What caused the 9/11 terrorist attacks?

So Moveon.org is launching an anti-war vigil across the U.S.

What a joke.

First, who is Moveon.org going to endorse in 2008? Every major Democratic candidate does not advocate immediate U.S. withdrawal from Iraq. Second, almost everyone with a brain - even if against the war - realizes that an abrupt withdrawal would most certainly cause more deaths in Iraq and result in greater harm to the free world.

I guess it's sort of like Clinton's stance on Rwanda. Doing nothing is safer and cleaner for America, even if it means millions of Africans die.

Moveon.org seems to believe that all the world's problems are the result of George Bush. Fine. So how did Bush cause 9/11?

Let's not forget, the World Trade Centers were first attacked during the Clinton administration. Had the first attack succeeded, the death toll would have been far greater than the second attack. Afterwards, Bin Laden launched several attacks against U.S. interests and forces while planning the second World Trade Center attack - all on Clinton's watch. Did the seers in the Islamic revolution know George Bush was about to become President years before he was elected?

What caused 9/11?

Cindy Sheehan, the Crawford protestor has called Bush the greatest terrorist in the World and demanded that Israel withdraw from Palestine. What made this idiot a world affairs expert? Many Muslims - not just Islamic terrorists - hate Israel and do not want two independent states, they want the end of Israel, PERIOD. How does Sheehan plan to deal with this, like Rwanda? More important, Bill Clinton has stated that, in hindsight, his lack of success in dealing with the Israeli - Palestinian situation was his greatest failure.

Again, what caused 9/11?

I say it's oil and I wonder how many anti-war advocates drive SUVs, BMWs, and other foreign-oil guzzling vehicles. To those protestors, I say shut the F_ _ _ up! If you want to do something, start with your own actions. To those protestors that don't gas-guzzle and are part of the vigil, I respect you, but I wonder if you really believe that an immediate withdrawal will really result in a better world?

If you are a protestor that is also against gas-guzzling, remember one thing. Detroit and American automaker inefficiency are protected by Democrats and Republicans. Since 9/11 Democrats, as a party, could have made foreign oil dependency the American, the anti-war, issue. THEY DID NOT! Nor did Moveon.org. They don't want to deal with the real issues, just the issues that make money.

Unfortunately, too many Democrats, like the majority of Republicans, choose special interests, rather than the people's interests. Don't believe the Moveon.org hype. Moveon.org doesn't care about half the country's citizens - they - maybe you - are the enemy. The Democratic party is not the answer, nor is the Repulican party, it's up to us, the people. In reality, those that seek to divide us, rather than unite us, are the real enemy.

Plug-in hybrids: Why doesn't Congress act on foreign oil dependency?

Forget fuel cells and the hydrogen economy, plug-in hybrids offer the technology to end foreign-oil dependency now!

There is a great AP article, Experimental Hybrid Cars Get Up to 250 Mpg, which demonstrates the fact that plug-in hybrid vehicles, such as a plug-in Prius could achieve 80 mpg for the daily commute of most drivers. Additionally, more advanced plug-in hybrids have achieved up to 250 mpg.

Not long ago I wrote about flex-fuel hybrids that could achieve 500 mpg.

Why doesn't the government care? Why doesn't GM or Ford care? This isn't just foreign oil dependency, this is America's national security. Are the lobbyists of the auto and energy industries really so powerful that the safety of the American people is less important than their energy monopoly?

For more check out, What's better than a hybrid car? A plug-in hybrid car of course!

India & China vs. America: Where is Congress?

I just came across an interesting article, Indian team to visit China for oil talks which states, "An Indian delegation will head to China next week to explore ways to cooperate in acquiring foreign energy assets to meet the soaring fuel needs of their fast-growing economies.."

No big deal, right? Except, for the fact that India is predicting that its demand for oil will quadruple in the next 20 years. Since India imports 70% of its oil, it will need more and more oil from the same places that America needs oil, which will only lead to higher oil prices.

When are Americans going to wake up? Yes, oil has been cheap, but the costs are going to rise dramatically and threaten the economy, yet technology - that which made America great - provides answers.

Hybrid cars, such as the Toyota Prius hybrid demonstrate the fuel efficiency abilities of hybrid technology. Hybrid SUVs, such as the Toyota Highlander hybrid and the Ford Escape hybrid, demonstrate that the technology can be utilized beyond small vehicles.

Some argue today's hybrids aren't fuel efficient enough. While a valid point, the potential of hybrid technology has barely been tapped.

With India and China cooperating to meet their exponentially growing foreign oil, America must embrace technology that offers solutions today, not in two decades. By then, the damage will already have been done.

The race to end foreign oil dependency is even greater than the race to the moon. JFK, where are you?

Rainbow Coalition Marches in Atlanta

When I was a college student at the University of Wisconsin - Madison, Jesse Jackson gave a speech in our fieldhouse to several thousand people. It was quite emotional and I found myself getting caught in Mr. Jackson's rhythm, but I found the frenzy annoying.

So, I sat down for a few moments and realized that Mr. Jackson really wasn't saying much. Even more interesting, Jesse would stop mid-sentence and the crowd would roar. They too were simply caught in the rhythm of his speech.

A few months later, I saw Mr. Jackson on Saturday Night Live read Green Eggs and Ham as if it were a political speech and was astounded at the similarity to my own experience in our fieldhouse.

Today, Jesse Jackson is marching in Atlanta to protect voting rights. Is this just more green eggs and ham?

Almost 50% of eligible voters don't even vote. Shouldn't voter turnout be the ultimate issue?

I'm not trying to diminish the importance of civil rights and the right to vote, but the right to vote doesn't mean much if it isn't utilized.

More important, is Mr. Jackson really for voting rights, or just the rights of Democratic voters?

Typically, always voting for a party, either party, leads to incumbency, and incumbency leads to pork-barrel legislation. The crappy energy bill or transportation bill were nothing but pork, but Republicans alone couldn't make either happen, Democrats helped.

Yes, Mr. Jackson, voting rights are important, but if all registered voters simply voted, everything might change. However, if all registered voters, not only voted, but voted against incumbency, everything WOULD change.

Congress, fuel efficiency and hybrid cars

Early last week I wrote that Congress was blowing tax credits for hybrids because of caps. I followed that train of thought with the article The Energy Bill, hybrid critics and American political ineptitude, in which I wrote, "Ultimately, the clean vehicle tax credits and much of the energy bill promotes and endorses complacency, rather than technological innovation."

Then on Friday it was announced that hybrids would qualify for the carpool lane. This set off a fury of resentment at sites like autoblog.com whom didn't think such a move was fuel efficient. I posted an entry to autoblog letting them know fuel efficiency isn't the only reason for carpool lanes.

Ultimately, carpool lanes were created to move traffic because idling traffic causes the most air pollution. It is the fact that hybrid cars are super clean that has given them carpool lane status.

Nonetheless, according to a great article in the Mercury News, the California DMV will only be giving 75,000 total hybrids car pool lane status. So the whole issue is somewhat of a mute point.

All of this goes back to the ineptitude of the American Congress.

To promote fuel efficient technology in this time of oil and terrorism wars, Congress refuses to address fuel efficiency,even though - according to the EPA - the Big 3 are abusing fuel efficiency loopholes that result in 1980's fuel efficiency in 2005 America.

Instead, Congress has provided capped credits for hybrids that are really just protectionist tax credits that reward an industry that is failing America and failing in the war on terror. Ultimately, the clean vehicle tax credits were just pork for the Big 3. One way or another tax payers are paying for the incompetence of the Big 3.

The hybrid tax credit and carpool lane privileges for hybrids are nothing but hype and might hurt, rather than help, the move towards clean, fuel efficient technologies. Ultimately, the energy industry and their cronies in Congress - which represent a majority of members - do not represent America.

I'm really starting to wonder, who is more dangerous, terrorists or the American Congress? Actually, I'm starting to believe the answer to the question is, unfortunately, blatantly obvious.

Vote them ALL out. It couldn't get any worse.