces my belief that there is no evidence for evolution.

I know there are many who disagree with me, but I also know that there are many who do agree with me--people who are not fearful, threatened, or ignorant.