Comments on: National Security: What Does It Mean? http://enfranchisedmind.com/blog/posts/national-security-what-does-it-mean/ programming, politics, & other religious issues Wed, 08 Feb 2012 14:16:00 +0000 hourly 1 By: Robertestx http://enfranchisedmind.com/blog/posts/national-security-what-does-it-mean/#comment-38288 Robertestx Wed, 08 Feb 2012 14:16:00 +0000 http://enfranchisedmind.com/blog/archive/2005/06/24/9#comment-38288 I cannot believe you actually suggested we work through "UN Peacekeepers".  Have you ever served in the military?  I'd bet with certainty you haven't because only the ignorant make such suggestions.  Do you realize just how powerless the UN is?  NATO is a bygone organization, replaced for all intents and purposes by the EU.  The EU is on the verge of collapse as some of their countries are in such dire economic straits. This is your post and you can say what you want, but if you want to be taken seriously, you really should examine the facts.  Why don't you find some studies on how effective UNOMIL was and UNOL. People are still dying.  The UN is a weak police force.  They get on the ground and have no power.  Their rules of engagement (ROE) are ludicrous and just plain useless. UN Peacekeepers... Do a study on Bosnia.  See how effective they were there.  People still die. I know, I was there. Funny how much text you gave to the Patriot Act versus the things that really do the hard work of securing America, our ideals, our people, and its way of life. Get a cup and coffee, and don't smell it.  Drink it. and lots of it while you do some NON PARTISAN research.  That means staying off the democratic bloggers website, and the republicans.  If you can find the truth you will change your story.  I promise you. I cannot believe you actually suggested we work through “UN Peacekeepers”.  Have you ever served in the military?  I’d bet with certainty you haven’t because only the ignorant make such suggestions.  Do you realize just how powerless the UN is?  NATO is a bygone organization, replaced for all intents and purposes by the EU.  The EU is on the verge of collapse as some of their countries are in such dire economic straits.
This is your post and you can say what you want, but if you want to be taken seriously, you really should examine the facts.  Why don’t you find some studies on how effective UNOMIL was and UNOL. People are still dying.  The UN is a weak police force.  They get on the ground and have no power.  Their rules of engagement (ROE) are ludicrous and just plain useless.
UN Peacekeepers…
Do a study on Bosnia.  See how effective they were there.  People still die. I know, I was there.

Funny how much text you gave to the Patriot Act versus the things that really do the hard work of securing America, our ideals, our people, and its way of life.

Get a cup and coffee, and don’t smell it.  Drink it. and lots of it while you do some NON PARTISAN research.  That means staying off the democratic bloggers website, and the republicans.  If you can find the truth you will change your story.  I promise you.

]]> By: bhurt-aw http://enfranchisedmind.com/blog/posts/national-security-what-does-it-mean/#comment-7 bhurt-aw Fri, 24 Jun 2005 15:24:39 +0000 http://enfranchisedmind.com/blog/archive/2005/06/24/9#comment-7 Actually, oil is priced in dollars- so the weakening dollar would tend to cause oil prices to go down in Europe. The weakening dollar is having a small effect, but it doesn't explain the entire problem. No, the main thing driving oil prices up is good old supply and demand. The supply of oil is, surprisingly enough, increasing, even as we speak. The Caspian sea oil reserves are starting to come online, as well as the deep water reserves. The problem is that demand is increasing even faster than supply is. And we've hit the inflection point, where demand is starting to outstrip supply. The problem is that demand for oil is relatively inelastic, that means you need large moves in price to create small changes in demand. People who are driving SUVs in to work from the Exurbs don't have a lot of choice- they need to get to work, get to the grocery store, etc. And it'll take large moves of price to start making it worthwhile to ditch the $50K SUV or $300K home in the far boonies just to save on gas. Things aren't bad <em>yet</em>. Adjusting for inflation, oil peaked out at about $100/bbl back in the 70's gas crisis. And oil was used a lot more for electricity production back then than it is now. So I don't expect major economic pain or realignments before $100/bbl, and possibly not for some time thereafter. But demand, and therefor price, will continue going up until structural changes (of one sort or another- great depressions also depress demand for energy) are triggered. Actually, oil is priced in dollars- so the weakening dollar would tend to cause oil prices to go down in Europe. The weakening dollar is having a small effect, but it doesn’t explain the entire problem.

No, the main thing driving oil prices up is good old supply and demand. The supply of oil is, surprisingly enough, increasing, even as we speak. The Caspian sea oil reserves are starting to come online, as well as the deep water reserves. The problem is that demand is increasing even faster than supply is. And we’ve hit the inflection point, where demand is starting to outstrip supply. The problem is that demand for oil is relatively inelastic, that means you need large moves in price to create small changes in demand. People who are driving SUVs in to work from the Exurbs don’t have a lot of choice- they need to get to work, get to the grocery store, etc. And it’ll take large moves of price to start making it worthwhile to ditch the $50K SUV or $300K home in the far boonies just to save on gas.

Things aren’t bad yet. Adjusting for inflation, oil peaked out at about $100/bbl back in the 70′s gas crisis. And oil was used a lot more for electricity production back then than it is now. So I don’t expect major economic pain or realignments before $100/bbl, and possibly not for some time thereafter. But demand, and therefor price, will continue going up until structural changes (of one sort or another- great depressions also depress demand for energy) are triggered.

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