[Pops]

I haven't read it all but looks interesting...

A strong majority of Americans say it is likely that oil prices will triple in the coming five years and that such a tripling would be harmful both to the economy and to public health. Conservatives and those dismissive of climate change are among the most concerned by the threat of a major spike in oil prices, suggesting that a broad cross section of Americans may be ready to engage in dialogue about ways to manage the risks associated with peak petroleum.

http://bigthink.com/ideas/39577

[Pops]

Pretty interesting how the wingers on both ends worry about PO, that's Ruby Ridge vs Earth First, right?



The study says the wingers are much more attentive to policy and current events. Probably the just regular righties figure it's another plot by Al Gore or the devil in a lab coat conspiracy.


but you can see where the hearts are here :



It is pretty interesting how half the casual lefties don't figure it's anything to get heated up about.

[Outcast_Searcher]

Pretty interesting how the wingers on both ends worry about PO, that's Ruby Ridge vs Earth First, right?



The study says the wingers are much more attentive to policy and current events. Probably the just regular righties figure it's another plot by Al Gore or the devil in a lab coat conspiracy.


but you can see where the hearts are here :



It is pretty interesting how half the casual lefties don't figure it's anything to get heated up about.

Thanks pops for a VERY interesting post, IMO.

This is kind of bizarre to me. If the right is concerned because of their beliefs in market forces/consequences (compared to the left in general) - OK, that makes sense to me.

BUT, if they're alarmed, then why fight tooth and nail for, say, the right of every American to drive a giant gas-guzzling SUV or pickup, when the consequences are so obvious over time?

It's like -- "how DARE you slow down our right to completely destroy ourselves as rapidly as possible!"

OTOH, I have to wonder if the left is largely unconcerned, because their ideology instills in them a belief that (all evidence to the contrary, IMO), in the end, when it counts, the government will "do something wonderful and save us".

Echhhhhhhh. Loony toons across the board, IMO.

[Pops]

Pretty interesting how the wingers on both ends worry about PO, that's Ruby Ridge vs Earth First, right?

It dawns on me that this graph explains the extremist views of the majority still posting on PO.com.

[careinke]

Pretty interesting how the wingers on both ends worry about PO, that's Ruby Ridge vs Earth First, right?

It dawns on me that this graph explains the extremist views of the majority still posting on PO.com.

+1 I think you have hit on something there. I love those charts you found! Thanks.

[Pops]

In my case I fit into both the radical right and left classification - depending on the day of the week.

[careinke]

In my case I fit into both the radical right and left classification - depending on the day of the week.

I hear ya.

[highlander]

In my case I fit into both the radical right and left classification - depending on the day of the week.

that is becaust the political spectrum is typically displayed on a line. A circle would be more appropriate. hard as it is for the "wingers" to admit, they are closer to each other in a lot of ways than they are to the moderates and the center.

[careinke]

In my case I fit into both the radical right and left classification - depending on the day of the week.

that is becaust the political spectrum is typically displayed on a line. A circle would be more appropriate. hard as it is for the "wingers" to admit, they are closer to each other in a lot of ways than they are to the moderates and the center.

Maybe you are leaning Libertarian? I am except I am also Nationalistic. Here is the Worlds Smallest Political Quiz to find out:

http://www.theadvocates.org/quiz

[Pops]

Maybe you are leaning Libertarian? I am except I am also Nationalistic. Here is the Worlds Smallest Political Quiz to find out:

http://www.theadvocates.org/quiz

Left Libertarian, which I think is about right.

I played around with the answers,
I'd be full blooded Libertarian except I think there should be mandatory service for everyone - a draft.
I really have no opinion on a national ID card in the age of facial recognition but that answer makes me either exactly centrist or hard left lib.

[AgentR11]

BUT, if they're alarmed, then why fight tooth and nail for, say, the right of every American to drive a giant gas-guzzling SUV or pickup, when the consequences are so obvious over time?

This is actually an easy question to answer; you don't see the answer because you don't understand the world view of the conservative. Conservatives do *not* hate electric cars, hybrids, nor bicycles; they hate the idea of government making the choice. I ride a bicycle and drive a small truck, I am also extremely conservative. Unlike many who ride bikes for non-sporting purposes, I think it is most certainly the right of any and every American to buy and operate a Hummer, IF THEY WANT TO. It is, of course, their responsibility to operate the vehicle on public right of ways in a safe manner, but that's not a difficult challenge, and certainly they should be responsible for paying for their own vehicle and its fuel, but other than that, no objection.

A lefty looks at that, and thinks that's nuts, expressing the shared costs of Bob owning a Hummer, increased cost of defending overseas oil, to elevated insured damages from low skilled operators, to slight increase in roadway wear and tear.

A conservative's response to these objections would simply be, that if you want cost of gasoline at the pump to reflect the cost of its overseas defense; reduce income taxes, and then increase gasoline taxes to cover the outlays of the defense department. Tada, honest pricing. Insurance already allocates costs as the company perceives its risks; and roadway wear and tear for a Hummer is miniscule compared to the serious loads on the road from heavy trucking.

Basically, a conservative believes that the individual, observing the market, is best able to decide what type of vehicle they wish to utilize. If there are bad choices being made, it is because the market is distorted by government (ie, defense funded by income tax), not because the government needs to distort it more.