tbgalileo, Tulsa (1/2/2009 4:42:11 AM)

Yes! I have no doubt that our country is great enough, intelligent enough, and resourceful enough to move to renewable energy. We were the first in flight, the first and only ones to walk on the surface of the moon, and too many other incredible accomplishments to list here. Why would we think that we can't get off of fossil fuels? Don't we have enough faith in our country?

Be Happy, Tulsa (1/2/2009 5:11:22 AM)

Ms. Putnam said: "Instead of creating jobs here at home, that money is paying for skyscrapers and shopping malls in Iran, Venezuela, Saudi Arabia and indoor ski slopes in Dubai."

Well, yeah, the US is part of a global economy. Of course, we could drop out. All we have to do to eliminate our use of imported products, like the oil that lets us drive our cars. Not so easy, is it?

As far as the money going to other countries, that is the same money that comes back to us to pay for things like the hugely expensive war against Iraq. Of course, that might be a good thing to quit throwing money at.

In a global economy, we're all interdependent. Dropping out of that system is not a realistic option.

But it does give people an excuse to verbally attack other countries. Why not? Verbal attacks might be less costly than the misguided military attacks of the Bush reign of incompetence.

Bville Yellow Dog, Bville (1/2/2009 7:13:03 AM)

The biggest US asset is brains and technology. We can make renewable energy happen!
That helps solves the fuel import problem, the global warming problem, and helps alleviate the fact that fossil fuel is finite and will run out.
We have had a look at "peak oil" - $5.00 gasoline anyone?
I don't think any rational person is advocating exiting the global economy - but importing oil and exporting treasury bills does not work.

Eagle 4, Tulsa (1/2/2009 7:15:35 AM)

Well said, Mary! Whatever energy options are chosen, they need to be implemented muy pronto. Perhaps our military-industrial complex can be challenged to produce energy instead of more engines of death.

my view, Sand Springs (1/2/2009 7:48:47 AM)

Eagle 4,
The military is designed to destroy our enemies not build. We didn't just wakeup one morning and find ourselves behind the eight-ball, when it comes to energy. Congress should have been more forward looking for the last 30 years for renewable energy. Instead they continue to kick the can down the road until we found ourselves where were at today. It still not to late and I hope that the President-elects put this to the front of his many priorities.

Be Happy, Tulsa (1/2/2009 7:50:52 AM)

Eagle4, great comment.

And of course, as corporations, they just want to make a profit.

And they can make just as much profit on peaceful products as on weapons.

So maybe we should blame our political leaders for pushing the corporations to produce weapons.

Maybe the new administration will bring some sanity to Washington. And maybe not.

Lunatk, (1/2/2009 9:16:58 AM)

Get rid of our military. That seems to always be the montra of the left. While we're at it, let's get rid of the police too. Just think of all the money we can save. After all, if we have no protection from terrorists, they will just leave us alone and we can all sing campfire songs together. Perhaps this new miracle president will do just that.

Dempsey Coker, Tiawah (1/2/2009 9:43:13 AM)

The United States of America should have joined OPEC when it was founded. After all, at that time, the USA was exporting oil, too.

When one joins the US Army as an enlisted person, he is trained to serve in the infantry. (Using he for "one" here because English does not have a non-gender specific pronoun for a human being like in French.) He is NOT trained to save lives. The joke was that the 8 week Basic Infantry Training was to make him a lean, mean, killing machine. If he was sent to Advanced Infantry Training for 8 more weeks, that was to make him a leaner, meaner, killing machine.

When I was in South Vietnam, I was supposed to take my AR-15 Rifle (aka M-16 rifle) with me when I left my sleeping quarters in the company area.

Have any of you folks seen the special programs on Dubai on the History and Discovery Channels on Cable? It's like Muslims owning their own version Las Vegas.

What's a "montra, Lunatk?

Big Harp, Florida (1/2/2009 10:28:21 AM)

Be Happy

We don't have to drop out of the World Economy, all we have to do is the same thing the rest of the World is doing. That is not only to purchase products but to actually manufacture products for export creating jobs for U.S. citizens and keeping as much Wealth as possible at home.

Yes we are in a World Economy and it's not going to go away, but right now we are the ones buying while they are selling fattening their pockets, while our bank accounts are shrinking because money is going out but not enough coming back in to even break even.

Ironman66, Laguna Hills (1/2/2009 11:05:14 AM)

The United States joining OPEC would have no greater benefit to America than its being a member and host to the "United Nations".

Nations united in what?

AllSeeingI, Everywhere (1/2/2009 11:41:38 AM)

Algeria 1969 Africa
Angola 2007 Africa
Ecuador(**) rejoined 2007 South America
IR Iran* 1960 Middle East
Iraq* 1960 Middle East
Kuwait* 1960 Middle East
SP Libyan AJ 1962 Africa
Nigeria 1971 Africa
Qatar 1961 Middle East
Saudi Arabia* 1960 Middle East
United Arab Emirates 1967 Middle East
Venezuela* 1960 South America
Yeah, Let's join OPEC. LOL! We'd fit right in.

AllSeeingI, Everywhere (1/2/2009 11:44:42 AM)

Dempsey Joe Coker,

We IMPORT OIL, WE DON'T EXPORT IT! DUH!

Truth Patrol, Tulsa (1/2/2009 12:03:05 PM)

"In the 1970s we imported 24 percent of our oil. Nearly 40 years later that figure has grown to 70 percent."

One of the failed liberal policies that has destroyed the economy.

Increase drilling here. Increase nuclear power. Wind energy is the least efficient, least reliable, and least viable form of energery.

Ironman66, Laguna Hills (1/2/2009 12:04:15 PM)

AllSeeing -

After the next four years we may be even more qualified.

Truth Patrol, Tulsa (1/2/2009 12:05:08 PM)

Pickens' REAL plan:

foxnews dot com /story/0,2933,395304,00.html

AllSeeingI, Everywhere (1/2/2009 12:06:59 PM)

Wind power in OK? What happens to the Windmills when a TORNADO comes swooping through one of the farms? Yep T. Bone makes money again.

Truth Patrol, Tulsa (1/2/2009 12:09:39 PM)

"We can make renewable energy happen!
That helps solves the fuel import problem, the global warming problem, and helps alleviate the fact that fossil fuel is finite and will run out."

Fossil fuel is anything but finite, and global warming is anything but a problem.

Ironman66, Laguna Hills (1/2/2009 12:23:10 PM)

Truth -

After graduating from HS, I spent the summer of 1966 laying pipelines in the Kiamichi Mountains and across the State of Minnesota. As an 18 year old, I was a member of Tulsa's Pipeliner Local 780 and was making $2.80 an hour. Big bucks for an unskilled kid back then.

There was so much work, we had to quit after 8 hours each day to go back and help the backend cap for another 4 hours to keep up. This was a 7 days a week job.

If our new PE and Congress would set a true energy independence agenda we could get the 2.5 million people back to work at high paying jobs, building nuclear plants, offshore drilling, refineries, steel for the pipes, building welding machines, steel hats, hard toe shoes, and more government inspectors and OSHA naturally. I could go on and on with how the economy could be lit up again. The number of high paying middle-class jobs would be unbelievable. It can happen. Will it?

Not unless we grow some body parts to tell the economy, country killing greenies to get out of the way.

Let's put to use the great natural wealth which made us a strong to begin with.

AllSeeingI, Everywhere (1/2/2009 12:25:03 PM)

OMG Truth, you may be a liberal if you get tired of hearing the facts!

Bville Yellow Dog, Bville (1/2/2009 12:34:49 PM)

Um yeah lets use up all our energy resources so we can be more like Japan.

AllSeeingI, Everywhere (1/2/2009 12:39:10 PM)

How about we not do that BYD? How about we drill around what we have so you have a JOB!

Ironman66, Laguna Hills (1/2/2009 12:46:05 PM)

Dog,

We can SAVE our energy resources for some day in the future like my ex-wife saved our wedding gifts for us to use in our old age. I think they are still in her hope chest and we divorced 30 years ago.

Let's keep the wealth here.

Bville Yellow Dog, Bville (1/2/2009 1:24:22 PM)

so I guess you don't have grandkids Iron.

Let's log all the national parks too and quit treating sewage.

Pretty pathetic to see ideology get in the way of facts...

AllSeeingI, Everywhere (1/2/2009 1:25:41 PM)

They're going to start logging in the National Parks? Great! Maybe the plywood prices will come down so Fannie Mae and Freddie Macs future clients can actually afford their homes. Change you can Count ON!

Ironman66, Laguna Hills (1/2/2009 1:58:41 PM)

BYD,

If we don't do something and soon, there will be no National Parks. We will not be able to afford to protect them.

I can't believe the mentality which blindly ignores we are exporting our jobs and wealth all for a hysterical theory that man can stop climate change, a tornado, or an ice age.

What we do not make in America, a third world country, with less controls than we have, will. And WE WILL buy it from them because they are supplying what we want. Is that course going to save the world or is it destroying the United States?