Posted by dahsdebater on 2/7/2016 5:32:00 PM (view original):
A tax on gas is better than nothing.  Prices this low are unstable, and it will result in a bad spike.  Whether in a few months or a few years, we don't know.  But we do know that when gas is this cheap, people buy less fuel-efficient cars, and general usage goes up.  We're gonna burn through the surplus, and then we're gonna pay.

In addition to that, we're using up the global oil reserve.  I realize that a lot of people - mostly Republican people - like to argue that we just need to come up with a new power source before we use up all the oil, which gives us plenty of time.  I see that as incredibly short-sighted.  I think the problem is that people with no chemistry background tend to think of running out of oil as generating crises in the oil and gas markets.  From my perspective, this is only the lesser part of the problem.  I'm confident we CAN develop new energy sources.  The problem is that when we run out of oil, we don't just run out of oil and gas.  We also run out of everything we make with synthetic materials derived from building blocks distilled out of oil and gas.  Spoiler alert: that's EVERYTHING synthetic.  When we run out of oil, we run out of plastic.  No more PVC, polyester, vinyl, anything.  The vast majority of pharmaceuticals are synethesized at least partially from components of crude oil.  So no more meds.  No more rubbing alcohol.  No more pesticides.  No more refrigerants for our refrigerators and air conditioners.  The building blocks of most of our soaps and detergents are oil-based synthetics.  Paint.  Cosmetics.  Synthetic vitamins and food additives (flavors, colors, etc.)  Kevlar.  Carpet fibers.  Plastic electronics.  I could go on for hours.

I think there's a vast underestimation amongst the general public of how many things they use or appreciate on a daily basis are derived from petrochemicals.  Thinking of running out of oil as a gas and oil problem is horribly misguided.  We've been led in that direction by undereducated and oil-funded politicians and political advocates, but it's a blatant untruth.  Obviously we can come with alternative energy.  That's relatively easy.  Coming up with an alternative source of small molecules for synthesis is almost impossible.  That, of course, is why nobody is paying big bucks to advertise the problem.  But it's very real.

Posted by dahsdebater on 2/7/2016 10:31:00 PM (view original):
Apparently you ignored the important part of my post.

It's getting increasingly difficult to give you credit for more intelligence than your average garden snail...

Obama will skip Scalia's funeral.

What a small, petty person.

KING OF KOMPROMISE!!!!! NO WONDER HE GETS SO MUCH DONE!!!!! HE'S REACHING ACROSS THE AISLE, *************!!!

Posted by raucous on 2/17/2016 5:54:00 PM (view original):

Obama will skip Scalia's funeral.

What a small, petty person.

Did that ever even happen before? What a bum. I never thought I would say this but Obama is a bigger scumbag than serial rapist Bill Clinton.

ANAHEIM, Calif., Feb 27 (Reuters) - Four people were stabbed on Saturday, one of whom was critically wounded in a scuffle between members of the Ku Klux Klan and counter-protesters near a planned KKK rally at a park in Anaheim, California, police said.

As many as seven people were arrested following the melee, including one Klan member who is accused of stabbing a counter-protester with a flagpole, said Anaheim Police Sergeant Daron Wyatt.

Several counter-protesters were taken into custody after stomping a KKK member on the ground, Wyatt said.

Wyatt said the altercation took place as soon as several Klan members arrived at the park in Anaheim, about 35 miles southeast of Los Angeles, for a planned rally there.

"As soon as they got out of their vehicle, immediately they were attacked by counter-protesters and this caused a melee down the block," he said.

Wyatt said four people were wounded in the ensuing confrontation.

He said the most seriously wounded of the victims was stabbed with a flag pole that had an American eagle finial on at the top and taken to a local hospital's trauma center, where he was listed in critical condition. Other victims were stabbed or cut with a knife, Wyatt said.

The Klan, a white supremacist group known for their white robes and peaked hoods often worn by its members, has a long history of violence toward African-Americans, Jews and others, according the Southern Poverty Law Center, which tracks hate groups in the United States.

Several witnesses said that a peaceful counter-protest had been under way for about three hours in the park a mile north of Disneyland when the Klansmen arrived in a black sport utility vehicle.

The SUV pulled up and three men got out and began to unload signs when the group of about 50 counter-protesters ran over, yelling and throwing sticks, witnesses said.

"Three people were stabbed by the fire hydrant," said Darren Simpson, 49. "these Klan guys were fighting for their lives."

The Klan members attempted to get back into the car, but it sped off, leaving them behind, said Dion Garcia, 37.

He said the angry mob chased the Klansmen down the block, and yelled: "Get out of here! You're not welcome!"

"It was crazy," Garcia said. "A lot of us were trying to break it up. This was not necessary, they should've just let the Klan protest. This is America, we have free speech."