COMMENT: ‘Is Romney a Climate Change Denier?’ – Doesn’t matter…

17 July 2012by Jesse Parent Leave a comment

“Until Americans ‘care’ enough to take climate change seriously, it is unlikely the political arena will change much. The curious thing to watch is how the US, collectively or individually, ends up interpreting relevant information. Each energy industry will naturally compete to prove why it is the best, the right choice for America’s future. But what are American’s going to believe, or use as a method to discern what is right? […]“

TOP 5: Last Week’s Top Geopolitical Articles

http://jpinfluence.com/2012/06/25/top-5-last-weeks-top-geopolitical-articles/

We’ll take a look at some of the biggest news-makers around the world, from the aftermath of elections in Greece and Egypt, a developing flashpoint in the Caspian Sea, to the ongoing struggle in Syria.

Greek elections haven’t calmed fears about Europe’s financial health.
By Anthony Faiola and Howard Schneider | 22 JUNE 2012 (Washington Post)

Summary: Greek elections wrapped up last week, with the entire Eurozone, as well as the rest of the global economy, waited on-edge for some signs of hope and stability. “But it was unclear Monday whether anything would be enough to stave off a broader crisis. Among investors, a bitter truth appeared to be sinking in: The problems in Europe are so widespread and so deep that a real solution is sure to be complex, hard-fought and anything but quick.” With new French president Francois Hollande set to battle for the future of the EU with Germany’s Angela Merkel, Greek’s role in an ever-complicated European Union saga plays on, as the country attempts to re-order its finances.

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English: Southern Caspian Energy Prospects portion of Iran Country Profile (CIA map)

The Caspian’s New Sea Monsters. Thepost-Soviet region has begun a high-stakes arms race, fueled by competition for recently discovered oil fields.
By Joshua Kucera | 22 June 2012 (Foreign Policy)

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http://jpinfluence.com/2012/06/25/top-5-last-weeks-top-geopolitical-articles/

[PEUS]: Oil Drilling Advocates Drive Presidential Debate With Ads

May 2 2012

This is part of the INFLUENCE series “The Politicization of Energy in the US” [PEUS]. For other related topics, follow the associated tag and stay tuned for the development of this series’ page.

The article (Oil Drilling Advocates Drive Presidential Debate With Ads- Bloomberg) starts: “While polls show the economy as the top concern of voters, a review of political attack ads suggests a different issue dominates: energy” – and I think to myself, what a great way to speak about this ‘mysterious connection’ between energy and politics.

Americans for Prosperity, an organization backed by oil interests, last week began airing its third television commercial since November, a campaign worth $6.1 million, attacking Obama’s green energy policies.

The latest round brings the group’s total ad buys to $12.5 million this year, compared with a combined $5.7 million total spent on ads of all sorts by Obama and Priorities USA Action, a Washington-based super political action committee supporting him. Priorities on April 24 teamed with the League of Conservation Voters to begin a $1 million commercial run that accuses presumed Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney, the former governor of Massachusetts, of being a protector of the oil industry.

It should be no surprise that different groups are going to support different candidates based off of their affiliations. But this intense political effort and campaigning dominates most mainstream discussion of energy. Continue reading →

Zakaria: "America hasn’t been able to create jobs in any sector that’s subject to global and technological pressures. As a result, there is a huge sense of disillusionment, disappointment and pessimism among Americans."

Hopefully we’ll have a substantial national debate about jobs, but, I doubt it. Even “job creation” is now politicized, because no matter what Obama can’t be credited for any economic benefits, and beyond that, nobody is having the ability or apparent political backing to say - ‘America, you’re not in good shape, so start positioning yourself to be competitive…and here’s how’.

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If you look at job creation over the last 20-25 years in America, you’ll notice that we haven’t been able to create any jobs in what is called the “tradable sector” of the economy - those jobs that are subject to global competition. The only jobs we’ve really created have been in industries like health care, government, and construction, which are basically local industries shielded from global competition. You can’t outsource the building of a New York skyscraper to a Chinese worker.

America hasn’t been able to create jobs in any sector that’s subject to global and technological pressures. As a result, there is a huge sense of disillusionment, disappointment and pessimism among Americans.

None of the Republicans are addressing this problem centrally. They’re simply talking about cutting government spending as if that is going to solve the problem of creating new industries, opportunities and jobs. Simply cutting government strikes me as a very inadequate response to a massive challenge.

Hopefully during the general election, we’ll have a substantive national debate about how to create jobs in America.

(Source: facebook.com)