No, seriously, in an op-ed piece discussing why Putin doesn’t respect us (BTW, it’s not really the US Putin doesn’t respect, it’s Obama and the pusillanimous, yap yap but no action folks who work for him)
(NY Times) I don’t want to go to war with Putin, but it is time we expose his real weakness and our real strength. That, though, requires a long-term strategy — not just fulminating on “Meet the Press.†It requires going after the twin pillars of his regime: oil and gas. Just as the oil glut of the 1980s, partly engineered by the Saudis, brought down global oil prices to a level that helped collapse Soviet Communism, we could do the same today to Putinism by putting the right long-term policies in place. That is by investing in the facilities to liquefy and export our natural gas bounty (provided it is extracted at the highest environmental standards) and making Europe, which gets 30 percent of its gas from Russia, more dependent on us instead. I’d also raise our gasoline tax, put in place a carbon tax and a national renewable energy portfolio standard — all of which would also help lower the global oil price (and make us stronger, with cleaner air, less oil dependence and more innovation).
Not sure if
or
maybe
More: Bruce McQuain has more on the subject of taxing Americans to punish Putin.
LOL!! Picard just has his aneurism explode. LOL
Well, Friedman is half right.
If Obama would open up our federal oil and gas lease areas, that would allow for an increase in petroleum products on the market.
If I were prez, I’d also lease out some new refineries on federal lands. I’d build a few on military bases so that the military could get direct and cheaper fuels. And that would be excellent training for new recruits.
But then, saving money for the poor is not what our Socialists are about. Helping the Americans afford their utilities and get to work, small business to expand and produce their products, and a growing petro-chemical industry is an anathema to these current Socialists and this administration.
But, executing a tax on US fuels and a tax on US Carbon (a tax on US humans), will do nothing outside of the US. Even a 5th Grader knows that.
So the answer to Putin is to raise our taxes and destroy the economy. That will show him.
Sometimes I find myself wishing we had leaders like Putin and not the metrosexuals that we currently must chose from.
While I sort of agree with the sentiment (re: strong leader), I think I would be more worried with a strong Communist pro-Gov’t, anti-freedom ruler like Putin. While Obama and his ilk were able to get alot accomplished, he was squishy on alot of other things. Putin on the other hand wouldn’t care about procedures, Congress, or laws to implement what he wants.
Ok.. I’m not seeing a difference here between Putin and Obama after all besides the cajones.
Our situation in Iraq and Afghanistan would be stronger. Our treatment of the war detainees wouldn’t be an issue. The Russian leader would know the consequences of invading Ukraine. And our Putin\Obama wouldn’t let the UN push their agenda on America. Granted, our Putin\Obama would have an agenda just as bad. It would just be internalized.
Beat me too it.
And, I’m not taking Putin’s side here, but it seems that Putin is doing what he’s doing for his country along with himself. Obama does what he does strictly for Obama.
Isn’t it a sad state for our country. Possibly a fore-telling of our near future, when we can’t tell the difference between our leader and the leader of one of cold-war enemies? An enemy that has had such brutal history of its own people. An enemy that has taken Socialism\Communism to deadly lows?
And so far, the only difference we can find between these two leaders is the size of their cajones??
Right now, I think the Chinese emporer is looking pretty good. At least he is REALLY putting shovels to the ground. How many people has he employed for years and years building up the infrastructure in order to cage his people? He at least is preparing for expansion and future living (cough). Instead of directly paying his cronies, he at least gets the money to the workers (and lets the jobs themselves handle the corruption and bribes). And look how fast corporatism and small amount of capitalism has spread there under his opening of the borders (well, at least for the well-off).
Ok, enough of that or else we’ll get the J’s orgasming.
I’d still choose Obama over the others as we still have the chance every few years of kicking him, and anyone else, out of office. And he may be squishy, but at least that means it has slowed the expansion of Socialism’s grip. Look at his pull-back on ObamaCare. Putin would have said screw-it and do it, leaving the Republicans to pulling up their pants.
Friedman-“Raise the gasoline tax and put in place a carbon tax..all of which would help the lowering of global oil prices.” Am I missing something about liberal math? He wants to raise one tax and start another tax on oil and this is going to lower the price…how? Even if it somehow lowered (?) the price of gasoline, after you add the 2 taxes it…raises the price of gasoline.
That’s liberal logic for ya. But then it has an ulterior motive. When taxes are raised on something, people “should” use it less. Thus, fewer people buying it either because they can’t, won’t, or refuse to, then there is more of it around. Thus, more supply, less buying, price goes down.
See, it’s not benevolence, its control. It’s a hatred of the common person.
I notice that there have been comparisons to Putin and Obama. Putin is an ex-communist, Obama is a practicing communist. Then, do you really think we are going to get rid of the communist after Obama is out? DREAM.
Putin and ex-communist??? seriously? His position is ex-KGB.. but he will always be KGB and definitely always a communist.
What do you suppose he’s left communism for?
RE: Taxing Americans to stand up to Putin
LOL> If all you have in a hammer, every problem looks like a nail.
If all you have is a hammer and sickle, every problem is either made to disappear or decapitated.
Everyone pray for Louis Lerner’s safety……
just sayin’