A thought on Energy 'polcy' and politics

[Wry Catcher]

The National Energy Policy Development Group was created by Executive Order on January 29, 2001 and chaired by Dick Cheney.

In May, 2001 the task force lead by the Vice President produced a national energy policy which in a note to the POTUS (GWB) was, "designed to help bring together business, government, local communities and citizens to promote dependable, affordable and environmentally sound energy for the future".

The composition of the task force, according to the report was confined to government officials.

Now, for the conspiracy:

On January 17, 2004 VP Cheney and Justice Antonin Saclia spent part of the week duck hunting at a private camp in Louisiana just three weeks after the court agreed to take up the VP's appeal in lawsuits over his handling of the administrations energy task force.

Justice Clarence Thomas appeared at a political retreat in 2008 at Palm Springs hosted by the Kock brothers. The Federalist Society of which Chief Justice Roberts and Justice Alito have been identified with reimbursed Justice Thomas for transportation, meals and accommodations for the weekend retreat.

In 2010 the USSC passed Citizens United v. FEC in a 5 to 4 decision.

In Ohio this week, millions of dollars whose origin is unknown are funding the Yes on 2 campaign with money provided by Americans for Prosperity (Kock Brothers), Freedom Works (Dick Armey) and another 501(c)(4) run by one of Dick Cheney's daughters.

The conclusion I draw from these few facts, which the curious will no doubt check and the willfully ignorant partisans will ignore or attack, is that the wealthy and powerful have declared war on the working men and women of our country.

 

[Mr. H.]

Could you please give some background on the "Yes on 2" campaign?

 

[Wry Catcher]

Could you please give some background on the "Yes on 2" campaign?

An initiative to overturn the anti union laws passed by the Ohio legislature and signed by the governor is up of a vote on Tuesday. A Yes vote will allow the new laws to remain, a No vote will repeal the legislation.

The Dollars are flowing from out of state, both union dollars (for No) and dollars from the foundations founded by the Koch Brothers (Americans for Prosperity and another whose name escapes me) Freedom Works, the political action committee run by Dick Armey which funded the tea party movement and from the Cheney family.

All of this out of state money is a result of CU v. FEC. The polling reflects 33% support Yes on 2, and 59% support the No vote. Lots of money will be spent over the next three days providing plenty of data to explain how such money influence or did not influence the result.

Is CU v. FEC an issue of Freedom of Speech; or was it a conspiracy of conservatives to make America into a Plutocracy.

 

[Mr. H.]

Thanks for that.

 

[C_Clayton_Jones]

The conclusion I draw from these few facts, which the curious will no doubt check and the willfully ignorant partisans will ignore or attack, is that the wealthy and powerful have declared war on the working men and women of our country.

That the wealthy and powerful run the country to the detriment of working men and women has been a truism since the Foundation Era; no ‘war’ was needed. We merely have a better understanding of the process to maintain the status quo in the context of the internet and the ‘information age.’ This in conjunction with the election of Obama have made its workings more visible.

Indeed, the success of derailing Obama’s agenda is evidence of that.

The Citizens United ruling is the more problematic component of the equation, however. Did the majority rule with the intent of giving a political advantage to the Republican Party and the ‘conservative cause’ in general?

There is no evidence of that.

Disclosure requirements and contribution restrictions were upheld, but restrictions of corporate participation in the political process were struck down on First Amendment grounds, in that the right to free speech applies to both the individual and the collective.

 

[Mr. H.]

I won't ignore or attack your post, but your conclusions seem a tad paranoid.
With a roughly 50% voter turnout rate in the U.S., the real power in this country is seldom wielded.

 

[alan1]

The National Energy Policy Development Group was created by Executive Order on January 29, 2001 and chaired by Dick Cheney.

In May, 2001 the task force lead by the Vice President produced a national energy policy which in a note to the POTUS (GWB) was, "designed to help bring together business, government, local communities and citizens to promote dependable, affordable and environmentally sound energy for the future".

The composition of the task force, according to the report was confined to government officials.

Now, for the conspiracy:

On January 17, 2004 VP Cheney and Justice Antonin Saclia spent part of the week duck hunting at a private camp in Louisiana just three weeks after the court agreed to take up the VP's appeal in lawsuits over his handling of the administrations energy task force.

Justice Clarence Thomas appeared at a political retreat in 2008 at Palm Springs hosted by the Kock brothers. The Federalist Society of which Chief Justice Roberts and Justice Alito have been identified with reimbursed Justice Thomas for transportation, meals and accommodations for the weekend retreat.

In 2010 the USSC passed Citizens United v. FEC in a 5 to 4 decision.

In Ohio this week, millions of dollars whose origin is unknown are funding the Yes on 2 campaign with money provided by Americans for Prosperity (Kock Brothers), Freedom Works (Dick Armey) and another 501(c)(4) run by one of Dick Cheney's daughters.

The conclusion I draw from these few facts, which the curious will no doubt check and the willfully ignorant partisans will ignore or attack, is that the wealthy and powerful have declared war on the working men and women of our country.
President Jimmy Carter pushed to create a unified national energy policy administered by a unified Cabinet-level department.
Courtesy Library of Congress

1977: President Carter signs the Department of Energy Organization Act, creating the U.S. Department of Energy.
Yeah, since then, energy has now become a problem. Good thing there wasn't a governmental Department of Sexual Activity and Enjoyment act, else we would all be masturbating and believing that constitutes actual sex.

 

[Wry Catcher]

The conclusion I draw from these few facts, which the curious will no doubt check and the willfully ignorant partisans will ignore or attack, is that the wealthy and powerful have declared war on the working men and women of our country.

That the wealthy and powerful run the country to the detriment of working men and women has been a truism since the Foundation Era; no ‘war’ was needed. We merely have a better understanding of the process to maintain the status quo in the context of the internet and the ‘information age.’ This in conjunction with the election of Obama have made its workings more visible.

Indeed, the success of derailing Obama’s agenda is evidence of that.

The Citizens United ruling is the more problematic component of the equation, however. Did the majority rule with the intent of giving a political advantage to the Republican Party and the ‘conservative cause’ in general?

There is no evidence of that.

Disclosure requirements and contribution restrictions were upheld, but restrictions of corporate participation in the political process were struck down on First Amendment grounds, in that the right to free speech applies to both the individual and the collective.

There is no clear and convincing evidence that the Majority ruled with the intent of giving a political advantage to the Republican Party, there are plenty of questions which raise the issue of collusion between the power elite (i.e. the Koch Brothers, Cheney, Armey) and the organizations they lead or founded or fund and four of the five majority in CU v. FEC.

I'm not making an allegation, to be clear I simply posted some facts and drew a conclusion (which is why I posted it in conspiracy theories).

Do I believe Cheney and his Energy task force conspired to one day have the supreme court pass citizens united to destory unions in America? No, that's a reach. Do I believe all the players in my little scenario benefited greatly from CU v. FEC? Yep. Do I believe the players are patriots and care about our nation's citizens? Yep, but only in so far as the rancher cares about his Steers or the farmer for his hogs.

 

[Wry Catcher]

The National Energy Policy Development Group was created by Executive Order on January 29, 2001 and chaired by Dick Cheney.

In May, 2001 the task force lead by the Vice President produced a national energy policy which in a note to the POTUS (GWB) was, "designed to help bring together business, government, local communities and citizens to promote dependable, affordable and environmentally sound energy for the future".

The composition of the task force, according to the report was confined to government officials.

Now, for the conspiracy:

On January 17, 2004 VP Cheney and Justice Antonin Saclia spent part of the week duck hunting at a private camp in Louisiana just three weeks after the court agreed to take up the VP's appeal in lawsuits over his handling of the administrations energy task force.

Justice Clarence Thomas appeared at a political retreat in 2008 at Palm Springs hosted by the Kock brothers. The Federalist Society of which Chief Justice Roberts and Justice Alito have been identified with reimbursed Justice Thomas for transportation, meals and accommodations for the weekend retreat.

In 2010 the USSC passed Citizens United v. FEC in a 5 to 4 decision.

In Ohio this week, millions of dollars whose origin is unknown are funding the Yes on 2 campaign with money provided by Americans for Prosperity (Kock Brothers), Freedom Works (Dick Armey) and another 501(c)(4) run by one of Dick Cheney's daughters.

The conclusion I draw from these few facts, which the curious will no doubt check and the willfully ignorant partisans will ignore or attack, is that the wealthy and powerful have declared war on the working men and women of our country.
President Jimmy Carter pushed to create a unified national energy policy administered by a unified Cabinet-level department.
Courtesy Library of Congress

1977: President Carter signs the Department of Energy Organization Act, creating the U.S. Department of Energy.
Yeah, since then, energy has now become a problem. Good thing there wasn't a governmental Department of Sexual Activity and Enjoyment act, else we would all be masturbating and believing that constitutes actual sex.

The oil embargo put the energy issue in the public domain, Carter made efforts to conserve and use renewable sources, putting solar panels on the roof of the White House. He saw the problems 40 years ago.

 

[alan1]

The oil embargo put the energy issue in the public domain, Carter made efforts to conserve and use renewable sources, putting solar panels on the roof of the White House. He saw the problems 40 years ago.

He didn't see the solution. Hence the reason his government action has failed.
Some want to continue the same failed policy by giving more government control.
Do you not find it odd that despite all the government money thrown at things like solar panels (for 40 years) we still have an "energy dependence"? Mr Carter's agency was supposed to eliminate our dependence on foreign oil. Here it is, an entire generation later and our government is still trying to eliminate our dependence on foreign oil using the same failed plan.
Color me unimpressed.

 

[Wry Catcher]

The oil embargo put the energy issue in the public domain, Carter made efforts to conserve and use renewable sources, putting solar panels on the roof of the White House. He saw the problems 40 years ago.

He didn't see the solution. Hence the reason his government action has failed.
Some want to continue the same failed policy by giving more government control.
Do you not find it odd that despite all the government money thrown at things like solar panels (for 40 years) we still have an "energy dependence"? Mr Carter's agency was supposed to eliminate our dependence on foreign oil. Here it is, an entire generation later and our government is still trying to eliminate our dependence on foreign oil using the same failed plan.
Color me unimpressed.

Color me confused. No national effort has been made to use renewable sources on the level necessary. Carter tried to begin the discussion, events in Iran and Russia (invading Afghanistan) changed the national debate. Reagan removed the solar panels installed by Carter. I find it odd that all the government money spent on the war on drugs, the war on terror and even the war on poverty have met with less success, don't you?

Solar, wind, tidal, geothermal are all currently being used in the United States and around the world. They are part of the future, not a panacea to be sure, but a necessary augmentation. Why the New Right is opposed to R&D is perplexing and shameful.

 

[Wry Catcher]

The national effort in effect today is to take away the wages and benefits of working men and women while advocating the top 1% can pass all of their wealth to their neer-do-well kids. Isn't that exactly what the Republicans are saying?

 

[Mr. H.]

1977: President Carter signs the Department of Energy Organization Act, creating the U.S. Department of Energy.
Yeah, since then, energy has now become a problem. Good thing there wasn't a governmental Department of Sexual Activity and Enjoyment act, else we would all be masturbating and believing that constitutes actual sex.

Initially, the creation of the DOE was seen by the petroleum industry as a woefully onerous event with debilitating ramifications. Granted, it was (and is primarily) funded by revenues derived from the industry. But- (and that's a big butt) DOE to this day itself initiates and funds critical research that has yielded dividends with regards to hyrrocarbon development.

 

[Mr. H.]

The oil embargo put the energy issue in the public domain, Carter made efforts to conserve and use renewable sources, putting solar panels on the roof of the White House. He saw the problems 40 years ago.

Carter, the little FUCK, singlehandedly decimated the U.S. petroleum industry by persuing and ultimately overseeing the enaction of the "Windfall Profits Tax" - which by the way was neither a tax, nor was it based on profits.

As a result, billions of dollars were confiscated from the petroleum industry and domestic oil production plummeted as a result. Hundreds of thousands lost jobs.

Fuck that little crack whore.

 

[bevanwillson]

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