JPF Home Page Forums General Messages Brian Austin Whitney Blog Wednesday, June 11th, 2008

Interesting story on msn: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25010939/

Kevin

Respectfully Brian, I read all viewpoints to be just plain points of concern. Opinions, as asked.

Not agreeing with anyone doesn't necessarily mean it's a negative viewpoint. Just something that person is thinking about, to throw out there as a concern, to maybe work out the details.

Pros and cons aren't always positive and negatives. By bringing up other viewpoints, they can sometimes lead to better results in the longrun,,,,or not.

The key is getting all viewpoints, then having an open mind to be in the center, to then think of all the points as valid opinions. But that goes against politics, as sides do seem to be taken, and that;s that. I thought JPF displayed a great debate by voicing many viewpoints and concerns.

To not agree doesn't have to mean it's negative. Ideally, yes, it would be great if all our ideas and wishes were taken with a 51% or greater reaction. 100% is what we often hope for, but never really get. Maybe the others thought things through in different ways, thinking about all kinds of factors, which could add up to not wanting to do a certain thing.

Many minds thinking of many things, and at different times. It's good to get all points of view, I think.

Even world peace has a hard time taking hold!

But I know it can be frustrating when you have a vision, and others just don't see the same thing. WE all experience that, as we are at the center of our own world most times, hearing our own thoughts mostly, and having them BE the right ones. To go against that would seem as if negative. But I don't think that's the case. It's just their centered thoughts talking too.

No wonder songwriters get frustrated! "Everybody should hear my songs"!

Keep at the plan of course, and also, how to present any plan to be in the interest of all the ones actually controlling the monies. If it all benefits the people, they might not have that as being on the top of their "to do" list.

John

Brian wrote
This is what I am talking about. Someone, somewhere has to stand up and say "this vaccination is going to hurt, but it's going to save our lives and our planet and the American way of life in the USA." The politicians on all sides are wimps and puppets of major corporations and none have any backbone at all. They get us into this "dems versus reps" fight where we get petty and whine about pointless BS, all while the same puppeteers own both parties and while we're not watching, rape and pillage us.

I am sick of it. I hate the 2 party system. It's become so corrupt and evil/rotten at it's core that the decay is oozing out of all sides. I am sick of otherwise rational people taking up sides like it's a football game instead of our lives. I am sick of being lied to by both sides. I am sick of the media playing the game and making it all worse for ratings. This "gotcha" politics has diverted our attention to the real world.

Amen Brian, I am mad as hell too. My industry is currently crumbling and if the article is correct, it will just keep getting worse (and I believe it will). This article is brilliant, thanks Richard Murray for posting it.

http://www.unknowncountry.com/journal/?id=320

I think we are in for a long very rough spell, and I admire you trying to think of a solution. I agree with you that trying SOMETHING, even if it's painful for a while, is better than dying the slow agonizing death that we might die, by doing nothing.

hell I been saying this for 40 years and was told to shut up and quit whinin'

O.K., y'all have just gotten this moving right along. I think the biggest problem is trying to be o.k. and allowing gas to be $10 a gallon. That's something that is hard to swallow. Now, IF I were to get a tax incentive to purchase gas only from companies producing in the US then I would do that. IF I were to also be able to stop gov't officials form going on trips to where ever on my dime, yup! I'd do it then too. The problem is I don't want to pay to have to fix a problem our government made. I didn't vote to purchase oil form overseas, I didn't vote to send billions a year to another country. I want to have say in what's done, not just be told I will do this b/c it will fix something that should have never gotten out of hand to begin with.
Sorry, I have anger problems with all of my tax dollars being spent on things that aren't necessary or reasonable then being told I should save, save, save!!!! I don't want to take it with me, I want to use it all up! before I go. LOL
We do alternative fuel, a real solution not our food source. Not that corn is really good for anything but holding up butter so I can get the butter in my mouth, but, it's canned, so I can eat it!!!

Sorry, off track. If there was a way to have this plan or any feasable plan not kill the poor and working class I'd be right in there with who ever wanted to get the movement going.

I believe in the two party system - my life experiences suggest that the best answer is often arrived at when two groups with largely different ideas are forced to compromise.

The problem as I see it is not with the two parties. It's with the politicians that populate them

To get elected nowadays, you either have to be rich, connected or make so many promises to people that you are compromised before you even get in office. As a result, there often isn't much of a difference in idealogical outlook between the two parties.

Here's a wild idea - we draft people for jury duty, where they sometimes have to decide on life and death matters. We used to draft young folks to fight in a war and possibly die. Why not draft people for political office? Maybe not President but House and Senate? I'm only halfway kidding - I'm not sure a random group of citizens would do any worse.

Scott

Caroline,

Like it or not, the government IS you and me. We ARE responsible for everything it does. If we don't like it, we have to take action rather than bitch about it which does nothing but acts as a consent on our parts for not stopping it.

Again, I repeat: The government IS us. It's ALL of us and we're all EQUALLY responsible, like it or not. Everything they do, they do in our names. It may suck.. you may hate those in office.. but it's still the truth.

It will take a group, probably even a small group, to be very PASSIONATE about an idea to push it forward. Small groups of people acting that way are the only ones who have ever changed anything in the world. I put this idea out to challenge all of you to think about this. Is my idea perfect? Nope. None will be. For every single decision that is made, someone will benefit and someone else will lose. That's the nature of the world. So there will ALWAYS be SOMEONE against everything. There will always be a downside to even the best plan ever. Without us taking on some serious pain and restraint, this will continue to spiral. As I have stated before, the result of the spiral will be another world war. This time with 8-10 countries with nuclear weapons to rattle. Right now we're essentially fighting Iran directly through their surrogates and in some ways you can throw Russia and China into that fold. They supply weapons and support to terrorists all around the world.. and the ones they DON'T supply.. guess who does? The good old USA and our closest allies.

The solution is to turn within ourselves and solve the problem completely using USA technology, workers, funding and sweat equity. Then we sell that tech and process to the world and put that money back into our own infrastructure. Once off oil, the savings across the board will allow other types of transportation to be improved. Electric commuter trains etc. It will also lower the price of the gas we DO need so that Airlines will be able to stay solvent and lower ticket prices.

It's about time the USA takes ownership of our future and does something significant to regain our status and standing in the world as the leaders who do the right thing. It's been a while since it has felt that way.

Brian

Lets think about that for a minute.
Do you vote? Have you voted in your local and state elections? Federal Elections?

Unless you have never voted you HAVE voted for those things. It is the lifers we keep voting on that NEVER get voted out that have done these things.
As a people we should be demanding term limits.

Brian
Every thing you say is right on. I cannot argue a single point.

But
We are a Nation of Sheep. We are content to sit back and watch as our nation crumbles around us.
Oh! We will whine about it. We will come on Message board forums and express our disapproval. We will go on chats and whine.
But when it comes down to getting off the easy chair and sacrificing a little of our leisure time to do anything about it.
Not a Chance.
But...Then you get people like Snake (Sam Wilson) who will get off his easy chair (Well, not exactly, he was homeless, Off the curb) But.....He actually did something
What happened.....He came on here and told us what he did, he got arrested, and what was the reaction? Most of us gave him Chit for breaking the law....Not doing what the cop told him to do...
But by Gosh he was out there trying...Good for him

That is what changes things. Not sitting in front of the computer and whining about it.

In Korea, I think it was Korea, they recently had 10,000 (probably more) people marching and demonstrating protesting the import of American Beef into their Country. Beef for cryin' out Loud. You think that would happen here? Yeah...right...
They are exporting our Jobs and importing goods from all over the world made by those lost jobs and we don't do a damn thing about it but sit and whine.
We have an Army of Illegal Mexicans coming across our border every day sucking the life out of this country and we don't do a damn thing about it.
Every person that has lost a job to outsourcing or to illegal immigration should be camped out on Pennsylvania Ave. With a sign of protest or Standing on the Border with a gun in their hand defending this Country but where are they?
Doing exactly what I am doing. Sitting at the computer whining or in their easy chair watching Lou Dobbs tell them how much our Country is screwed up.

The American people are fat, lazy, and comfortable. They are going through what they think is a little bump in the road and the attitude is....It won't last, it can't, the Government will fix it....
Well I got news for you all. It is gonna get a lot worse before it gets better.

I just hope I can get my house sold before it does.

Brian if you want to organize a march on Washington Just name the day...I'll be there....
You want to organize a Protest on the Mexican Border just name the day I'll be there...I'll even bring a shotgun....
You want to circulate a petition to limit Senate and Congressional terms send it I'll sign it.
You want to start a program in this country that says YOU DON"T WORK YOU DON"T EAT I'll vote for it.

I am willing to get off my ass, out of my easy chair, and stand right there beside you in front of the White House.....But you know what...we will probably be there alone.

Well
Sam Might be there. If we give him a ride, LOL

PS
Back in the sixties people were not so soft and comfortable. Life wasn't quite as easy. They actually did do something...Places like Kent State come to mind. the Convention in Chicago too. I was there I saw it.


OOPs I forgot protesting Gas prices.
And you want Americans to pay $10.00 for a gallon of gas?
Dream a little dream for me.

Did I mention I'm a little cynical

Since no one has responded to this yet I want to add this
When I was a Kid In Chicago the buses were Electric. There were lines that ran overhead on the street and a pole came up from the back of the bus and ran along the line. We kids would sneak up behind the bus when it stopped and pull the pole loose rendering the bus without power. Then when the bus driver would come out to reconnect it we'd pelt him with snowballs. HA...Great fun.

The Elevated train system in Chicago is still Electric.
The third rail is a killer. I picked up more than a few vagrants that got Killed on it.

All in favor of Brian fixing the music business first say "Aye!"

There is a problem with the music business?

I just read in the paper the Government had fixed it.

I agree with Brian that the government IS us...Unfortunately I also agree with the old addage "The masses are asses", and the asses {AKA the majority} will continue to feed the monster. It's a vicious circle.

Sheesh Bob
You sound so cynical.
Hey I gave you a bump om ourstage
Hope it helped.
Your song was better so I wasn't cheatin'

Brian, I tend to agree with most of what you have proposed. I just need to think about the practicalities.

A phrase popped into my head the other day. Maybe I'll use it in a song, but it certainly has stuck with me: "If I have the ability to cause change, I have the responsibility to cause change."

On a side note, I do have to take exception to your point that we all are responsible for what our government does. Like the majority of voting Americans, I have never cast a vote for Bush ;-)

I propose that June 19th be designated as Fuel Conservation Day. We will all demonstrate to those who think they have us over a barrel that we can conserve fuel and thereby drive prices down by reducing demand.

We will not buy gasoline that day. We will use public transportation, bicycle, walk, rollerblade, telecommute, take a vacation day or otherwise do our part to conserve fuel. Many of us will learn from our efforts that we can continue to conserve fuel on an ongoing basis.

Please Join In and Spread the Word!

Colin Ward

Colin,

The problem with your idea is that it will prove the opposite. It will prove that the oil companies DO have us over a barrel when most people proceed as they always do.

Kevin,

I've never voted for a Bush either (for that matter, I've also never voted for a Democrat for President) but we're still responsible. All the offices down to local government make up the entire mess. You can't vote for the loser and then claim you're not part of it. You also can't skip voting and make the same claim. That's like saying "I am not the one who attacked the woman in the street" to excuse you allowing her to lie there and die without help. Sadly, that's what the "masses" to do make themselves feel better. I am not singleing you out by the way, as I have always said "We're All In This Together."

Brian

Hey Brian

is it possible to email a link to this thread to some brilliant people like Warren Buffet or Mayor Bloomberg? There are probably 1000 others...and ask for their opinion. It's free and no big deal to join JPF, maybe one or two of them would come here and join the discussion ! ! ! Maybe everyone here could email the link to THEIR civic leaders and see if any of them would participate ! ! If this seems like a good idea, I volunteer to try and get it to Mayor Daley and some others. It IS an election year, and this IS a good way to address voters ! ! ANGRY voters at that this year.

You're welcome to give it a shot Herbie. It would be interesting to see what some of them said. I would expect a very political sensitive response which nicely says it wouldn't work. But maybe we're wrong.

Brian

If the price increased that much in such a short order, then the independent truckers across America who are responsible for transporting much of the goods we consume will be immediately out of business, so there had better be a plan in place to either subsidize the transport of goods, or indeed expect riots in the streets.

Jack,

I actually thought about that and I think my plan is to exempt commercial vehicles for the first 5 years. = )

Brian

I don't think its crazy, I think its a great simple idea. We need to spread your plan all over the land. For my part I am doing the best I can to reach an oil free life as soon as I can. Everybody should do the same, its so easy. WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? A free solar panel? Give me a break... I am sick and tired of this oil addiction, and the Middle East and Chavez and the Exxon Valdezes that will bring more misery to this world. Enough.
I have to vomit, excuse me.
Jose Maria

Here's a guy doing something about it...

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/tech/2008/07/13/frampton.ca.solar.taxi.cab.kxtv

Then notice in the video list at CNN there is a story about Dave Matthews Band and what they're doing out on tour to help with environmental stuff too.

Good stuff.

Yeah.. if one man can do it, any one can do it. = )