Increasingly, but now only a lightly utilized technology that soon will alter dramatically our economic theories of value, solar energy unbelievably will modify every nation’s model of what it costs to live a daily life. Put a few solar panels up in deep Africa and electricity will convert every human activity to an unexpectedly wonderful life style. Put a few panel arrays up in our backyards and the electric bill will disappear – electricity for free after installation. Electricity will be so free that home gas furnaces virtually will disappear.
Automobiles, trucks and boats already are moving toward solar. Industrial factories already are maximizing solar. The issue with solar energy is that it is provided free by our Sun. This does not sit well with fossil fuel investors. Interestingly, fossil fuel is so in charge of global economy right now that any shift to something else will cause significant disruption to world economy. It will settle out in a decade or two but the many investors who ride on fossil fuel will have to sing and dance a bit. Fortunately, both political parties are in favor of improving the US infrastructure; mariner doesn’t think the Donald party is happy about the upgrade to solar; his party is standing in oil up to their buttocks and can’t wait to remove all the Russian sanctions so Exxon, Donald and Rex can make a billion or two….
Given the displacement by free electricity of oil as an international commodity standard and further, the massive drop in the number of jobs that are dependent on the combined transportation and oil economies, does the reader think these changes will force a philosophical shift in how governments deal with work in general?
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Speaking of work, another question: Will the US finally concede to a required universal draft for a couple of years of young people to do government work? Even more necessary, how about a required universal draft for a couple of years of folks when they start retirement? The mariner ponders whether this could be a permanent solution to keep the voracious US budget under control AND confront joblessness while the culture eases into a new work concept? (Don’t tell anyone that FDR already did this to lift the US out of the Great Depression)
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The mariner worries about the abortion issue. There are valid human values about not having an abortion – there are valid human values about the right to have an abortion. The US principle of freedom to worship seems not to be a sufficient ethic to sustain the right to either one. The same applies to euthanasia although six States have begun to regulate the right to die. The mariner would be interested in new, untried solutions to abortion and euthanasia. He is NOT interested in lectures or advocacy about current opinions.
Speaking of population control, another question: sitting at seven billion people, there already are far more than the planet can support – evidenced by the quickening day each year the Earth can no longer provide replacements for what seven billion people consume.[1] When will the imbalance of wellbeing be addressed? This question must be answered long before humans reach twelve billion.
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A clear example of the opinion that governments aren’t run like businesses is visible in the manner which Donald and his cabinet are dismantling unwanted policies in the Departments. With one instruction, Global Warming no longer exists and therefore has no need of resources currently working on its policies; only one rationale exists for the Environmental Protection Agency: don’t interfere with fossil fuel. No doubt the same attitude will follow with regard to Agricultural chemicals. Department of Treasury is taking longer because Congressional jurisdiction is more direct.
Mariner opines that some lawsuits are forthcoming because one cannot run a government the same way one runs a business. The lawsuit mariner waits for with desperation is one with the word emolument in it.[2] It must be a lawsuit rather than impeachment – with this Congress?
REFERENCE SECTION
Mariner was browsing quote websites. It is quite entertaining and insightful as well. Try it sometime. On this occasion, he was reading Winston Churchill who has many pages of quotes. Here’s one:
I like pigs. Dogs look up to us. Cats look down on us. Pigs treat us as equals.
Remember Bob Edwards? He said one of mariner’s favorites:
Now I know what a statesman is; he’s a dead politician. We need more statesmen.
Ancient Mariner
[1] See: http://www.overshootday.org/
[2] See: https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2016/12/trump-could-be-in-violation-of-the-constitution-his-first-day-in-office/509810/