United States of Entropy

[Pearl]

Originally Posted by Irvine511

idiotic GOP stunts from egomaniacs like Cruz (R-Canada) have, over the past 4 years, done enormous harm to the economy. Shutdown countdown: What the next eight days could bring - The Washington Post i believe we've had 40 failed votes to repeal the ACA? it's difficult to keep count. i know hurting the economy is the point. and i know it might play well to the cheap, uninformed seats, and it lets the Tea Party crowd delay growth and blame Obama for everything under the sun ("thanks, Obama!"), but what it really does is harm other Americans.

I wonder if these conservatives want to hurt other Americans as well as Obama. When I hear anyone complaining about liberals, it sounds like they want to punish them for voting and supporting Obama or any other progressive.

[anitram]

Originally Posted by Irvine511

idiotic GOP stunts from egomaniacs like Cruz (R-Canada) have, over the past 4 years, done enormous harm to the economy.

More like Ted Cruz (R-Calgary).

He's renouncing his Canadian citizenship. We won't miss him.

[AEON]

That's the problem with the whole system right now. Neither side can allow the success of the opposing party and hope for re-election. I still think that we should have nationwide draft from general public for congressional seats every 4 years. After the draft is over, have them play rock-paper-scissors-lizard-spock for which one will server as president.

We can't do much worse than what we have now...

[INDY500]

Originally Posted by Irvine511

We've seen just how bad the recession was, the damage that was done, and the slowing of progress by a political party who's only (now failed) goal was to make Obama a one-term president.

What, pray tell, would President INDY have done?

(President Irvine would have started with a larger stimulus and he wouldn't have gutted the public sector)

Thank you for the softball question. Nothing Obama did and everything he didn't.

First, there would be no job killing Obamacare. A free market reform of health insurance that severed insurance from work.

Build the pipeline and drill baby drill. Energy independence and jobs.

Enforce our immigration laws and finish the fence on our southern border.

No more continuing resolutions. A Federal budget by Oct 1 of each year or an automatic across-the-board cut of 5%. This president has never signed a budget.

True entitlement reform along the lines of Paul Ryan

Real tax reform to cut rates, end loopholes and simplify

Get the government out of the student loans program. Obama took it over. Eliminate the Dept of Education.

True banking reform that split up the Too Big To Fail banks. They've grown under Dodd-Frank.

Thanks my first year anyway.

[Irvine511]

Originally Posted by INDY500

Thank you for the softball question. Nothing Obama did and everything he didn't. First, there would be no job killing Obamacare. A free market reform of health insurance that severed insurance from work. Build the pipeline and drill baby drill. Energy independence and jobs. Enforce our immigration laws and finish the fence on our southern border. No more continuing resolutions. A Federal budget by Oct 1 of each year or an automatic across-the-board cut of 5%. This president has never signed a budget. True entitlement reform along the lines of Paul Ryan Real tax reform to cut rates, end loopholes and simplify Get the government out of the student loans program. Obama took it over. Eliminate the Dept of Education. True banking reform that split up the Too Big To Fail banks. They've grown under Dodd-Frank. Thanks my first year anyway.

I expected nothing less, in fact, I probably could have written/cut-and-pasted this for you.

Good luck with all this.

[AEON]

Originally Posted by INDY500

Build the pipeline and drill baby drill. Energy independence and jobs.

By the time any of that comes online and actually has an impact solar power will be as cheap as dirt. Once again, technology will solve what politics could not.

INDY, I love you man - but you MUST stay informed (and I don't mean Drudge)...set up some Google alerts or something.

The report asserts that grid parity has already been attained in 10 US states as system costs of solar have fallen below US$3 per Watt. Hawaii and California lead tables of states at or near grid parity in the residential, commercial and industrial sectors.

US solar capacity to total 50GW by end of 2016, says Deutsche Bank

[Jive Turkey]

Indy 2016!!!!!

[AEON]

Originally Posted by Jive Turkey

Indy 2016!!!!!

It actually has a ring to it...

[AEON]

from today...

Surpassing competition after only over three years of research, and entering the roadmap at world class level, a new record efficiency of 44.7% was measured at a concentration of 297 suns. This indicates that 44.7% of the solar spectrum's energy, from ultraviolet through to the infrared, is converted into electrical energy. This is a major step towards reducing further the costs of solar electricity and continues to pave the way to the 50% efficiency roadmap.

World Record Solar Cell With 44.7% Efficiency

[INDY500]

Originally Posted by AEON

By the time any of that comes online and actually has an impact solar power will be as cheap as dirt. Once again, technology will solve what politics could not.

1) Tell N Dakota the the benefits of an American energy policy are years down the road. They currently have the lowest unemployment in the nation at 3% because of the energy boom.

INDY, I love you man - but you MUST stay informed (and I don't mean Drudge)...set up some Google alerts or something.

What's the BTU of solar energy. In other words, what area of space dedicated to solar panels would be required to replace an avg 600 megawatt coal plant?

[AEON]

Originally Posted by INDY500

1) Tell N Dakota the the benefits of an American energy policy are years down the road. They currently have the lowest unemployment in the nation at 3% because of the energy boom.

and of course, what happens to all these wonderfully employed families when the "market" changes?

Originally Posted by INDY500

What's the BTU of solar energy. In other words, what area of space dedicated to solar panels would be required to replace an avg 600 megawatt coal plant?

You need to start thinking of solar power in a different way. Like the CPU - they are getting smaller, faster, and more efficient every 18 months. Also - the solar "panels" you envision today are not the ones that will soon be the norm. Start thinking in terms of "cells." We will wear them, they will be built into the road system, they will be painted on buildings and houses. They will be integrated into every part of infrastructure.

[PhilsFan]

Originally Posted by INDY500

This president has never signed a budget.

GEE l WONDER WHY

[martha]

Job-killing.

I love that phrase.

The Republicans will keep this shit up to satisfy the tea party dimwits, and then wonder how in hell they lost another presidential election. To a chick, no less.

[Diemen]

Originally Posted by INDY500

What's the BTU of solar energy. In other words, what area of space dedicated to solar panels would be required to replace an avg 600 megawatt coal plant?

In other words, if it's not as cheap and efficient as coal is right now, we shouldn't pursue it?

[Popmartijn]

Originally Posted by Diemen

In other words, if it's not as cheap and efficient as coal is right now, we shouldn't pursue it?

Isn't this cowardly behaviour inherent to that party (GOP)?
"If it's not as cheap and efficient as coal is right now, we shouldn't pursue it"
"If gun control does not prevent all mass shootings, we shouldn't pursue it"
"If a stimulus does not result in jobs for everyone, we shouldn't pursue it"
"If a health care overhaul does not remedy all issues immediately, we shouldn't pursue it"

I think their lack of responsibility, lack of ambition, unwillingness to take action and defeatist attitude quite shocking.

[Kieran McConville]

do not confuse an unspeakable ambition with a nonexistent one.

[Irvine511]

Originally Posted by Popmartijn

Isn't this cowardly behaviour inherent to that party (GOP)? "If it's not as cheap and efficient as coal is right now, we shouldn't pursue it" "If gun control does not prevent all mass shootings, we shouldn't pursue it" "If a stimulus does not result in jobs for everyone, we shouldn't pursue it" "If a health care overhaul does not remedy all issues immediately, we shouldn't pursue it" I think their lack of responsibility, lack of ambition, unwillingness to take action and defeatist attitude quite shocking.

It's not that shocking. We have a black president.

[digitize]

Originally Posted by Popmartijn

Isn't this cowardly behaviour inherent to that party (GOP)? "If it's not as cheap and efficient as coal is right now, we shouldn't pursue it" "If gun control does not prevent all mass shootings, we shouldn't pursue it" "If a stimulus does not result in jobs for everyone, we shouldn't pursue it" "If a health care overhaul does not remedy all issues immediately, we shouldn't pursue it" I think their lack of responsibility, lack of ambition, unwillingness to take action and defeatist attitude quite shocking.

There's more to it than that. INDY can correct me, but I think that the average Republican believes that government investment in solar makes the economy worse while not being worth that tradeoff; that gun control's effects in limiting mass shootings are limited enough to not worth the sacrificing of individual liberty, or that gun control makes crime worse; that stimulus actually hurts job-creation (an opinion shared by most economists, actually); and that state-sponsored health care is bad for health care/the economy enough to not be worth any benefits that it may bring. Those tradeoffs are where policy differs, and it's important to understand them in developing policy positions. I'm not sure that ascribing a cause of cowardice for positions that are somewhat reasonably thought through (even though I certainly don't agree with all of them) is particularly productive.

[AEON]

Originally Posted by digitize

There's more to it than that. INDY can correct me, but I think that the average Republican believes that government investment in solar makes the economy worse while not being worth that tradeoff; that gun control's effects in limiting mass shootings are limited enough to not worth the sacrificing of individual liberty, or that gun control makes crime worse; that stimulus actually hurts job-creation (an opinion shared by most economists, actually); and that state-sponsored health care is bad for health care/the economy enough to not be worth any benefits that it may bring. Those tradeoffs are where policy differs, and it's important to understand them in developing policy positions. I'm not sure that ascribing a cause of cowardice for positions that are somewhat reasonably thought through (even though I certainly don't agree with all of them) is particularly productive.

Nice post! It's important to not demonize opposing views.

[nathan1977]

Originally Posted by Irvine511

It's not that shocking. We have a black president.

#racecard