Because you're intelligent and have strong opinions, you couldn't piss me off enough to where I would dislike you. I enjoy a good debate, as long as people know how to do it. :)
As for your first paragraph, I completely agree. I have no arguments against anything you said and it's a shame that more Americans don't know what goes on outside our borders.
I'm not going ot argue about who's pet causes have the most extremists. Being an extremist is a human trait and I'm sure there are people like that in both areas. Anytime you have a group of people who feel very passionate, there's the opportunity for extremism. Amnesty is a very good group though, they ride the line quite nicely. Hard enough to get things done, subtle enough to get the message into thick skulls. :)
As for the DWP, absolutely. I'm sure they do too. But I don't see any other power companies out here making an effort, at least in this area. They're doing it because they see a market for it, they see a profit, they're getting in on the ground floor so to speak. So it's motivated with capitalistic intentions, so what. As long as it's for a greater good, I don't give a fuck why they're doing it..,in this case anyway. I'm sure you heard about California's "energy crisis". So the DWP wants to buy solar panels for the LACCD and then sell the power back to us, good for them. They're finding alternative sources of energy that will save money in the end and do less harm. They want customers and that's understandable. They want to be the one power company, when we start having blackouts again, to be able to say, "Hey, we've got solar, we HAVE energy, come buy it from us." Understandable and everybody wins. It's a slow step with corporations, and though I'm sure they have their wasteful, resources-heavy moments, in the end California DWP is TRYING. They're trying to keep their company alive by finding a more reliable, renewable, cheaper source of energy. And in California, what's better to use than the sun? I go off, I know, but the point is, I've never seen a utilities company try so hard for green power than they have. They even offer their residential customers the option to use more green power than they have to, which I do. Sure, it costs a little more, but at least they're giving you that option, because they know this won't last and they want to stay afloat, nothing wrong with that. It just makes sense. I'm pretty cynical myself, but this is just plain common sense.
As for people helping themselves, yes, I fell prey to what I was rallying against earlier, thinking in terms of outside America. Yes, there are horrible instances where people literally CANNOT help themselves, that is not what I was talking about. I was referring more to the lazy bastards in this country, and I'm sure others, who could help themselves and choose not to. But I digress, if you're speaking of human rights, we're one of the richest and take what we have for granted. Once again, it's a shame that more people don't know what goes on outside our borders. I'm no better sometimes, because you can listen to the radio and read the papers all you want, but what I KNOW, what I really and truly KNOW is what I see, and that happens to be in this country. I too would gladly help out those who could not help themselves, if that is truly what is going on. Again with the cynicism though.
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momijizukamori
dude, you are such a people-hugger.
Date: 2002-03-13 08:27 pm (UTC)As for your first paragraph, I completely agree. I have no arguments against anything you said and it's a shame that more Americans don't know what goes on outside our borders.
I'm not going ot argue about who's pet causes have the most extremists. Being an extremist is a human trait and I'm sure there are people like that in both areas. Anytime you have a group of people who feel very passionate, there's the opportunity for extremism. Amnesty is a very good group though, they ride the line quite nicely. Hard enough to get things done, subtle enough to get the message into thick skulls. :)
As for the DWP, absolutely. I'm sure they do too. But I don't see any other power companies out here making an effort, at least in this area. They're doing it because they see a market for it, they see a profit, they're getting in on the ground floor so to speak. So it's motivated with capitalistic intentions, so what. As long as it's for a greater good, I don't give a fuck why they're doing it..,in this case anyway. I'm sure you heard about California's "energy crisis". So the DWP wants to buy solar panels for the LACCD and then sell the power back to us, good for them. They're finding alternative sources of energy that will save money in the end and do less harm. They want customers and that's understandable. They want to be the one power company, when we start having blackouts again, to be able to say, "Hey, we've got solar, we HAVE energy, come buy it from us." Understandable and everybody wins. It's a slow step with corporations, and though I'm sure they have their wasteful, resources-heavy moments, in the end California DWP is TRYING. They're trying to keep their company alive by finding a more reliable, renewable, cheaper source of energy. And in California, what's better to use than the sun?
I go off, I know, but the point is, I've never seen a utilities company try so hard for green power than they have. They even offer their residential customers the option to use more green power than they have to, which I do. Sure, it costs a little more, but at least they're giving you that option, because they know this won't last and they want to stay afloat, nothing wrong with that. It just makes sense. I'm pretty cynical myself, but this is just plain common sense.
As for people helping themselves, yes, I fell prey to what I was rallying against earlier, thinking in terms of outside America. Yes, there are horrible instances where people literally CANNOT help themselves, that is not what I was talking about. I was referring more to the lazy bastards in this country, and I'm sure others, who could help themselves and choose not to. But I digress, if you're speaking of human rights, we're one of the richest and take what we have for granted. Once again, it's a shame that more people don't know what goes on outside our borders. I'm no better sometimes, because you can listen to the radio and read the papers all you want, but what I KNOW, what I really and truly KNOW is what I see, and that happens to be in this country. I too would gladly help out those who could not help themselves, if that is truly what is going on. Again with the cynicism though.
(cont.)