--- On Wed, 7/2/08, Doug Henwood <dhenwood at panix.com> wrote:
> <http://pewresearch.org/pubs/884/gas-prices>
>
> Gas Prices Pump Up Support for Drilling
> Support for Conservation and Environmental Protection
> Declines, More
> Favor Drilling in ANWR
>
> July 1, 2008
>
> Amid record gas prices, public support for greater energy
> exploration
> is spiking. Compared with just a few months ago, many more
> Americans
> are giving higher priority to more energy exploration,
> rather than
> more conservation. An increasing proportion also says that
> developing
> new sources of energy -- rather than protecting the
> environment -- is
> the more important national priority.
[WS:] This is not at surprising. Nations and societies would rather die than make a lifestyle change signifying their loss of status (individuals are somewhat more likely to make that change.) Anyone who doubts that should read Jared Diamnond's book "Collapse."
The only way to make that change happen at a national level is to have a leadership willing and capable of implementing it or rather ramming it down people's throats. This is how all social changes happened in this country. However, such leadership is unlikely to emerge in Amerika in our lifetime, let alone during this presidential election.
PS. I share your view that Obama - if elected, which is likely - will be a big disappointment to liberals and pwogies - but not because of a "flaw" in his character ("flip-flopping" and the like), but because this country is fascist to its core and the majority of the population (anywhere between a half and two thirds in my opinion) like it that way.
Wojtek