RE: Politics and Compassion: was OT reducing your carbon footprint

[Jeff Larson <jeff.larson@sailpoint.com>]

> I would agree with assessments of the political right, many
> fundamentalists with whom the political right has been aligned for a
> long time now, and the big businesses that have benefitted from the
> extremely pro-business climate these folks have put in place. I would
> ALSO agree with Jeff that there are plenty of Southern Baptist
> churchgoers who are compassionate.

You know, my friends are just doubled over with laughter at seeing me
defend the Southern Baptist Church.  Most of my views are actually
rather liberal, but I just can't stand the broad-brush demonizing
rhetoric that has become so popular.

I'm also not nearly as alarmed about the big bad government as most of
my leftist friends are.  Sure the war sucks.  Worst. Decision. Ever.
The religious right sucks.  I will be dancing in the streets when Bush
is out of office.  But are we teetering on the brink of
totalitarianism, soon to be taken from our homes in the night by
representatives of Halliburton and forced to read the bible?  No.

Out of curiosity, how would you say the religious right has effected
your lives over the past 8 years.  I'll grant you gay marriage
and intelligent design "science".  What else?  Sure they make
a lot of noise but how much practical influence have they had
on your lives?  (Now my friends are weeping hysterically because
I'm downplaying the religious right).

The economy goes up. The economy goes down. Idiots get elected, idiots
get voted out.  The Democrats tax and spend.  The Republicans borrow
and spend.  We get involved in bad wars.  We get involved in good wars.
Are we drifting to the right?  Perhaps.  But like climate change
it's hard to say if this is momentary blip or a steady trend
(hey, we're back to global warming!).

Finally business.  Big bad business.  I'm also one of those crazy
loons that thinks the free market works pretty darn well though it
does occasionally need to be influenced through regulation.  Just like
the right seems to think all of our problems are caused by
immigration, gays, and flag burning, the left seems to think all our
problems will be solved with government regulation and entitlement
programs.  (Okay, more broad brushes).

Getting back to climate change, I applaud anyone's effort to reduce
their carbon footprint.  I also encourage everyone to be more aware of
the macroeconomic processes involved in the products they consume.

But ultimately I think the only way we're going to "fix" climate
change is by making big businesses and certain governments change they
way they do things.  I just want to make it clear that piling on
hastily concocted regulations and trade barriers to achieve a short
term effect often has disastrous macroeconomic consequences that
aren't at all "compassionate".  Proceed with caution.

Jeff