Why Are We Here
Thomas Friedman’s got an op-ed in the NY Times fantasizing a Tim Russert follow-up interview with John Kerry, describing the potential for Kerry to respond from his perspective as a Vietnam veteran in support of an on-going military presence in Iraq, a situation George II has made necessary for some time to come. Friedman makes a subtle point that I’d actually like to see taken up, one long past implementation: energy conservation as anti-terror methodology. If the U.S. and other western nations would pursue a rational course of conservation and the development of alternative energy sources, the effect would be similar to economic sanctions but without the punitive aspect, as it would take longer for the effects to be fully realized, giving the Islamo-fascist regimes time to reform, that being a valid goal in itself and one that would reduce the effectiveness of Islamist radicalization. A good first step in the U.S. would be to raise the per gallon tax on gasoline, already the lowest in the West. Of course, I admit I say that without even having so much as a driver’s license, but look: Australia’s paying over AU$1.00 per litre. Surely the States could afford a few pennies more.