The Hypocrite Era

I find myself more and more frustrated with the hypocrisy that seems to be trending in our every day life.
The oil sands for me is a perfect example. In the U.S. there is a movement going to block the keystone pipeline. Whether it's our dirty oil, the aquifer they claim may be damaged is not the issue I have. Whatever their personal reasons are they are entitled to. When you get to the organizations behind it, they attack governments and BIG OIL. Now lets take a minute to look at the reality of the situation, the U.S. and Canada burn millions of barrels of crude oil every day. We have these very so called "scientists" jet setting around the world consuming these very fuels at a significantly higher rate than any ordinary person. They make millions upon millions of dollars with their advocacy, convincing their followers that these energy companies are bad and governments corrupt. Many of them don't practice science anymore, it is more profitable to give talks and rake the cash in from their hypocrisy.Tell me please, if these "scientists" are so smart, why haven't they come up with practicable, affordable, sustainable ways to stop this? Simple, because at the point we are at, there isn't one.
Seems way easier to me to sit back and criticize than it is to actually do something. Hell I would be a professional scientist if that's all that's required. Lets look at the BIG BAD OIL companies ruining our environment and profiteering. Who really owns them? Simple, we all do. Many of our RRSP, pension funds, governments, not to mention the millions of us with stocks. When we talk BIG OIL we need not look much further than our own back yard. In Alberta in particular I watch certain people that blog or tweet about the oil and gas sector , our biggest revenue generator. Touting we should shut down the oil sands, at the same time demanding we stop cuts in education, health care, arts etc... Where the hell do you think the funding for most of these needs come from. Spin away though.
The other side of the equation for those who seem to think they aren't benefiting, which goes much further than the provincial borders, is supply and demand. Why is the sector thriving, and the oil sands continuing? Well think about it. It isn't government, it's the people, the citizens that demand this product. We drive, fly, heat our homes, run our factories, use in in everyday life every where. The very people criticizing the industry and product also use it every single day. I haven't seen any of the people I know running their homes and vehicles without the use of the fuels. I do however have many friends that are hypocrites complaining about the oil sands and energy. I though am not afraid to call them out on their bullshit, and most of them in the end are humbled and realize the stupidity of their thoughts. We want the oil and gas, not want I guess DEMAND is a better word. We want to gas up our cars, turn up the thermostat in the winter, turn the lights on.
The time has come where scientists, government, and people take ownership for the very things they criticize. The big bad oil companies we all love to hate are owned and paid for by one and the same. YOU!!!

The Winds of Change

Well isn't Alberta Politics getting exciting. I thought maybe I would take a few minutes to weigh in with my arrogance using more than 140 characters.

The Alberta Liberal Party just finished their leadership race electing Dr. Raj Sherman, a former PC member, to save their flailing party. Running on the campaign that their Dr's will fix Alberta health care. Well Raj (and all of my loyal liberal readers) lets see what the facts are here. In 2008 the party elected Dr. David Swann to lead the party, vowing he could change the health care woes. At the time of the election the ALP went from 16 down to 9 seats under Taft so the good Dr. Swann did have his work cut out, although maintaining official opposition status. As of FYE 2010 the party had a net asset value of $4434.43 http://efpublic.elections.ab.ca/efFinancialStatement.cfm?ACID=7344

In short the Liberal party's only changes are which Dr. is running the party, lost Dave Taylor and gained Raj Sherman, and I would imagine by the FYE 2011 a much bigger debt load after a leadership race. Is there any fallout from a caucus changing the constitution to allow floor crossing to accommodate this ex-conservative member? Although I can see their logic that a couple of Dr's could fix health care, reality will set in. It's kinda like saying that the gas attendant at a Suncor station could run Suncor Energy, I don't think so. This remains one topic party that will lose more support if they don't get up to speed on the rest of the issues.

We also have a PC leadership race. What is interesting here is how they are all going to change the way the Alberta government is run. For weeks I have watched them all distance themselves from the PC government that just celebrated it's 40 year dynasty.Yes a change right now would be welcome. The problem is that these new potential leaders have been the PC govt. Like it or not they were the problems that they are going to fix, if it was that easy why wasn't it done when you were backing Ed?

The dark horse here will be the NDP party. Will the Jack Layton love in trickle into our provincial politics? Will the announcement of Ray Martin running again gain support from the left?

The emergence of another "Progressive" party, the Alberta Party has also came into play. I don't see them gaining enough support by the next election to be a factor. It will be interesting though to see what a third party on the left will do for the vote splitting. Yes I know AB Party members, your not left your center. Well all the party's claim that.

The Wildrose under Danielle Smith is still the competent in my opinion, and the only change I can see.