brenthutch 444 #2176 March 17, 2022 10 minutes ago, billvon said: What happened to "the government shouldn't pick winners or losers?" Does that only apply when you don't like what the government is picking? Or have you moved more into the "socialist" category, and want the government to determine what industries do? Good point, I should have said, Biden should stop encumbering domestic production. https://www.highnorthnews.com/en/alaska-state-owned-agency-sues-biden-administration-over-arctic-oil-drilling Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SkyDekker 1,465 #2177 March 17, 2022 25 minutes ago, brenthutch said: Good point, I should have said, Biden should stop encumbering domestic production. https://www.highnorthnews.com/en/alaska-state-owned-agency-sues-biden-administration-over-arctic-oil-drilling If American companies are unwilling to increase production in established drilling locations why would a wildlife reserve need to be opened for exploration? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
billvon 3,059 #2178 March 17, 2022 21 minutes ago, brenthutch said: Good point, I should have said, Biden should stop encumbering domestic production. He's not, There are 9713 approved and permitted oil well sites in the US that oil companies simply don't want to drill on - because keeping supply low while demand is high helps them keep prices high, resulting in record profits. Again, what's your solution there? Should the government mandate that oil companies drill on their thousands of unused sites? Should the government itself drill and pump oil, and then undercut the oil industry? Or do you not care about any of that, and just want to blame Biden? 3 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
brenthutch 444 #2179 March 17, 2022 https://triblive.com/opinion/mark-hendrickson-the-biden-administrations-ongoing-ill-timed-battle-against-fossil-fuels/ He is, and that is a matter of record. 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SkyDekker 1,465 #2180 March 17, 2022 2 hours ago, brenthutch said: https://triblive.com/opinion/mark-hendrickson-the-biden-administrations-ongoing-ill-timed-battle-against-fossil-fuels/ He is, and that is a matter of record. That article doesn't raise any new issues. Keystone XL was already dealt with. You didn't even know the Keystone pipeline already existed. Artic drilling and drilling underneath public lands and waters we also dealt with. There is enough oil under the current leases, but the companies who hold those leases are not increasing production. Do you think Biden should force increased production, maybe nationalize the existing oil companies who are unwilling to invest in creased production? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
billvon 3,059 #2181 March 17, 2022 9 minutes ago, SkyDekker said: Keystone XL was already dealt with. You didn't even know the Keystone pipeline already existed. Yeah, that's a funny thing. From the right wingers I've talked to on Facebook, it is apparent that they: -don't know the Keystone is already up and running -that the XL expansion would just increase capacity -that the existing pipeline isn't even at full capacity, and thus would not help with this shortage -that the XL wouldn't have been completed for several years even if Biden hadn't pulled the permit -that its primary result would be to make the US dependent on foreign oil, by reducing the cost of importing Canadian oil. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
brenthutch 444 #2182 March 17, 2022 4 minutes ago, billvon said: Yeah, that's a funny thing. From the right wingers I've talked to on Facebook, it is apparent that they: -don't know the Keystone is already up and running -that the XL expansion would just increase capacity -that the existing pipeline isn't even at full capacity, and thus would not help with this shortage -that the XL wouldn't have been completed for several years even if Biden hadn't pulled the permit -that its primary result would be to make the US dependent on foreign oil, by reducing the cost of importing Canadian oil. So the Biden administration is fossil fuel friendly? Really guys, the level of self delusion is impressive. 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gowlerk 2,245 #2183 March 17, 2022 23 minutes ago, billvon said: -that its primary result would be to make the US dependent on foreign oil, by reducing the cost of importing Canadian oil. The Canadian perspective on the price is a little different. The transportation method would not reduce the price, which is a function of the world market. It would increase the profitability of mining the oil sands by reducing the cost of transportation. In the end there is no oil shortage, just a geo-political crisis that is temporarily causing a supply bottleneck. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wolfriverjoe 1,523 #2184 March 18, 2022 3 hours ago, gowlerk said: ... In the end there is no oil shortage, just a geo-political crisis that is temporarily causing a supply bottleneck. Just like the toilet paper 'shortage' at the beginning of the pandemic. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SkyDekker 1,465 #2185 March 18, 2022 3 hours ago, brenthutch said: So the Biden administration is fossil fuel friendly? Really guys, the level of self delusion is impressive. What is delusional is that that is what you got out of reading the posts. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
richravizza 28 #2186 March 19, 2022 On 2/7/2022 at 8:32 AM, wolfriverjoe said: The lockdowns were a short term solution. The costs outweighed the benefits fairly quickly. Funny, though, how the entire world decided that they would be a good thing. Everywhere. Many places a LOT more strictly enforced than here in the US. China, for example, is still using them. One reason the supply chain is so screwed up is that many factories in China are having problems making stuff when the workforce is regularly locked down. Besides, this thread was about criticisms of Biden. I don't think I recall him instituting any large scale lockdowns or quarantines. Hi Joe, Funny, your example, you didn't use Italy or LA, or more specifically any free society.Why not use North Korea or Cubas numbers. China your example, how Cosmopolitan. It's a concern I have for those following the Ideology of the Progressive Left, enamored in the efficiency of dictatorship/mandates. And we've had more man-dates than gay night at the club, LOL.. Have you ever heard the paraphrase, "When you sacrifice Liberty for Security,you get neither." I was thinking about this very same thing two years ago during the first lock down, most business were closed. I was in line at Walmart with the hundred other sheep,Taft gator over my metaphorical and literal face...Have you ever heard the paraphrase, "When you sacrifice Liberty for Security,you get neither." I simply, got in my car drove an hour north to the DZ and lived a completely different reality. Biden is a Democrat, most of all the lock downs were in Democratic leadership. Democrats have the teachers in their pockets and our School closures.Cuomo's Emmy Award winning performance in NY speaks for itself. So to point, nobody likes you Joe, no dis too you personally, of course. The wolverine is ok,he's welcome any day. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
richravizza 28 #2187 March 19, 2022 (edited) On 3/1/2022 at 10:34 AM, gowlerk said: He is also not aware that Justin is a fighter. https://nationalpost.com/news/canada/the-fight-how-justin-trudeau-outclassed-patrick-brazeau-five-years-ago-in-a-boxing-match-for-the-ages He is also an Indian, a Cuban, and a Black man on occasion. Quite a progressive chameleon, perfect for the job.I can't wait until his underground railroad is in service. Edited March 19, 2022 by richravizza Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wmw999 2,515 #2188 March 19, 2022 Because, well, nothing says "adult" like "I don't have to do anything I don't want to," right? What would you consider to be a "free" country? Italy did have mask mandates and shutdowns. So did a lot of other countries, all to varying degrees. And they came and went, responding to needs. In some countries they were far stricter than ours in the US. I live in one of the bluest cities in the country, and we were NEVER limited on when we could go out. It was never even suggested. Some businesses were temporarily shut, and then they came back. Some didn't survive (of course, some new ones started, and some businesses took advantage of the shutdown to retire, and some wouldn't have survived anyway). Rather than just a "fuck you libs" approach, how about some actual data? Here's a chart comparing death rates among various countries (note that actual deaths is meaningless when you're comparing, say, the US to Tristan da Cunha). The surrounding text makes it clear that the data is not unassailable, because every country had its own reporting and data maintenance. Covid death rate by country Wendy P. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gowlerk 2,245 #2189 March 19, 2022 4 minutes ago, wmw999 said: Because, well, nothing says "adult" like "I don't have to do anything I don't want to," right? America, proud home of the free to whine. 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jakee 1,558 #2190 March 19, 2022 1 hour ago, richravizza said: Hi Joe, Funny, your example, you didn't use Italy or LA, or more specifically any free society.Why not use North Korea or Cubas numbers. China your example, how Cosmopolitan. Great point. Good old laid back Italy, let's see what they were up to. "The lockdown measures implemented by Italy was considered the most radical measure implemented against the outbreak outside of the lockdown measures implemented in China.[17]" Well ok then. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
billvon 3,059 #2191 March 19, 2022 1 hour ago, richravizza said: I was thinking about this very same thing two years ago during the first lock down, I was thinking about that as well. Those shutdowns saved hundreds of thousands, if not millions. Take a look at the graphs showing infection rates and deaths; they'd go up drastically when there were few/no restrictions, and drop just as dramatically once we imposed NPI's (non-pharmaceutical interventions, like masking, distancing, lockdowns, testing etc) Quote Have you ever heard the paraphrase, "When you sacrifice Liberty for Security,you get neither." Yep. Have you ever heard the term "freedom isn't free?" If not for the freedoms that the US military sacrificed, we'd all be speaking German (or Japanese) today. We didn't hear US servicemen saying that it was all a "planwar" and that there was really no war and it was just a conspiracy to steal their freedoms. They sacrificed their liberty (and sometimes their lives) for the security of their fellow Americans - and got both. Same thing with the people back in the US. Most people supported rationing to support the war effort, even though it meant they couldn't get tires, or gasoline, or nylons. They were willing to sacrifice for the good of their fellow countrymen. They sacrificed their liberty for the security of their fellow Americans - and got both. During this pandemic, a great many people suffered and gave up their freedoms. Some were just people who kept their kids home from school and dealt with distance learning. Some were doctors and nurses who put in 12,16, even 20 hour days - and got sick, and sometimes even died from their exposure. They sacrificed their liberty (and sometimes their lives) for the security of their fellow Americans - and for a long time didn't have either one. Now as the pandemic is beginning to wind down, they have both. If you want freedom, but are not willing to do things that ensure other people's freedoms, you do not deserve freedom. Quote Funny, your example, you didn't use Italy Let's use Italy! Italy, like most European countries, initiated a lockdown early in 2020. It worked; cases peaked and declined. They reopened. But when they reopened they took a very US-right-wing approach. The mayor of Milan promised "never again!" when he was asked about shutdowns. The Italians were determined to be free and not be hampered by concerns about the virus. Storekeepers pledged to not shut down if another shutdown was called for. Cases started ramping up over the summer. There were calls for another shutdown, but the government took that slowly since people didn't want to - and even when the next one was implemented, most people ignored it. Reporters went to areas under lockdown and could see no difference between indoor public space use, compared to before the lockdown. By October they had 400,000 cases - and 36,000 deaths. That means that 1 in 11 people who got it died - a death rate of 9%, far higher than almost anywhere else in the world. This was mainly due to the fact that they simply had no space in hospitals, urgent care centers or doctors offices. Their economy cratered hard. This time not due to the shutdown, but because many of the people who ran the economy were sick or dying. And with a 1 in 11 chance of dying, suddenly even the uninfected people were refusing to go to work so that they could avoid sicknes and death. Think they made a good decision to not lock down the second time? Think that their decision to not "sacrifice liberty" led to a good outcome for them? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
richravizza 28 #2192 March 19, 2022 On 3/2/2022 at 12:04 PM, brenthutch said: I said secure the border, I didn’t opine on if it had been done in the past. If Hungary can do it so can we How about energy dominance, #1 fossil fuel producer Lower taxes resulted in a growing economy, low inflation and record low unemployment. Trickle down is a left wing buzzword not an economic theory As a libertarian, I would not conflate the abortion issue with business regulation Pro police as opposed to defund the police I would model our immigration policies off of Canada “a merit based permanent residence program which ranks candidates based on factors such as education, English or French language skills, work experience, and age. Additional factors include Canadian education or work experience, family in Canada, or a job offer. The Express Entry System is meant to attract the best and brightest applicants from around the world to fulfill Canadian labor needs.” Flag burning and taking a knee is speech protected by the 1st Amendment School choice means allowing parents to choose a school that fits the needs of the child not the teachers Union Funny how you accuse me of using buzzwords while using them yourself Bravo Sir, why waste time say lot word when few word do trick. LOL Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
billvon 3,059 #2193 March 19, 2022 3 hours ago, richravizza said: Have you ever heard the paraphrase, "When you sacrifice Liberty for Security,you get neither." A final note - the actual quote is "Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety." That's essential liberties vs a little temporary safety. The right to free speech is an essential liberty. The right to not wear a mask in a NICU (or in a OR, or in public during a pandemic) is not. The right to life is an essential liberty. The right to go to your favorite bar at any age (or during a pandemic) is not. The right to worship as you please is an essential liberty. Even the right to refuse a vaccination is an essential liberty. However, the right to refuse a vaccination - and then experience absolutely no consequences - is not. 6 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kallend 2,105 #2194 March 20, 2022 On 3/19/2022 at 2:42 PM, richravizza said: Hi Joe, .... I shall be charitable and assume that the alcohol was speaking in your post. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
richravizza 28 #2195 March 21, 2022 17 hours ago, billvon said: The right to worship as you please is an essential liberty. Even the right to refuse a vaccination is an essential liberty. However, the right to refuse a vaccination - and then experience absolutely no consequences - is not. We Agree in so few words. Your Consequences,I assume, they will be at the cost to our liberties,to our freedoms, as well as our recourse. foot on a neck Your first sentence is proof of the lack of integrity in leftist thinking..You say essential, I say unassailable.Regardless it was molested and all to what ends,omicron. Omicron,do a letter jumble, let me know what you come up with. 21 hours ago, wmw999 said: I live in one of the bluest cities in the country, and we were NEVER limited on when we could go out. It was never even suggested. Some businesses were temporarily shut, and then they came back. Some didn't survive (of course, some new ones started, and some businesses took advantage of the shutdown to retire, and some wouldn't have survived anyway). Since your my 1A arbiter this week,l'll reply. No Joy Joe. I hope you didn't do an AOC and get the colors confused.LOL.While LA was ran like Cuba for two years, Cubans ran Florida like your bluest of cities. ok,nice perspective. Your paragraph displays a liberal mindset an idea and ability to never have to say I'm sorry.To be unaware of consequence, but quick to divy them out. " some businesses took advantage of the shutdown to retire," Now that's optimism I like that.I guess if gas prices are a problem we can just buy a new Tesla. You see,my blue experiences is 180 out from yours.For two long years, Dems here were in charge of all the lockups mandates and business dicktates. 22 hours ago, richravizza said: I was thinking about this very same thing two years ago during the first lock down, most business were closed. I was in line at Walmart with the hundred other sheep,Taft gator over my metaphorical and literal face.. Don't you find it a tragic comedy,Dems allowed big business to profit, but closed yours/ours.Comical that a gator would protect me, among the hundreds of our fellow sheep. LOCK DOWNS ha, take that totalitarian crap and put.edit. I leave the insanity of LA's Democratic leadership and just go to a parallel structure of society, the next county. A completely different reality.The opposite reaction to an intended purpose and an eyeopener to the exodus of california in general. I used Italy exactly because of their worst case scenario among first nations,and nationality of course. I'll give credit where its due in a moment. 21 hours ago, wmw999 said: Rather than just a "fuck you libs" approach, My approach is simple and entertaining, if you have a preference in genre let me know.I've been privy to rap and hip hop lately,,Seems it was the message, not the messenger all along. Like the Plastic People of the Universe during The Prague Spring, it gives me hope. Pompous lefist pricks like Gavin ground us under his thumb of leadership,he calls himself a liberal as does Cuomo, as for fn Fauci who cares about politics when it comes to the King of the backtracks, I'll take cultural liberties with them and call them both a POS guinea wop, from one to another. Andrew Cuomo grabbing asses like the old daysStill had time to kill more old people than old ageWe all hate you, judge, and defame youI speak for all Italians, we don't claim you This one has some naughty words and just might offend some so hold onto your skirts. On 3/19/2022 at 1:06 PM, wmw999 said: Because, well, nothing says "adult" like "I don't have to do anything I don't want to," right? Nothing says "spineless" as "I will comply" where there is risk there must be choice nice, rhythm, the quote at the end priceless.Enjoy. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
richravizza 28 #2196 March 21, 2022 3 hours ago, kallend said: I shall be charitable and assume that the alcohol was speaking in your post. That's Wolfriverjoes line, LOL ,but before you tell me more about myself, how about you contribute first. It was so long ago,remember the Democratic debates, what did Kamala tell us of our Commander in Chief? In your words would be nice, in the spirit of a thread called Bidens critics corner.When your done let me know what it says about them both. If you don't want to that's cool,too.but I'm sure we would both find that common ground. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
billvon 3,059 #2197 March 21, 2022 1 hour ago, richravizza said: We Agree in so few words. Your Consequences,I assume, they will be at the cost to our liberties,to our freedoms, as well as our recourse. foot on a neck Nope. Not being able to go into a NICU without a mask is not the same as "a foot on your neck." And if it were your premature baby in there I am sure you would agree. (And just because it might be someone ELSE's premature baby instead does not confer you any additional justification. Quote Omicron,do a letter jumble, let me know what you come up with. God spelled backwards is dog. Quote Don't you find it a tragic comedy , , , Do you realize that you are quoting yourself here? Are you referring to yourself as "you?" Quote Dems allowed big business to profit The first shutdowns - and indeed most shutdowns - took place under Trump. Quote Comical that a gator would protect me Sounds like a lack of understanding on your part. Masks primarily protected OTHER people, not you. It's like not driving drunk. No one cares if you kill yourself; it's that family minivan you take out that's the issue. Quote LOCK DOWNS ha, take that totalitarian crap and put.edit. What must really stick in your craw, what must really drive you nuts, is that the lockdowns . . worked. They flattened the curve. They reduced the death rate. They kept at least hundreds of thousands of Americans alive. Look at a graph of infection rates and you can see where the lockdowns were - they started right before the peaks, and were in force as infection rates declines. Then they rescinded them. And the rates climbed. This was a (poor) implementation of the "hammer and dance" strategy proposed at the beginning of the pandemic. Use a big hammer (lockdown) to drop infection rates. Then "dance" (use escalating NPI's - masking, testing, distancing, and shutdowns as a last resort) to keep the infection rates low until we had an effective vaccine. Unfortunately, people like you ensured that any moderate NPI's would fail; such people took pride in ignoring anything other than "go home or you are under arrest." And thus we needed shutdowns, rather than just masking or distancing. So . . . congratulations? I guess? You managed to screw up the rational response to a pandemic, and ensure that only draconian measures worked. Did you like the result? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
billvon 3,059 #2198 March 21, 2022 7 minutes ago, richravizza said: It was so long ago,remember the Democratic debates, what did Kamala tell us of our Commander in Chief? Sounds like you don't remember. I will see your quote (that you can't remember) and raise you a dozen actual quotes from republicans: Sen. Mark Kirk said Trump is a "malignant clown — unprepared and unfit to be president of the United States." Sen. Ben Sasse asked Trump to "step aside & let Mike Pence try." Sen. Mike Crapo condemned Trump for his "disrespectful, profane and demeaning" behavior. Sen. Mike Lee said Trump is not the GOP candidate, he is "the distraction." Gov. Jon Huntsman said "the time has come for Governor Pence to lead the ticket." Rep. Mike Coffman said Trump should withdraw "for the good of the country." Rep. Joe Heck said that the "American people deserve better." Rep. Barbara Comstock said Trump's behavior was "disgusting, vile, and disqualifying." Sen. Dan Sullivan said he "will support Governor Mike Pence for President." Sen. Cory Gardner called Trump's "flaws ...are beyond mere moral shortcomings." Rep. Martha Roby said Trump needs "to step aside and allow a responsible, respectable Republican to lead the ticket” GOP presidential candidate Carly Fiorina said Trump "does not represent me or my party." Gov. Bill Haslam said Trump should "step aside and let Gov. Mike Pence assume the role as the party's nominee." Gov. George Pataki said "Enough! He needs to step down." Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said this is "enough" and Trump should "withdraw." But you supported him 100%, as I recall. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bigfalls 111 #2199 March 21, 2022 Despite the criticism Biden may be smarter than you think. He picked Harris as his running mate so people would think twice before removing him from office. 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kallend 2,105 #2200 March 21, 2022 1 hour ago, Bigfalls said: Despite the criticism Biden may be smarter than you think. He picked Harris as his running mate so people would think twice before removing him from office. Similar tactic failed for McCain, as Biden well knows. Your logic is defective. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites