The Ratio

The NY Times Op-Ed page gets worser and worser, just as they are threatening to begin charging for the privilege of gagging and fulminating with your cornflakes. So John Tierney is discussing the new vogue for Nuclear Power

The rationale is the new environmental crisis, global warming, which may turn out to be more real than the 1950's crisis of vanishing fossil fuels. But even if environmentalists and politicians are right this time about the problem, there's little reason to trust them to figure out which form of energy will be the solution.

Its hard to know where to begin. Did fossil fuels stop vanishing? Do we trust the energy companies? You really need to read the whole thing to get the full flavor - its the Fox News model fully ensconced at the Times.

Michael Klare dances around the issue of "peak oil" while focusing instead on the political and military implications of the disputed amount of remaining energy.

Predictions that global oil output will peak between now and 2025, far short of the DoE's projections, are highly controversial. This is not the place to consider clashing assessments in detail.

Understandably he wishes to contrain the focus of his piece but the facts that follow all support the gloomiest of predictions.

Or Progressives/Liberals? The Center for American Progress responds to the military staffing problem by advocating increasing military buildup

In this chapter of the Progressive Priorities Series, the Center for American Progress proposes several steps the administration and Congress should take to correct the current situation. First, they must add at least 86,000 soldiers to the Army. These additional soldiers will allow the army to add two peacekeeping and stabilization divisions to the force, double the size of the Special Forces, and add more military police, civil affairs personnel, and engineers to the active component.

Granted the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th points are somewhat better thought out, but look at whats in the primary position.

A somewhat more sensible response to our military predicament is really too obvious to deserve mention. As Juan Cole puts it:

Given the perfect mess they have made of Iraq (and Afghanistan has its problems, too), I'd say it is better for everyone that Bush not have an army to dispose of. And maybe his successor will be less of a warmongerer.

Those who bring up the issue of depleted uranium are usually painted as at least a little wacky, conspiracy minded, etc..., by the mainstream press (at the bidding of their masters). Nevertheless it is an issue thats not going away and I feel is only too easy to ignore because the possible consequences will not be felt by the average American for some time if ever. Horror Of Depleted Uranium Not Limited To Iraq takes a closer look.

Tags: Depleted Uranium