04-29-2004, 08:02 PM
For one, he cannot simply run on the environment. While one of the great things I admire about Kerry is his stance on the environment, the culture in this country is such that, I believe, only a 1/3 actually consider it a major issue. I don't have a source on that at the moment, so it might not be true, but the culture of this country is oriented very much about focusing on the now, and not worrying about the later. We are all about consumption, all about expending more energy than necessary, and totally shut out from alternative, renewable energies. The conservatives, of all people, should know that you do not put your eggs in one basket. The major cities, like New York, in this country that are sucessful have diversified sources of economy, and if one industry bombs, there are others to support until that industry gains strength again. Former major cities, like Buffalo, centralized their industry in steel and grain, and we know what happened with steel after WWII, and the interstate highway systems, and better modes of transport killed off the grain industry. What's left is a city hungover for a half-century, totally lost and dependent on the rest of the state for money. If we maintain our stance on oil usage, what happens if one day, boom, oil manufacturers in Middle East are bombed, and production drops to zero. That's not just an economic crisis, that's a national security threat when we all go insane and start killing one another for oil to heat our homes and drive our cars? We have absolutely no alternatives in place to deal with that, and what's most upsetting is that corporations have bought up all the patents for any new technology, and totally limited the market of the US to begin manufacturing of such necessary things.
I find it to be a very big issue, but, more than likely, the next two guys you ask could really give a shit.
I find it to be a very big issue, but, more than likely, the next two guys you ask could really give a shit.