Comments on: Black and Green http://deanesmay.com/2009/06/25/black-and-green/ Defending the liberal tradition in history, science, and philosophy. Sat, 11 Feb 2012 13:24:07 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Hank Barnes http://deanesmay.com/2009/06/25/black-and-green/#comment-173747 Hank Barnes Thu, 25 Jun 2009 22:20:53 +0000 http://deanesmay.com/2009/06/25/black-and-green/#comment-173747 Oil is a very strange commodity -- it mostly comes from theocratic, Islamic states, while the money derived therefrom props up these oppressive regimes, who fund terrorists who hate us and want to kill us -- all the while, until recently, we were content to use lots of oil to fuel our large US automobiles, listening to Arrowsmith's "Sweet Emotion", while polluting the environment! I'm being a bit facetious, but there is some truths buried in there:) --HB Oil is a very strange commodity — it mostly comes from theocratic, Islamic states, while the money derived therefrom props up these oppressive regimes, who fund terrorists who hate us and want to kill us — all the while, until recently, we were content to use lots of oil to fuel our large US automobiles, listening to Arrowsmith’s “Sweet Emotion”, while polluting the environment!

I’m being a bit facetious, but there is some truths buried in there:)

–HB

]]> By: Dave Price http://deanesmay.com/2009/06/25/black-and-green/#comment-173740 Dave Price Thu, 25 Jun 2009 17:28:15 +0000 http://deanesmay.com/2009/06/25/black-and-green/#comment-173740 <i>Which is true, but US imports weren’t particularly low the last time gasoline was $4 a gallon</i> Good point. Which is true, but US imports weren’t particularly low the last time gasoline was $4 a gallon

Good point.

]]> By: Sigivald http://deanesmay.com/2009/06/25/black-and-green/#comment-173737 Sigivald Thu, 25 Jun 2009 16:48:47 +0000 http://deanesmay.com/2009/06/25/black-and-green/#comment-173737 I just don't grasp how a dollar a gallon tax in the US is supposed to hurt <i>Iran</i> noticeably. Friedman's only attempt at a link is that it would reduce US imports and "affect" the world price. Which is true, but US imports weren't particularly low the last time gasoline was $4 a gallon, and since the price increase here would be purely artificial, I see no reason to believe that any price drop caused by lower US demand wouldn't be met with increased consumption in the rest of the world. If the worldwide recession's drop in demand isn't going to wreck Iran's economy, a $1 a gallon gas tax in the US certainly won't. (Why does he have so much against our Canadian and Mexican friends who sell us much more oil than any other nations, anyway? Punish them so he can fund ludicrous "alternative energy" programs that, if they were useful, wouldn't need a giant rent-seeking glob of government cash? Ah, a brave new world of nuanced and thoughtful foreign policy, indeed.) I just don’t grasp how a dollar a gallon tax in the US is supposed to hurt Iran noticeably.

Friedman’s only attempt at a link is that it would reduce US imports and “affect” the world price.

Which is true, but US imports weren’t particularly low the last time gasoline was $4 a gallon, and since the price increase here would be purely artificial, I see no reason to believe that any price drop caused by lower US demand wouldn’t be met with increased consumption in the rest of the world.

If the worldwide recession’s drop in demand isn’t going to wreck Iran’s economy, a $1 a gallon gas tax in the US certainly won’t.

(Why does he have so much against our Canadian and Mexican friends who sell us much more oil than any other nations, anyway?

Punish them so he can fund ludicrous “alternative energy” programs that, if they were useful, wouldn’t need a giant rent-seeking glob of government cash?

Ah, a brave new world of nuanced and thoughtful foreign policy, indeed.)

]]> By: Aziz Poonawalla http://deanesmay.com/2009/06/25/black-and-green/#comment-173732 Aziz Poonawalla Thu, 25 Jun 2009 14:09:39 +0000 http://deanesmay.com/2009/06/25/black-and-green/#comment-173732 Dave, i cant find much to disagree with here. well put. Dave, i cant find much to disagree with here. well put.

]]> By: Dean Esmay http://deanesmay.com/2009/06/25/black-and-green/#comment-173729 Dean Esmay Thu, 25 Jun 2009 11:15:29 +0000 http://deanesmay.com/2009/06/25/black-and-green/#comment-173729 Friedman has long struck me as... I am struggling for the right word. He's not stupid. He's not a bad writer per se. He just rarely says anything that makes any sense at all. Is "goofy" the word I'm looking for? Perhaps. Iran's regime is not going to fall because they sell less oil. You can cut their oil sales by 75% and the regime's iron grip will not loosen. Friedman is just being, well, his normal goofy self I guess. Friedman has long struck me as… I am struggling for the right word. He’s not stupid. He’s not a bad writer per se. He just rarely says anything that makes any sense at all. Is “goofy” the word I’m looking for? Perhaps.

Iran’s regime is not going to fall because they sell less oil. You can cut their oil sales by 75% and the regime’s iron grip will not loosen. Friedman is just being, well, his normal goofy self I guess.

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