The Mailing List: 5 Reasons Why the US Might Be Screwed

Call me a pessimist. Call me an angry liberal. Call me unpatriotic. Call me any derogatory term for a person upset with the direction our country is going in, but you can never call me uninformed. Our fair country, the United States of America, is knee-deep in a metaphorical pile of excrement, body parts, oil and missiles, and lately I've felt less and less optimistic about our state.

 
Sidenote: If there are any Feds reading this, please don't take this as anything more than an opinion. I'm just a blogger, not a terrorist...

1. We are engaged in three wars.

Between Afghanistan, Iraq, and now our newfound military front in Libya, the United States is spreading itself thin in terms of our armed forces. After 10 years and over $1 trillion spent on military costs, the 'War on Terror' has yielded next to nothing in answers for the 9/11 attacks, much less broken up any part of the new 'axis of evil' George Dubya duped the world into believing in. Imagine that. We've been at war for over a decade now, and still have nothing to show for it but dead soldiers and civilians, a U.S. funded puppet state in Afghanistan that's rife with corruption, and a loss of faith from the world community. Now that we've engaged Libya, and still have no plans to get out of Afghanistan or Iraq, I can only imagine the carnage that can ensue. Not to mention, the U.S. is on a fast track to conflict with North Korea. If we think the Middle East has some WMD's, then I'd hate to see what Kim Jong-Il has up his sleeve. Simply put, we've focused too much on the military over the last decade, especially economically, bringing me to the next point:

2. Our domestic economic policies aren't helping.

If there is any person whose opinion on finance and the economy I'm going to trust, it's got to be Warren Buffet. The man simply knows money. And guess what? Warren Buffet says the recession isn't over, and won't be for some time considering the steps our government is taking. Take a look around. Unemployment is still rampant and job creation is stalling. The amount of Americans filing for bankruptcy is still rising. Our national debt is still rising, while our GDP is stagnant. And the worst part? Our government is enacting policies that will probably add to our deficit.

If it's not the richest Americans getting tax cuts widening the gap between the haves and have-nots and turning the U.S. into a nation of classes, then it's our egregious military spending putting us in the hole and bringing us closer to nuclear holocaust. If it's not CEO's bonuses jumping 30%, then it's state governments attempting to block unions while not cutting their own pay. If it's not a RoboCop statue being erected in the economic wasteland of Detroit, then it's the government dragging its feet in a budget-saving health care plan. Our government blasts the country's spending habits when it spends its money on ridiculous things that don't serve to improve our nation, and instead set us back.

3. Dependence on oil is still the precedent.

Energy is what runs everything. Repeat that. ENERGY RUNS EVERYTHING. It runs our transportation, every appliance and piece of technology we use, and every resource we need, needs artificial energy to work. That said, our dependence on oil is sickening. Of all Western nations, we use the most oil while producing the least. Additionally, the world's oil reserves are set to be running low in the next 30-40 years, with the world reaching it's peak oil production in the past few years. That means the world, and more importantly the U.S., is going to have to find a new method of energy production. Ironically, we continue peddling money into oil subsidies and oil companies, rather than invest in sustainable energy. At this rate, we'll be in the dark faster than you can flip a light switch.

4. Our education system and infrastructure are failing.

If you're reading this, I'm going to assume that you're reasonably educated and can formulate a complete thought on paper without awakening the spirit of Mr. Ed. However, for a lot of American youth, that's not the case. Since 2000, the United States has fallen behind most of the industrialized world in reading and math, two subjects that we excelled at starting in the 70s. Additionally, we're at our lowest rate of college matriculation and graduation in over 30 years (you could blame the recession). No, I'm not saying the U.S> has become a nation of idiots, but we're getting closer to that title by the day. With even the SAT beginning to show signs of lower scores, it's obvious that something isn't going right in our schools as of late, which should seriously affect the country's future, and inevitably our ability to understand what's even going on in our country...

5. Political engagement is down, while political ignorance is up.

According to Newsweek, Americans are becoming more and more politically ignorant, with more than 30% of Americans being unable to name our own Vice President, 44% unable to define the Bill of Rights, and 73% unable to identify why the Cold War was fought and 6% unable to circle our own Independence Day on a calendar. Excuse me? In this nation so hell-bent on patriotism and national pride, people have no earthly clue what's going on! No wonder they vote for legislation that hurts them financially, allow warmongering politicians to draw us into foreign conflict and listen to idiots like Rush Limbaugh and Sarah Palin spew misinformation. In the 60s, 70s and 80s our industrial might was enough to keep us afloat, because the rest of the world was simply playing catch-up. Now that the Internet has ushered in the information age, it's a necessity for the U.S. to know not only what's going on in our own country, but also the rest of the world... And we're failing terribly.

I won't sit here and say that I've lost all hope in our fair country. However, it's disconcerting to see so many ills in our country that are easily fixable with some smart leadership and engagement from our citizens. At the same time, with the way things are looking, a move to Canada might be just what the doctor ordered. They don't look like they're doing too badly. The U.N. seemed to think so, and I trust their judgment a lot more than the U.S.'s at this point...

Dear Bill Nye

Why is it that when a supposedly foolproof solution comes about, even the most elementary of minds can figure out why that solution sucks? British Petroleum has been loafing hard at work trying to find a way to stop the massive oil leak that threatens to destroy the Gulf of Mexico. 87 days and 178 million barrels of oil later, they've finally figured out a way to stop the oil from flowing: a cap. A freaking cap! Something to put over the top of the leak to stop it from leaking... That's the best BP can do? Apparently not, because immediately after hearing of this solution, CNN brought you, Bill Nye, in to discuss the situation.

Bill, you've long been a premier authority on science, in my book. Any person that can explain Newton's Laws to 4th graders or the extended water cycle to 2nd graders has to be a genius. Your show added to the plethora of stimuli that made me into the knowledge-sucking nerd I am today. It probably still would be if PBS wasn't so bent on replacing real education with furry anthropomorphic creatures who speak in babbles. I guess it's only right that CNN bring you in to simplify the 'cap solution' for its viewers. The only problem is how easily you refuted the solution... using a water bottle, a long tube and a flat piece of rock nonetheless. Bill, it's incredible how something that scientists and engineers and marine biologists and oil tycoons agreed on, can be disproved so easily. The worst part is, you did it in that trademark Bill Nye voice, enthralling and captivating me completely. I shouldn't be so excited about the potential downfall of BP's cap solution, but you've got to admit that they probably feel really silly, especially after watching this. Maybe for the next environmental disaster, or geological phenomenon, or catastrophic happening, you should be the one headlining the search for answers. You probably have more knowledge in your theme song than BP has in its entire organization...

BP Spills Coffee

All I can say is WOW! I feel like the people who made this video might have been sitting in on an actual British Petroleum meeting before filming, because the video basically shows how ineffective BP's been with this oil spill. The amount of time in between the oil coffee spill and the top-kill cardboard solution was way too long, and after they ran out of ideas, they kind of just have been running around like chickens with their heads cut off. If British Petroleum is angry about all of the parodies and jokes that are being flung their way now, I pity them even more. Bad regulation and an overall lack of remorse about their effect on the environment are bigger issues than their dwindling stock prices and soon-to-be inevitable bankruptcy. I guess when you've created the biggest environmental disaster in human history, its hard to see things from a humorous perspective...

Maybe this will help... No, it just made them look worse.

300-Foot Sinkhole in Guatemala City

via CNN:

The death toll from Tropical Storm Agatha continued to grow Tuesday, with 152 reported killed in Guatemala, 16 in Honduras and nine in El Salvador. One-hundred people are missing in Guatemala and another 87 are injured, the nation's emergency agency reported Tuesday. In addition, nearly 125,000 people have been evacuated and 74,000 are living in shelters, said emergency official David de Leon.

The previously reported toll for Guatemala was 123 deaths, 90 people missing and 69 injured.
Guatemala also is feeling the effect of the Pacaya volcano, which erupted Thursday night and continued to spew ash Tuesday. Three people were killed when they were crushed by rocks strewn by the volcano. La Aurora International Airport in Guatemala City, the nation's capital, has been closed since Friday because of falling ash but was expected to open later Tuesday. Pacaya is located about 18 miles (30 kilometers) south of Guatemala City.

Guatemalan President Alvaro Colom declared a 15-day state of calamity after the volcano eruption. Damage from Tropical Storm Agatha added to the devastation. Destruction from the storm has been widespread throughout the nation, with mudslides destroying homes and buildings and burying some victims. At least nine rivers had dramatically higher levels and 13 bridges collapsed, the emergency services agency said. In the northern part of Guatemala City, the downpour created a sinkhole the size of a street intersection. Residents told CNN that a three-story building and a house fell into the hole.

It's stuff like this that makes me realize that our planet is slowly, yet surely fighting back against us. Okay, maybe it's not 'fighting back', but more reacting to centuries of having it's landscape altered for human use. That said, can we really be surprised at natural phenomena like the recent rash of earthquakes, the ash cloud over Europe, or this, a sinkhole in Guatemala? For those of you who aren't familiar, let's define sinkhole:

sinkhole - a natural depression or hole in the surface topography caused by the removal of soil or bedrock, often both, by water (via Wikipedia)

That essentially means that wherever that sinkhole is located, there was a loose deposit of soil/bedrock that was disrupted by aquatic movement. In this case, the movement stemmed from Tropical Storm Agatha, which had the rest of the country up to its neck in torrential rain and mudslides. By the time that wave reached Guatemala City, the earth underneath the city was so screwed that a portion of it just caved in, causing a 300-foot sinkhole in the middle of downtown. The hole swallowed a 3-story building and everyone inside. Lord knows where the remains of that structure are. Like I said before, our planet has been trying to tell us something for a minute now. Alternative energy initiatives and 'green' living obviously haven't helped calm Mother Earth down, but I guess we can keep dreaming. Anyone else think the 2012 rumors are getting a little more eerie with stuff like this happening? Check out some more pictures of the sinkhole and chime in with the comments section below...

P.S.: Yes, I cited Wikipedia for that definition... Sue me.

Dear BP

I hate environmentalists, but they can be funny as hell sometimes. Check the Twitter of @BPGLobalPR

via The Wall Street Journal:

BP Plc (BP) said Wednesday that it began an attempt to plug a massive oil leak on the floor of the Gulf of Mexico using heavy drilling fluids, an experimental measure closely watched by federal authorities and the entire oil industry.

The so-called "top kill" procedure aims to kill a mile-deep well that has been gushing oil since the explosion and sinking of the Transocean Ltd. (RIG) Deepwater Horizon drilling rig more than a month ago. The deepwater well, known as Macondo, is estimated to be leaking at a rate of at least 5,000 barrels of oil a day, resulting in one of the worst oil spills the U.S. has ever seen. BP said that it began injecting so-called drilling mud into the well through a valve called a blow-out preventer at about 1 p.m. CDT. The company previously ran a battery of tests to gauge whether the procedure, which has never been tried at these depths, could work. The company had earlier received authorization to proceed from U.S. Coast Guard Rear Adm. Mary Landry.

BP said that the top-kill procedure could take up to two days to implement, and it's unclear how long it will take for BP to find out the results, the company said. The latest effort by the U.K.-based oil giant is being closely watched by federal authorities and by the entire oil industry, which faces an onslaught of regulation in the wake of the spill. At a shareholders' meeting in Dallas on Wednesday, Exxon Mobil Corp. (XOM)'s Chief Executive Rex Tillerson said that Exxon, the world's largest publicly-traded oil company, continues to provide assistance to BP in dealing with the disaster. "We are eager to support efforts to determine how such an incident can be prevented in the future," he said.

You know your company image is tarnished when a fake Twitter for your company has more followers than the real one. BP, you really, really, really just screwed up in a major way. I was going to write something kind of dry and witty, but I just got word that your spill has surpassed the Exxon-Valdez spill in overall volume of oil and debris. By that virtue, this letter has to be a bit more serious. Even so, your whole stance is funny. There were reports that your employees knew there was something seriously wrong the day of the explosion, but their concerns fell on deaf ears. BP, it seems like you guys put safety and procedural concerns behind your profit margins, and it finally came back to bite you in the ass. The oil spill happened well over a month ago and you guys are just now finding a way to clean it up. What were you all doing for the 25 days that you weren't coming up with a solution? My guess is most of your executives thought the spill wasn't even that serious. In fact, I'd go so far as to say most of your executives haven't stepped foot on an oil rig in their lives, much less knew how oil got from the earth to their luxury sports sedans.

They can see the oil spill from SPACE!!! I give it t-minus 5 years before the fish we eat grow legs and start walking...


BP, the thing is, you should've seen this coming. George Bush Jr. (not to blame everything on him, but the man really fudged this country up) installed lax regulatory laws and tax shelters for oil companies when he really should have been putting the clamp down on them. You guys knew (or should have known) the risks of cutting back on your security and operational procedures, more so than anyone else. That's why I get pissed seeing people proclaim the spill as 'Obama's mistake'. Really, BP? You guys are going to let the President, who isn't linked at all to BP take a fall for you guys when you haven't even begun to clean your own mess up? C'mon son. It's bad enough the price of oil is going to get higher than a crackhead who wins the lottery. It's even worse that the oil spill is expanding exponentially. Hell, even worse than that is the fact that our fishing industry down there is probably dead in the water (really morbid pun there). No matter how you look at it, BP, you guys royally f*cked up. All jokes and Twitter pages aside, this is the worst environmental disaster. EVER. There are millions of gallons of oil spewing into our ocean, and you guys are probably still thinking more about your profit margin than the huge ramifications of this disaster. Guess that works when you're already rich...

Revolving Door = Electricity??

I love ideas like this because they're so simple, but can make such a huge difference if installed on a wide scale. The GOOD people at FluxLab, all working out of Brooklyn Tech, have created the NYC Revolution Door. The invention uses the revolutions from a revolving door to generate electricity. The fact that revolving doors are a staple of damn near every Manhattan office building makes this idea invaluable. The incentive-based electronic board connected to the door is all the more reason for people to want to use revolving doors. At this juncture in human history, we'd be stupid not to explore every avenue of energy and energy creation possible; even the little things. Check the video out...

Dear World Bank

via Times Online:

The World Bank is spending billions of pounds subsidising new coal-fired power stations in developing countries despite claiming that burning fossil fuels exposes the poor to catastrophic climate change. The bank, which has a goal of reducing poverty and is funded by Britain and other developed countries, calls on all nations in a report today to “act differently on climate change”.

It says that the world must reduce its dependence on fossil fuels, but it is funding several giant coal-burning plants that will each emit millions of tonnes of carbon dioxide a year for the next 40 to 50 years.

Really, guys? This is how we 'go green'? By investing more money into nonrenewable energy? See, this is the exact type of bass ackwards-type thinking that's gonna end up with us having a solar holocaust because the hole in the ozone layer is bigger than Tila Tequila's forehead. No seriously, reading this story made me upset considering I am (for once) trying to reduce my own carbon footprint. I know recycling isn't that big of a change, but every little bit helps. That little bit might not be enough though, considering you guys just added about 50 years worth of smog to our atmosphere with this new investment. The worst part about funding these 'carbon dioxide plants' is that most of them will be located in developing countries, where damn near all of our oxygen is coming from! That makes soooooooo much sense, guys. Let's put the cigarette in the lung that's NOT infected with lung cancer and emphysema. Oh, no better yet, let's shine ultraviolet light right down on the fair-skinned, skin cancer-susceptible patch of flesh that we just happened to miss with sunblock. Seriously, I hate when politicians pass crap laws and allow amendments that go right under our noses. You guys are no different. So what if you issued a report saying that we have to reduce dependence on fossil fuels? What's the point if you're doing the exact thing you say we SHOULDN'T do? I've had it up to here with world leaders destroying our planet under ridiculous pretenses. If you see a spaceship on it's way to the Moon, you know where to find me...

PS: Allowing this motion to pass not only shows sheer inconsideration for the poor of this world, it shows how short-sighted world politicians are today. I get more and more disillusioned with the state of our world by the day, and to tell you the truth..