Many of us were exposed to Fairy Tales as children. Billy Goat Gruff really made a big impact on me.I was sure for months that the troll was living under my bed or in my closet. Just as I was getting over that we had a Sunday School study about lepers. Every day for weeks I watched the tips of my fingers to see if they were turning black. In Sunday School we learned about faith. Believing in God and a life after death. No scientific evidence, just faith. As we get older we learn to sort out fact from fiction and not have such emotional responses to trolls and lepers. Some of us actually enter that great state of denial where we don’t see real threats. Occasionally, great numbers of people enter that state and get very comfortable that a major problem can be explained away or ignored. Many people develop faith in beliefs that give comfort, but may not come to pass.
How else can you comprehend the priorities in congress and our acceptance of them. Congress had a busy week. Once again, steroids in baseball was front and center. House democrats approved $18 billion in new taxes on the largest oil companies. Some say this will reduce domestic exploration and raise energy prices. We need both of those desperately. Good call, congress. Nancy Pelosi asked the Justice Department to open a grand jury investigation into whether Joshua Bolten and Harriet Miers should be prosecuted for contempt of Congress. Meantime, crude went above $103 per barrel, inflation fears grew, and the market responded by going further in the tank.
As crude prices rise you will once again be given Washington’s version of the troll. Or, rely on your comfort in a faith that it will all work out. Congress will tell you it’s everybody’s fault but theirs. They are already pointing out the traditional troll, big oil companies. They will do nothing positive to stem the climb. You will see $4 gasoline and diesel very soon. You may see $5 before the year is out. Congress will hold more hearings and Bush will offer lame options like building refineries on military bases. International Oil companies will accept the tax increase and drill elsewhere and pass through the cost at the pump. Congress has no leverage with Big Oil, but watch the media show. Must have an ogre in a fairy tale. Our economy and our country’s future is on the brink and we want to know about steroids in baseball and whether Lindsay Lohan is off the wagon. You reap what you sow and our tolerance for ineptitude in our elected officials knows no bounds.
I think I will check under the bed tonight, there’s something more scary than a troll coming down the road for me and all of you. Better quit buying the fairy tales and start demanding real answers to critical issues. As for faith, I will restrict that to religion and have none for the solutions to our pending Armageddon. You make your choices. I promise I will continue to show facts to help you make intelligent choices.
Bill,
Your Blog space seems to be getting more and more directed towards the inability of our elected Representatives in Washington and their inability to manage the most important issue of our times. Although we have many issues facing our country, I would agree that Oil is perhaps our biggest issue and it may already be too late in the short term to avoid the pending disaster.
I would like to think that your Blog, mine and perhaps thousands of others that seem to be out on the internet would make a difference, but I’m not sure they are having the right effect or not reaching the right audience. Perhaps these Blogs or actual letters need to be sent to our Congressman, Senator’s and Washington on a grand scale.
I wish I new the answer, but we need to keep voicing our opinions and hope they are heard and carefully considered.
Being the optimist I am, perhaps there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Unfortunately, I think that light is from a fast moving Freight Train, that is speedily heading towards us.