King Oil is rising in western Sibieria, according to a recent
National Geographic article. Formerly pockets of isolation and desolation, dilapidated slum-villages are now turning into thriving suburban areas. Nightclubs, museums, fancy schools, sports centers sprout in the towns. With better housing and job opportunities, they attract newcomers, and in sharp contrast with the rest of the country –the rest of Europe, in fact- there is positive population growth. The article barely pays lip service to the ecological and environmental impact of more than 70 billion barrels of crudie being exploited, often forcing out local nomadic tribes. One town even boasts a statue of an oil drop – I don’t think anyone in the Western World would get a free pass on that one. And even the fact that they are harsh on immigrants (mostly Muslims from FSU, lured by the low wages –but wages nonetheless- at the oil fields) doesn’t seem to bother the Geographic.
Of course, we here in the mighty US of A aren’t doormats either – two weeks ago ICE agents raided Agriprocessors, a kosher meatpacker in Iowa, and apprehended some 400 illegal immigrant workers. The action was carried out almost as brutally as the apprehension of 400 dangerous children from the “LSD” church, because they were severely abused by their Mor
monic polygamist parents. (Side note: an American veteran sent an angry letter to the NG editor saying he worked menial jobs all his life, contrary to their claim in their article “Mexico’s Other Border”, that illegal immigrants are an absolute necessity for the survival of the USA, and that Mexico treats its illegal immigrants from the south so nicely that they’re dying of overfeeding and excessive leisure. In fact, most find this decadence so repugnant that they prefer continuing to the US, where economic hardship forces people to face a harsher –but sane- reality). So why aren’t the other 20 million illegal immigrants raided as well? Ah, you don’t understand – we just don’t want to raise their suspicion. It has absolutely nothing to do with denunciations from far-left hatemongers. A few words criticizing Agri’s slave-oppression and eco-unfriendly methods couldn’t have aroused the ire of ICE.
ICE, of course, has nothing to do with Iceland’s new aluminum smelter, amply lambasted in the Geographic’s March edition. True, the smelter and the power supply necessary to operate it have far larger ecological impact than oil drills, and Western man has already triggered an ecological disaster or two. (Mentioning that nearly all such disasters have been foisted by the USSR and its satellites is beside the point.) However, the smelter was built with all the
ecomaniacs’ rules, regulations and restrictions, far, far away from any civilization. But the Geographic and its green goblins still want the smelter stopped and prevent future plants. Instead, they suggest Iceland fire up its economy by selling postcards, opening museums displaying ancient Nordic art, and promote tourism. These are all wonderful ideas, but I don’t think it could stabilize a country’s economy like aluminum production & export.
Let me please jam you with one more gem: Scientists, (
genius genius emeritus, a supra-species of humans who have the undisputable right to determine what’s good for the rest of
humanity – with that humanity’s money.) are hard at work in the LHC – Large Hadron Collider, a 17 mile long tunnel, some 60ft in diameter, located on the French-Swiss border. The tunnel is equipped with mega-magnets and other mammoth gizmos and computers. It is a particle collider, which scientists hope will help discover the Higgs Particle – a component of protons and neutrons whose existence is still a mystery. And what will they do once they find it? Jack. Scream eureka. Know it exists. But more seriously, the prospective discovery has no immediate goal. It would be one of the many important scientific discoveries that weren’t all that important, yet led to technological improvements- iPods, blue-ray disc etc. The article gloats about the USA finally losing its 1st place in physics, due to the LHC, yet forgets to mention any safety concerns.
The scientific community has an affinity to see the world as a mass of matter only, definable by a set of equations, completely excluding the spiritual. But G-d has an affinity to remind man that he has crossed the line in a rather tragic way. The Challenger and the Discovery space shuttles are but few examples of disastrous negligence prompted by conceit, often occurring when man forgets he’s still not big enough to “touch G-d’s face”.
And unless the mega-magnet cause an implosion of such mega-magnitude that would swallow the LHC with the twenty villages about it, you’ll never hear of its dangerous effects.
Forget all the doomsday scenarios; the mere fact of mega-magnets, unprecedented speeds and temperatures coupled with radiation and all those electro-magnetic fields are reason enough for concern. Yet the roughly 23 mi2 populated area of the LHC seems to be of no concern to anyone. But the
ecomaniacs, in cahoots with the scientific establishment fight nuclear energy, and additional exploitation of natural reserves tooth and nail. Shut Indian Point, don’t drill in ANWR, don’t build new refineries.
When senator Harry Can’t Reid (but O’Bama Can Wright!) was asked to consider stopping the use of corn for biofuels (as we sleazy right-wing gun nuts been
telling you, [look at end of last para], using corn for fuel drives up the price of corn – in turn, farmers grow corn instead of other basic foods, creating a shortage, obviously resulting in higher prices – and the avalanche goes on) he said he couldn’t believe there was any truth to those claims – but that he’d consider it nonetheless.
And guess who are the only ones not affected by the inflated prices? You’ve got it right – the leeches who live off welfare, foodstamps, section 8 and other government grants. They’re concerned with neither food nor oil prices. And they will invariably vote in the hand that feeds them.
The obvious conclusion is that both politicians and scientists see human beings as lab roaches. Your life means nothing to them. They’ll be kept in power by an illiterate populace that enjoys living for free, while the rest of us can drop dead as far as they are concerned. More and more rules and regulations will keep the undesirables who stand in their way weakened and vulnerable. Of course, we could rediscover local farming and start living a little more responsively. But the immediate reaction can only be tshuva and a lot of prayers. And stock up on ammo.
A lot.
© Joseph Izrael 2008
