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Edited by Mrph1 on Nov 30th 2023 at 11:03:59 AM
The plan to drill in national parks sounds like something out of Captain Planet.
I don't get the attachment to fossil fuels beyond pandering to Big Oil and the people who want the coal jobs back, because it feels like it's somehow stronger than that. I suspect inertia more than anything.
Also I think we should invest more in nuclear power.
"I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work." -Thomas Edison
Current Nuclear reactors are rather inefficient, owing to their very dated designs. Reprocessing is basically recycling material that is still fissionable, reducing overall waste; though this is not economically viable in many circumstances. The biggest problem with nuclear reactors is that research and development has been cut off at the knees by both fossil fuel concerns and environmentalists-the technology has simply never been given the effort to reach the same level of refinement and consistency as other sources, and no one is cutting subsidies for nuclear power to improve efficiency. Over the same time span since the 70's, look at the vast improvements made to coal mining, primarily a result of the push behind lobbies, wrapping right out to putting those same constituents out of work through advances made.
edited 4th Feb '17 5:27:25 PM by ViperMagnum357
~Link To The Future: May want to post that question about nuclear reprocessing here
as it's a bit complex to answer.
That's the issue. I count myself as an environmentalist and yet the movement often tries to stop the power source that can provide the biggest challenge to fossil fuels after like three incidents, only one of which has actually demonstrably killed people through radiation from the incident itself (though the full effects of the Fukushima incident are still unknown, no one has died as a direct result of the meltdowns-the casualties were caused by the tsunami)
Alright.
edited 4th Feb '17 4:17:02 PM by LinkToTheFuture
"I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work." -Thomas EdisonAnd John Kelly gets some thumbs up as well.
You know what? I don't think it's fair to lump the Administration with Trump anymore (except for DeVos and Sessions), because they seem competent. From now on, unless it's from a Trump Appointee that isn't a part of his Inner Circle, I'm not going to yell at the whole administration anymore.
It is, but at least most of the Department heads aren't kissing Trumps' behind.
edited 4th Feb '17 4:40:44 PM by DingoWalley1
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I would hold off on the champagne-this administration is still forcing through those pipelines, [1]
and is deploying Bureau of Indian Affairs agents to remove the protesters by force.
edited 4th Feb '17 4:43:27 PM by ViperMagnum357
Part of the problem with Fukushima is that it's still leaking, it's simply to hot to close up the breach. I don't have a very good idea of what the long term effects will be - chances are they aren't great. But I think more research into nuclear power is absolutely vital. Of course, everyone wants cheap, plentiful energy, but very few people (I'm still baffled by the push from coal workers to support Trump) want to deal with the consequences. Because there's always a downside. I'm delving into sort of a personal rant here though, so I'll stop.
Relatedly - as I understand it, the Dakota Access Pipeline was originally supposed to run near a city, they moved the project because there were citizens opposed to it. But having a clean environment doesn't matter when it's only indigenous people affected, right? Of course, in the long term, environmental degradation affects everyone but a lot of people are too short sighted to realize that, apparently.
edited 4th Feb '17 6:30:10 PM by Pseudopartition
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Don't forget Trump's lousy relationship with the civil service. They're the difference between transforming the country with a snap of one's fingers and...
- CS: "Sure, we can get those black sights opened up and the pipeline done too."
- Trumpist: "Great. I'll tell the President. Maybe he'll cut me in."
- CS: "Now just have the President sign forms 683A through 4564 D He needs to sign them all personally of course. That's what the law says. Then we'll get started on the 486 studies required by law and the recommendations from the experts, that are required by the Supreme Court—we can't act arbitrarily you know—and if we hurry, we can get it all done by 2037. Have a good day!"
edited 4th Feb '17 7:12:21 PM by CenturyEye
Look with century eyes... With our backs to the arch And the wreck of our kind We will stare straight ahead For the rest of our livesI mean, North Carolina actually isn't officially classified as a democracy anymore.
So, yeah, there is a threat to the American democracy.
edited 4th Feb '17 7:43:23 PM by Gilphon
Not to mention the entire nation got officially demoted to "Flawed Democracy" after Trump's win. And if the resistance isn't both fierce and tireless, we're going to keep on sliding down that chart.
I mean, look at Trump's first week and change in office. A practically nonstop assault on our (supposed) values of transparency, democracy, and equality that shocked even the doomsayers. Our democracy is not a given, and taking it for granted ensures its downfall—every generation must fight to keep it.
"We'll take the next chance, and the next, until we win, or the chances are spent."There is no political system that is infallible or immune to demagogy and authoritarianism. America is no exception, and should not be presumed to be one. It has enjoyed a higher degree of political stability compared to other countries, yes, but it's pretty clear now that this stability was hardly indefinite.
Consider that democracy is only enforced when people themselves do everything in their power to enforce it. If your politicians (the Republicans, in particular) do not oppose Trump and Bannon's excesses, you shouldn't assume some nebulous spirit of democracy is going to prevent your country from not being one anymore.
There might not even be a doomsday scenario where Trump rules like a dictator - but instead, a sleazy illiberal democracy where the public lacks the power to prevent Republicans from winning future elections, thanks to gerrymandering, political apathy, state-sponsored propaganda, etc.
edited 4th Feb '17 8:01:23 PM by Draghinazzo
This is the man who won the Electoral College. I REPEAT, THIS is the MAN who won the ELECTORAL FREAKIN' COLLEGE!
Also, I'm pretty sure he just openly spat on American Exceptionalism.
Here is the same "Flawed Democracy" downgrade from Business Insider
, the Economist
, and CNBC
if that balances out.
Also, Trump's no "Great Man" if there ever are any. He, alone, isn't going to be what ends democracy. His election was the culmination of multiple degenerative trends festering in the background. Unnoticed or underestimated trends, given how many expected him to be crushed in a landslide.

Yeah, I agree, to me everything in that chart (except the ones in the center) should probably move one block to the right (meaning all the "leans-left" stuff should be "center", the "leans-right" should be "hyper-partisan right", etc). Do note the chart has 2 axis, Vox is definitely far lower on the quality axis than they deserve (and Breitbart far higher, they should be right at the bottom with Info Wars)
1 2 We are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful about what we pretend to be. -KV