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View Full Version : Even The Judge Can Get it Wrong Sometimes...




BuddyRey
06-19-2010, 10:53 AM
I think the world of Judge Andrew Napolitano and his monumentally important new show on the Fox Business Network. I hope the ratings go gangbusters and the "boys upstairs" finally decide to install him in the coveted echelon of primetime pundits on FOX, maybe as a replacement for that creep O'Reilly who nobody watches anyway, besides masochists and partisan Republicans (or do I repeat myself?). Anyway...

The Judge said one thing on this show this morning that couldn't be more wrong, even though I'm sure he didn't know it at the time and misspoke, not out of intent to deceive, but out of lack of certain relevant facts and research. I'm referring to his statement that there is no known source of energy cleaner, more abundant, and more sustainably renewable than oil. There does happen to be such a versatile product; one whose potential uses include paper, textiles, furniture, plastics, cosmetics, nutritional supplements, automobiles, and fuel. Unfortunately for us, this completely natural, God-given material which can grow nearly anywhere in all kinds of soil - a plant that could bring a swift end to deforestation, hunger, and many causes of pollution - happens to be illegal...because it happens to be industrial hemp.

It's important for everybody to understand right off the bat that hemp is not the same thing as marijuana! Though the two plants are intimately related, the active ingredient that gives marijuana its renown as an intoxicant (delta-9 Tetrahydrocannabinol) is barely present at all in its industrially-suited sibling. If you think I'm overselling hemp or making it sound like more of a miracle than it really is, please don't take my word for it - do your own research (as so few Washington policy-makers seem willing or able to do so) and you may reach the same conclusions I have. I highly recommend a book by the late Jack Herer called The Emperor Wears No Clothes, which explains what makes this plant so special (to the extent that its planting and harvesting was actually mandated for a time during the Colonial era), and how an alliance of big government and big business directly profited from striking this crop from our consciousness and even our history.

In closing, for those who still doubt that the solution to the energy crisis is hemp, I'd like to show you this video of a car built by the legendary Henry Ford himself, which was not only built out of indestructible hemp fibers, but powered by hemp fuel. Picture your odds of surviving a major automobile accident in this piece of machinery, and then picture yourself in one of the bulky, poorly-constructed deathtraps built by Government Motors. ;)

YouTube - cannabis hemp dot info episode #2 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bxlj6fgQ-ZU&feature=related)

BuddyRey
06-19-2010, 11:48 AM
//

Kotin
06-19-2010, 11:52 AM
I really wish he knew about this..

Austrian Econ Disciple
06-19-2010, 11:54 AM
Um....Nuclear Fission & Fusion are the best known energy sources. We could solve a lot of our issues if we simply abolished the EPA, and other bureaurocracies and let people invest in, and build Nuclear Plants. Energy prices would plummet. They'll be less demand for oil, and subsequently prices would drop. I'm sure there would be some companies interested in high speed RAIL's like in Japan. Probably something along the lines of say -- Tampa to Atlanta, Chicago to St. Louis, etc.

Anyways, I'm still really interested in the hydrogren design (for transportation). Anyone know the progress or viability of that?

BuddyRey
06-20-2010, 12:03 AM
Um....Nuclear Fission & Fusion are the best known energy sources. We could solve a lot of our issues if we simply abolished the EPA, and other bureaurocracies and let people invest in, and build Nuclear Plants. Energy prices would plummet. They'll be less demand for oil, and subsequently prices would drop. I'm sure there would be some companies interested in high speed RAIL's like in Japan. Probably something along the lines of say -- Tampa to Atlanta, Chicago to St. Louis, etc.

Anyways, I'm still really interested in the hydrogren design (for transportation). Anyone know the progress or viability of that?

I agree with you that the EPA should be abolished, and nuclear power might be a great solution, but what about hemp? Are you not in favor of it? From what I've read, it can do most everything that nuclear power can safely, cleanly, and renewably while not harming the Earth or compromising human health.

jkr
06-20-2010, 12:07 AM
nukes are dirty and dangerous

is fussion going to be cleaner?


oh, and:

HemP!

justinc.1089
06-20-2010, 01:12 AM
Um....Nuclear Fission & Fusion are the best known energy sources. We could solve a lot of our issues if we simply abolished the EPA, and other bureaurocracies and let people invest in, and build Nuclear Plants. Energy prices would plummet. They'll be less demand for oil, and subsequently prices would drop. I'm sure there would be some companies interested in high speed RAIL's like in Japan. Probably something along the lines of say -- Tampa to Atlanta, Chicago to St. Louis, etc.

Anyways, I'm still really interested in the hydrogren design (for transportation). Anyone know the progress or viability of that?

High speed rails are also a reason why we must stop subsidizing the airlines industry. It is in direct competition with the pretty much non-existent highspeed rail industry in this country, and by subsidizing the airline industry we are crushing the rail industry to death, stripping it of its potential to provide fast long-distance transportation.


Also, hemp AND nuclear power! Free competition! Let the industries compete so we can get the best of both worlds! And let oil compete too!

Freedom is always the answer.

BuddyRey
06-20-2010, 02:44 AM
Also, hemp AND nuclear power! Free competition! Let the industries compete so we can get the best of both worlds! And let oil compete too!

Freedom is always the answer.

This! :)

jmdrake
06-20-2010, 06:54 AM
Ok. I think hemp is great and should be allowed to grow. But there's one major flaw in the "hemp would solve the world's energy problems if it were legal to grow argument". In much of the rest of the world it is legal to grow. Have any other countries successfully replaced oil with hemp?

BenIsForRon
06-20-2010, 07:01 AM
I'm referring to his statement that there is no known source of energy cleaner, more abundant, and more sustainably renewable than oil.

Do you have a video clip of this? I can't believe he said that. In what universe is oil clean and sustainably renewable?

jsu718
06-20-2010, 07:14 AM
Do you have a video clip of this? I can't believe he said that. In what universe is oil clean and sustainably renewable?

It's a matter of being the combination of all 3. Other things might be cleaner like air/water/nuclear, but not necessarily more abundant in terms of production like air/water in not being enough to power the world, or more sustainably renewable like nuclear being based on fairly rare radioactive chemicals.

awake
06-20-2010, 07:49 AM
Hemp might be a viable energy source, but form the Judge's perspective, legality shaped his subjective value judgment.

If hemp were legal it would still need to pass the market test; to compete with Oil, NG, Nuclear...etc. as a viable alternative. In the end the consumer decides.

Needless to say there are only hypothetical scenarios. The legalization of hemp would allow for the market to decide.

lynnf
06-20-2010, 08:23 AM
I think the world of Judge Andrew Napolitano and his monumentally important new show on the Fox Business Network. I hope the ratings go gangbusters and the "boys upstairs" finally decide to install him in the coveted echelon of primetime pundits on FOX, maybe as a replacement for that creep O'Reilly who nobody watches anyway, besides masochists and partisan Republicans (or do I repeat myself?). Anyway...

The Judge said one thing on this show this morning that couldn't be more wrong, even though I'm sure he didn't know it at the time and misspoke, not out of intent to deceive, but out of lack of certain relevant facts and research. I'm referring to his statement that there is no known source of energy cleaner, more abundant, and more sustainably renewable than oil. There does happen to be such a versatile product; one whose potential uses include paper, textiles, furniture, plastics, cosmetics, nutritional supplements, automobiles, and fuel. Unfortunately for us, this completely natural, God-given material which can grow nearly anywhere in all kinds of soil - a plant that could bring a swift end to deforestation, hunger, and many causes of pollution - happens to be illegal...because it happens to be industrial hemp.

It's important for everybody to understand right off the bat that hemp is not the same thing as marijuana! Though the two plants are intimately related, the active ingredient that gives marijuana its renown as an intoxicant (delta-9 Tetrahydrocannabinol) is barely present at all in its industrially-suited sibling. If you think I'm overselling hemp or making it sound like more of a miracle than it really is, please don't take my word for it - do your own research (as so few Washington policy-makers seem willing or able to do so) and you may reach the same conclusions I have. I highly recommend a book by the late Jack Herer called The Emperor Wears No Clothes, which explains what makes this plant so special (to the extent that its planting and harvesting was actually mandated for a time during the Colonial era), and how an alliance of big government and big business directly profited from striking this crop from our consciousness and even our history.

In closing, for those who still doubt that the solution to the energy crisis is hemp, I'd like to show you this video of a car built by the legendary Henry Ford himself, which was not only built out of indestructible hemp fibers, but powered by hemp fuel. Picture your odds of surviving a major automobile accident in this piece of machinery, and then picture yourself in one of the bulky, poorly-constructed deathtraps built by Government Motors. ;)



did you write him to let him know? if not, how do you expect him to improve?

here's an email address if you need it: yourcomments@foxnews.com

make sure you mention his name so they can get it to the right place.

lynn

BarryDonegan
06-20-2010, 12:01 PM
There is no best energy source. All energy sources fluctuate in efficiency based on cost, and their costs vary based on a variety of circumstances. The only way to truly assess the efficiency of different fuels is to remove all disparate taxes and regulations and let the valuation prove the worth in real time.

evilfunnystuff
06-20-2010, 12:33 PM
There is no best energy source. All energy sources fluctuate in efficiency based on cost, and their costs vary based on a variety of circumstances. The only way to truly assess the efficiency of different fuels is to remove all disparate taxes and regulations and let the valuation prove the worth in real time.

Knowing how much hempseed can be produced and the very minimal resources it would take, it is hard to imagine anything that could compete on a level playingfield.

libertygrl
06-20-2010, 01:24 PM
Um....Nuclear Fission & Fusion are the best known energy sources. We could solve a lot of our issues if we simply abolished the EPA, and other bureaurocracies and let people invest in, and build Nuclear Plants. Energy prices would plummet. They'll be less demand for oil, and subsequently prices would drop. I'm sure there would be some companies interested in high speed RAIL's like in Japan. Probably something along the lines of say -- Tampa to Atlanta, Chicago to St. Louis, etc.

Anyways, I'm still really interested in the hydrogren design (for transportation). Anyone know the progress or viability of that?

That would probably be the way to go, but it freaks me out to think how Congress gave BP a pass all these years with all their safety issues. Yeah... not too thrilled with the idea of Nuclear Plants as our main power source. I'd rather go with something safer like Hemp.

RyanRSheets
06-20-2010, 01:42 PM
Let the free market find the cleanest, most efficient, safest energy source. I could care less what that energy source is, so long as we are free to go find it. More people have died of starvation under the oppressive measures to control things like nuclear energy than will ever die of nuclear accidents.

RyanRSheets
06-20-2010, 01:49 PM
That would probably be the way to go, but it freaks me out to think how Congress gave BP a pass all these years with all their safety issues. Yeah... not too thrilled with the idea of Nuclear Plants as our main power source. I'd rather go with something safer like Hemp.

Why not just put the plant out in the middle of nowhere? There is no reason a nuclear power plant should have to be placed close enough to civilization to cause more damage than the death of a few employees and the destruction of a power plant. Nuclear energy production has improved by leaps and bounds since Chernobyl, which was the result of a particularly poor lapse of judgement the first place. Yeah, there's the risk of the plant exploding violently, killing everyone in range, but why should there be more than a few people in range at any given time? Don't get me wrong, I think we should use hemp, but I don't think we should get dogmatic about it. Just try freedom on this issue.

teamrican1
06-20-2010, 02:16 PM
Knowing how much hempseed can be produced and the very minimal resources it would take, it is hard to imagine anything that could compete on a level playingfield.

Well, there is oil for one. Hemp is just another biofuel. Farming fuel is never going to be as efficient as simply drawing it from the ground. And there are a lot of negative environmental aspects to widespread use of biomass as fuel. See Brazil for a perfect example. De-forestation rates have been doubling in recent years. If the US went over to unsubsidized biofuel wholesale the Amazon rainforest would probably disappear within a decade. From an environmental standpoint, nuclear is the only sensible option. In a truly free market, oil would win. But none of that means the ban on hemp (or marijuana, or cocaine for that matter) is right. The government has no right to tell people what they can or can't grow, what they can or can't put in their own bodies, or what they can or can't use as fuel. If you want to drive around in your hemp fueled car made out of hemp while wearing your hemp suit that's your natural right.

Danke
06-20-2010, 02:20 PM
High speed rails are also a reason why we must stop subsidizing the airlines industry. It is in direct competition with the pretty much non-existent highspeed rail industry in this country, and by subsidizing the airline industry we are crushing the rail industry to death, stripping it of its potential to provide fast long-distance transportation.


Also, hemp AND nuclear power! Free competition! Let the industries compete so we can get the best of both worlds! And let oil compete too!

Freedom is always the answer.

I've always read the government takes more in taxes and fees from airline travel than it spends on the aviation infrastructure.

jmdrake
06-20-2010, 05:19 PM
Knowing how much hempseed can be produced and the very minimal resources it would take, it is hard to imagine anything that could compete on a level playingfield.

I will raise my earlier question. Hemp is legal to grow in other countries. Has hempseed oil beat out every other energy source in any other country?

roho76
06-20-2010, 05:41 PM
Um....Nuclear Fission & Fusion are the best known energy sources. We could solve a lot of our issues if we simply abolished the EPA, and other bureaurocracies and let people invest in, and build Nuclear Plants. Energy prices would plummet. They'll be less demand for oil, and subsequently prices would drop. I'm sure there would be some companies interested in high speed RAIL's like in Japan. Probably something along the lines of say -- Tampa to Atlanta, Chicago to St. Louis, etc.

Anyways, I'm still really interested in the hydrogren design (for transportation). Anyone know the progress or viability of that?


I agree with you that the EPA should be abolished, and nuclear power might be a great solution, but what about hemp? Are you not in favor of it? From what I've read, it can do most everything that nuclear power can safely, cleanly, and renewably while not harming the Earth or compromising human health.

I couldn't disagree with you more. All it will take is one Chernobyl and that will put the nail in Nukes. As is I won't live within 50 miles of one of those places and even that is too close for my comfort. Plus storage of waste and security are just as much issues as a meltdown. I think both nuclear energy and bombs are the devil. I think when we look to energy independence it should be truly independent as in on your property. Fuck buying energy units from some remote location owned by some power and money hungry asshole corporation that has influence over the government. If we all had to eat at restaurants and use mass transportation we would be screwed. We should look at energy like anything else.

Austrian Econ Disciple
06-20-2010, 09:11 PM
I couldn't disagree with you more. All it will take is one Chernobyl and that will put the nail in Nukes. As is I won't live within 50 miles of one of those places and even that is too close for my comfort. Plus storage of waste and security are just as much issues as a meltdown. I think both nuclear energy and bombs are the devil. I think when we look to energy independence it should be truly independent as in on your property. Fuck buying energy units from some remote location owned by some power and money hungry asshole corporation that has influence over the government. If we all had to eat at restaurants and use mass transportation we would be screwed. We should look at energy like anything else.

I don't understand this line of logic. We all cannot be farmers, energy producers, and produce everything we need, or want. This is simply impossible. Not every property has the required resources to sustain something like this. Hence, we have Division of Labor, etc.

Similarly, your analogy fails on a few accounts.

#1 A restaurant is in theory no different than the grocer. You leave the confines of your property, to seek out and buy food on anothers. It seems to me that we would be screwed as a species, if we all had to be specialists in all fields.

We would all be much poorer. This is one of the most basic tenets of economics. Moreover, storage and waste is almost a non-problem. The actual materials to produce the amount of energy is priced inconsequentially. Energy prices even taking into account a full free-market in energy, where insurance, bonds, liabilities, etc. are practiced would be far less even than the subsidized and distorted energy policies we have now. So, for instance: If it was cost-prohibitive, both in the present and future, or either or, to store the waste on the planet, there would be no reason the company, or companies would or could not jettison the materials into space, directed at another planet, or the Sun.

Secondly, just because you wouldn't want to live within 50 miles, doesn't mean that others might not want to. Chernobyl lest you forget was entirely State run, in a Marxist country. Not exactly a condemnation if I may say so. I would happily live within the 50 mile area if the price of energy was sufficiently low enough as to weigh against my subjective risk:benefit analysis.

I also do not understand the fetish of independance. I don't want to be fully independant. I don't want to be a farmer, an energy producer, an engineer, a carpenter, an electrician, a forester, etc. Nor, does total independance foster a wealthy society. It in fact, fosters the total opposite.

Again, it's the Government, not Capitalism that is the problem. The solution is not to isolate yourself, but to rid the system of its inherent criminalism -- Government. Something to ponder a bit.

TCE
06-20-2010, 09:59 PM
* No industry should be subsidized since it is unconstitutional and it kills innovation. Ideologically, it is using theft/taxation to redistribute wealth to whichever company the government likes. Without subsidies, the country would be a different place.

* If hemp, nuclear power, etc. were all legalized, know that they would be regulated to death. Those of you advocating legalizing nuclear power and hemp are thinking in the terms of a free market and not the U.S. market. Legalization is the first step, but deregulation must come soon after, otherwise the nuclear plants and hemp farms will be as inefficient as our other energy sources.