Immigration issues here in the United States may play a role in the next presidential elections in 2008.  Our Commander-In-Chief, GW Bush favors a guest worker program for the millions of illegals here now.  This may be a way to garner more votes from certain segments of a growing block of voters, but will it work?  One thing is for sure, in the short term this is a cheaper scenario than trying to stop all illegal immigrants from crossing our southern borders.  It's certainly more economical than trying to deport all illegals back to their country of origin as the United States citizens and taxpayers will foot the entire bill for this.  Both mainstream political parties are trying to appear that they are trying to stem the flow of illegal immigration into the United States.  Neither party is proposing anything that will actually work.  Something must be done here or we may experience something similar to what is unfolding in France now with over five million Muslims that now make their home in the country of art and culture.  For the past ten days thousands of cars and many businesses in Paris and in other parts of France have been put to the torch by disenfranchised African and Middle Eastern Muslims immigrants living in France.  President Jacques Chirac is exasperated and he really does not seem to know what to do.  He and France should have thought about this a few years ago, while France still had a chance to control immigration from countries that do not share western ideas and religious beliefs.  It is a small world after all, but the philosophy of all of us being brothers and sisters has a way to go yet as exemplified by the current happenings in France.

In the not too distant future is the United States going to experience a similar cultural clash when our disenfranchised immigrants go on a nationwide rampage, too?

Utilitiesman

 

Will you and or your family have a fighting chance to survive if society breaks down?  That is a legitimate question for everyone who thinks that the Peak Oil scenario is approaching.  Many proponents of a downsized and less techno-mechanized world that will result from less and more expensive fossil fuels say little on how individuals are going to cope and transition from our present consumer society to one of barter and trading.  This will due to the fact that the dollar and many other currencies may not have any value in the post petroleum world of the future. 

So, what can one do in the short term to prepare to protect yourself and your family from calamity?  If the scenario of roaming hoards of starving folks or even organized groups comes to pass, what would you do if these same folks were knocking at your door?  Would they even knock on your door before trying to break into your home to take what they wanted?  What could you do to stop them or help persuade them that they should move on?

A good preparation plan for this scenario would include firearms and an adequate stockpile of ammunition.  Many folks in the green and peace movement communities would say this is not something one should do as society will come together and all will unite during a common crisis.  Well, I don't believe it and neither should you.  A recent example of this is the generally localized temporary society breakdown in New Orleans after the hurricanes.  It seems to me from some of the news stories about post-hurricane New Orleans that law abiding folks had their personal firearms confiscated by Federal troops and law inforcement.  This does not bode well for the future as the Federal government does not HAVE THE RIGHT TO CONFISCATE firearms from law abiding UNITED STATE CITIZENS.  

Not having the right and doing it are two entirely different things.  The Federal government felt that in order to control folks in New Orleans, they had to confiscate LEGALLY OWNED firearms to maintain order during this short term society breakdown in the Big Easy.  What do you think the government will try to do if a similar society breakdown happens on a nationwide scale?  If the government confiscates your legally owned firearm, who will protect you and your family when bandits and roaming hoards try to take away what you and your family have?

So, the old saying of "KEEP YOUR POWDER DRY" is just as important today as it was back in the days of original 13  United States.  Our Second Ammendment Rights are important and may even be more important now, if our present well ordered and polite society breaks down.  The only thing that may protect you and your loved ones will be your firearm(s) as it is a great equalizer in times of emergency.  It has always been this way as the original framers of the US Constitution knew over 200 years ago.

Utilitiesman  

Gasoline costs have recently come down.  The cost per gallon for unleaded regular here in central Minnesota is around $2.29.9 per gallon.  It's better than the $3.00 plus per gallon experienced just after the recent gulf state hurricanes that basically shut down gasoline, diesel and natural gas production and distribution a few weeks ago in the United States.  Still, production and distribution from New Orleans is not back to pre-hurricane levels.  Most folks are feeling better now as they think gasoline prices will continue to fall.  In the short term this may happen.  But why is diesel fuel continuing to escalate in price?  Around here it is a dollar more than unleaded regular.  Another aspect of petroleum is natural gas.  Natural gas costs are continuing to rise as they have been for the past couple of years. Now, just after the hurricane damage to the natural gas production and distribution in New Orleans the price of heating many of American homes this winter may increase up to 70%.  So, conservation in your home is the government's new message to all of us. 

Even before the recent twin hurricanes in the gulf area and the subsequent damage from the hurricanes, gasoline, diesel fuel, heating oil and aviation fuels  increased in price to very high levels.  What caused this?  Are the big oil companies trying to gouge the American public with higher prices to obtain windfall profits?  This same accusation was popular during the 1970's energy crisis.  Many Americans believe that the big oil companies are ripping us off at the pump.  Why would some of these same investors who own stocks in the oil companies, want their large blocks of stock in General Motors and Ford to drop to very low cost per share levels?  General Motors and Ford are now in the process of closing assembly plants and laying off thousands of workers because the big SUVs and luxury vehicles that have been their bread and butter are not selling because of high prices at the pump.  Sales of these big vehicles are off at least 50% from last year.

Could some of the reasons for higher and higher fossil fuels energy costs be due to China and India starting to consume more and more fossil fuels?  In fact, China and India are projected consume more fossil fuel energy than the United States does.  Presently the United States consumes 25% of the available fossil fuels produced in the world, while we have less that 5% of the world's population.  What is going to happen when China and India surpass us in consumption of fossil fuels?  Will fossil fuels last forever?  Many in the United States think that this is so.  Most oil geologists think otherwise.  Oil industry experts know and predict that oil production will peak and start to decline in a few years.  Some of these oil industry folks think that this may be happening right now. This could be contributing to the painful price increases all over the world and not just in the United States.

Anyway, go to this link to watch a presentation from Vancouver, Canada to learn more about the two sides of the debate concerning the Peak Oil scenario.  You may find it very interesting.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/46409605@N00/sets/1192840/show/

Utilitiesman

 

 

Democrat, Republican, Libertarian or Independent. How far can you trust your elected government servants of the people? Trust them as far as you can throw them. Here are some quotes from the famous and the not so famous folks that say just that.

"That we are to stand by the president, right or wrong is not
only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to
the American public."
Theodore Roosevelt

"It is useless for sheep to pass resolutions in favor of
vegetarianism while wolves remain of a different opinion."
Unknown

"Government: A group of elected and unelected officials you pay to
make decisions for you that you'd never make for yourself."
Mark Driver

"Patriotism is supporting your country all the time and your
government when it deserves it."
Mark Twain

"Firearms stand next in importance to the Constitution itself.
They are the American people's liberty teeth and keystone
under independence. From the hour the Pilgrims landed, to
the present day, events occurences and tendencies prove that
to ensure peace, security and happiness, the rifle and pistol
are equally indispenable. The very atmosphere of firearms
everywhere restrains evil interference - they deserve a
place of honor with all that's good."
George Washington

"Disarm the people- that is the best and most effective
way to enslave them."
James Madison

"The most foolish mistake we could possibly make would be
to allow the subjected people to carry arms."
Adolph Hitler

"When the government fears the people, there is liberty.
When the people fear the government, there is tyranny."
Thomas Jefferson

"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a
little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."
Benjamin Franklin

"The right of the citizen to bear arms is just one more
safeguard against a tyranny which now appears remote in
America, but which historically has proved to be always
possible."
Hubert H. Humphrey

"Give me liberty, or give me death."
Patrick Henry

"We would not allow our subjects to have guns, why would we
let them have ideas of their own?"
Josef Stalin

"Blind faith in your leaders, or in anything, will get
you killed."
Bruce Springsteen

"As democracy is perfected, the office of president represents,
more and more closely, the inner soul of the people. On some
great and glorious day the plain folks of the land will reach
their heart's desire at last and the White House will be adorned
by a downright moron."
H. L. Mencken (1880 - 1956)

"This is a free country: and I have the permits, licenses, stamps,
tags, stickers, background checks and tax receipts to prove it."

"We're not going to let you do that."
"Who's WE?"
"Smith, Wesson and ME."
Harry Callahan as in the "Dirty Harry movies"

And lastly, if you've read this far, here is a very good quote on what gun control has done in other countries and societies. Gun control by governments usually takes liberty away from citizens and empowers the government tyrants and criminals, also. My stance on gun control is we that the citizens do not need it. The government, any government needs to have fear of the people, not the other way around, which gun control or ultimately gun confiscation will lead to. Read this quote. I don't know the author of the below quote, but the veracity of what is said is there for all to see as it happened in these other countries.

"Turkey established gun control in 1911. From 1915 through 1917,
1.5 MILLION Armenians, unable to defend themselves, were rounded
up and exterminated. The Soviet Union established gun control in 1929.
From 1929 through 1953, 20 MILLION political dissidents, unable
to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated. Germany
established gun control in 1938. From 1939 through 1945, 13 MILLION
Jews, Gypsies, HOMOSEXUALS, the mentally ill, and other "mongrolized"
people, were rounded up and exterminated. China established gun
control in 1935. From 1949 through ???, 20 MILLION political
dissidents and others, unable to defend themselves, have been
rounded up and exterminated. Cambodia established gun control in 1956.
From 1975 through 1977, 1 MILLION "educated people", unable to
defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated. Guatemala
established gun control in 1964. From 1964 through 1981, 100,000
native Mayan Indians, unable to defend themselves, were rounded
up and exterminated. Uganda established gun control in 1970.
From 1971 through 1979, 300,000 Christians, unable to defend
themselves, were rounded up and exterminated."

A government that wants to control the citizens must first disarm the citizens, but they can accomplish their goal by doing it slowly so the people don't notice it. Is the power of the people in their vote or in their right to bear arms? That is for you to decide.

Utilitiesman

My posting on Saturday, October 1st may have been right on the money.  Andy Rooney of CBS/60 Minutes basically has said the same thing as I have.  And he said it the day after I did.  Perhaps Mr. Rooney has a larger audience than I do, though.

Read what Andy Rooney says about President Eisenhower and the Military Industrial Complex at this weblink:

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/09/30/60minutes/main892398.shtml

Utilitiesman