A NEW FREEDOM?

THE NEW BATTLE
IN THE GREEN ZONE

Our Chance At A New Freedom
------I’m not talking about Iraq. The battle in the green zone I’m talking about is the battle over freedom of choice, not in abortions, (please quit thinking in clichés) but in a new freedom we haven’t had since the energy of Niagara Falls was first harnessed. A chance to establish our “freedom of energy”. A chance to free ourselves from the government controlled monopoly of energy. And here I’m talking about your personnel choice as an individual not some collective voice. I’m talking about throwing off the chains of regulation and unleashing private enterprise. Let us not let the government through monopoly gain this potentially rich new means to gather billions more for it’s ever expanding appetite.
------We stand at a nexus in history. The decisions we make now will effect our freedoms for years to come. The greening of America is upon us right or wrong, but how can we keep it being a beautiful thing and not just another nail in the coffin of individual freedom? We can do this by allowing it to become a tool in our pouch to promote our freedoms not limit them. To gain the freedom from energy dependence upon foreign governments, do we have to trade that dependence to our own government? That is all I’m hearing in government from the vast majority on both sides. How the government can help us by passing new laws and regulations to make sure we become greener and energy independent. You would think that the Energy companies would be against this. They are not, they are in favor of it. Why, simply stated because the utilities are a virtual monopoly and don’t want competition not controlled by them. The Michigan House has passed an energy package see the link below for some of the details.
-----link-----
http://www.customerchoicecoalition.org/mediaclips/DetNews040408ElectricUtilitiesFightToKeepTurf.pdf
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------I pictured a world with alternative energy making up an increasing share of our (mine or yours) energy needs as a good thing. This could be a beautiful thing. Windmills gently turning in the wind, solar collectors passively changing the sun’s light into mechanical energy, gently turning water-wheels in a creek and other more ingenious ways popping up all the time that we haven‘t even dreamed of yet. What ever device you have bought or made, you could just plug it into a quick connect device that would transform that power source whatever form it was in , to the grid.
------I also see it as a chance to break up the monopoly energy producers have had in America for so very long which has led us to this current crisis. A chance to get us away from more and more government control. I envision waves upon waves of new small startup companies finding new energy sources and selling them. I hope to see a revolution in energy, like that which we have seen in communications like the computer and all it’s enhancements to our freedoms such as the internet. Also can you imagine if IBM hadn’t turned down the concept and took control of the market where we would be today? I shudder to think. In regards to energy, what I see is a power grab of the new technologies by the energy utilities, backed by the government. through the massive lobbying effort of the utilities: and paid for by us the taxpayer.
------They (large company leaders) saw the mistake they made with personnel computers. Prime examples being IBM turning down the idea of personnel computers and the copy machine ect. They have learned from their mistakes. Now they are joining with government to try and strengthen their monopolies through and with the aid of government.
------I don’t like monopolies. At the root of conservatism is freedom, that includes freedom of choice which is stifled through monopolies. Another cornerstone of conservatism is free enterprise. Monopolies are killers of free enterprise. Government was our fall back weapon against monopoly since the anti-monopoly laws were passed. The best weapon we have had against this concentration of power leading to corruption of free enterprise practices has been those laws. Monopolies eventually drive the price up and the quality down in whatever field they monopolize. We have seen it time and time again. In the private sector we see it in the consolidation of services into what I call “Trimopolies” The big 3 for example. Since the Big 1 is illegal. Always monopolies have gained our trust by claiming that if they didn’t have the constant threat of competition they could do better for less. It hasn’t happened yet. How many more failures of big anything do we need to go through before we seek a better way. Bigger is not always better.
-------What’s the answer? Simply cut back on all the regulation possible. Make it easy for me to go out to the garage and invent a product, make it and sell it. Can you imagine how much money it would take to set up a new company now (especially in the energy field) the cost to meet all the regulations? But is that hypothetical product of mine the best thing? Who cares except me? It doesn't have to be. If you don’t think so don’t buy it. With a monopoly their new idea better be a good one because that is all there is. I would rather have the public vote with their pocket book than the government with some committee five years after I’ve gone out of business deciding whether my product is worthy of entry into the market. Who benefits from all these regulations, definitely not the start up, only the established company. As a Conservative I have to always be vigilant not to fall under the spell of big business. Their big special interests groups are no different than the liberal big special interest as they affect freedom. They both stifle it.
------The real answer lies again with my mantra, an informed public. So get out there, don’t buy into the slogan’s, even mine.lol. Dig out the facts, they are at the tips of your fingers, use your mind to be free. Think for yourself, don’t always follow the herd, take the time to reflect on where that herd is running toward. It might just be the cliff that I’m talking about.
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Regards, Live Dangerously Be a Conservative