It is such a blessing to live in a nation filled with experts on things that the average citizens can’t comprehend. But if the piece written by Mark Weisbrot, co-director of the Center for Economic and Policy Research (appeared in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, August 4, 2008) is any indication of expertness, he has a missing link in his evolutionary thinking. We are speaking of a think tank and his thinking has tanked big time. The man is living on another planet called out of touch with the real world of physics.

To wit: He says that if the mileage standards had been raised by 0.4 (four-tenths) of a mile since 1985, that cars and light trucks would be achieving 32 miles per gallon. Zounds or some such word applies. Snap your fingers, pass a law and solve the problem of mileage. Set aside the physical properties that control fuel usage and mileage by using government mandated edicts and all will be well. Just disregard vehicle weight, engine size and type, aerodynamic styling, internal moving parts friction, rolling resistance (tires contacting the road), driving habits and all will be magically solved by the wonderful ideas of the experts. He claims that such savings would yield 16 times more benefits that drilling would in 20 years. Twenty years? Some experts say 10 years, 15 years and others say 30. What’s with this doofus? Doesn’t he know what the other dofusses are saying? Excuse me! I forgot that he is an expert.

But then again, being an expert, he surely knows something we don’t. All the aforementioned physical properties that determine fuel mileage are the creation of the greedy oil companies working in conjunction with vehicle manufacturers, in a campaign of brainwashing to make us think the government can’t solve the problem by passing laws to set those pesky physical laws aside. Whew! Now we know the truth.

The expert wants a “green stimulus” package (he means taxpayer financed government projects) that will include mass transit, plus tax credits for building improvements using solar panels and insulation. It should be noted that the expert is speaking of more government leading the way for all of us ignorant citizens who think we should be able to buy what we want and use it as we see fit. There isn’t anything wrong with getting the maximum benefit in all things for the dollars expended, but we don’t need the government telling us how to do it or to make us pay for the processes, thank you very much, Mr. Expert.

Experts such as Weisbrot, never consider the hinter lands when pontificating on mass transit. Maybe he can tell us how to run a train track through the Ozarks, the Rockies and Appalachians, or maybe commuter bus lines that will enable everyone in Possum Grape, Strawberry, Romance, Oil Trough, and all the other small towns scattered across the landscape in Arkansas, plus the areas of all the other rural oriented states, that must be traveled each day. But since we aren’t experts in energy matters, we need his expertise on how to do country mass transit. But us country folks do have it figured out. It is called cars and trucks that are quite serviceable and which let us conduct our business on our schedule rather than the government mandated transportation politburo schedule, better known as “mess transit.”

Weisbrot says that all the wonderful ideas flowing from his mind will lift us from our economic doldrums, providing us with so many wonderful benefits they will even resurrect the housing market and the attendant construction businesses. Just think, nirvana and salvation is only one think tank idea away. But then he reveals his true colors with  All of these measures make a lot more sense than drilling for very little oil in environmentally sensitive areas, while trying to blame Barack Obama for rising gasoline prices. There you have his ideology. It’s pure Obama Mania. Substitute Obama’s name for Weisbrot and the picture is complete. He should be charged with plagiarism for stealing Obama’s ideas.

Give all of us a break and keep your thinking in your tank. We don’t need your advice. In Sorting It Out, we are quite well equipped to set our own individual policies for living. We don’t need your utopian expertise now or ever. You and the government butt out. Take Obama with you as well.

© 08-04-2008 DEC