It seems every time I turn around, someone is telling me what to do. I’m supposed to use some sort of “clear” detergent for my clothes; a particular type of soap for my dishes; PETA tries to tell me what to wear and what not to eat; Michelle Obama is telling what to eat and how much I should exercise; the government is telling me what kind of light bulbs I have to use; local governments are telling me what I should use to carry my groceries; the fed is requiring me to buy health insurance; if I was an employer, they’d tell me what health insurance I have to provide to my employees regardless of my conscience; and, there’s, of course, Mr. President telling me what I should drive. Well, when I become a Tibetan monk and practice self-immolation, maybe then I’ll buy a Chevy Volt. Until then, I’ll stick with my gas-guzzler.
Well, being the obstinate Brooklyn gal I am, I’ll go kicking and screaming before I adhere to any of this nonsense. Yes, I eat well and exercise daily but not because Mrs. Obama is telling me to. I don’t wear a fur coat because it doesn’t get that cold here but I do have two fur scarves that I love. I do use reusable bags for my groceries not because my local government is in the midst of banning plastic bags but because I liked the idea of getting $.05 off my bill for using them. I use “clear” detergents not because they’re good for the environment because I’ve got a nose like a bloodhound and I’m very particular about how my clothes smell after washing them. I carry health insurance not because the government is trying to force me to buy it, but because it’s a smart thing to do. Well, light bulbs… we’re not going to have much choice about those pretty soon. But I’m not going to like it even though they will save me money.
All this came to mind while I was watching Bill O’Reilly interview the Director of Public Citizens’ Energy Program, Tyson Slocum. Of course he’s got his little talking points about how the government should spend billions of more dollars on “green” technology and alternative energy sources.
Mr. Slocum begins the interview with the bold statement, “We have to start with the notion that we will never have cheap gas again” and then proceeded from there based on his false premise.
Mr. Slocum, if we accept your notion that we’ll never have cheap gas again, it’s because our President won’t allow drilling, he refused to permit the Keystone pipeline from Canada and the EPA has a stranglehold on the construction of new refineries, just to name a few.
No matter how O’Reilly tried to question him on why the government rather than private companies should be involved with all this, Mr. Slocum was unable to point to one successful government venture into alternative energy. He didn’t have an argument when faced with the fact that wind farms here in the Pacific Northwest – built with government subsidies and maintained with tax credits – are now getting paid to shut down because of an oversupply of renewable power. How does that make any sense?
I’ve written on more than one occasion about the Fisker Karma $100,000 automobile which isn’t quite on the scale of the Solyndra debacle but it still involves a whole lot of taxpayer money. Well, the 4-wheeled fiasco broke down after Consumer Reports bought the car but before it could even do its testing and reviewing.
I don’t like anyone telling me what to do and I sure as hell don’t like the government doing it. Stay the hell out of my garage, my shopping cart, my kitchen and my closet!
I don’t get it, but if you do, God bless you.
