Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Ranten n raven

Well, this morning's "hot" poll, in the paper is: "Should the national speed limit be reduced by 10 miles per hour?"

Sounds like another poli-tic-al plattitude to fix another non crisis; while quite possibly exacerbating a real crisis.

The argument years ago, that reduced speed limits, nationally, was so people would use less gasonline. I do imagine, that is the same premise we are dealing with here.

"Those who refuse to learn from history are doomed to repeat it."

The common adage is: "Follow the money."

OK, let's follow the money and see where this leads us.

Lately, more and more poli-tic-ians have been calling for mandating corn liquor in all gasolines.

The farmers basically benefit from this because they not only get subsidies to grow corn, but they also are getting increased corn prices.

The rest of the world, however, is struggling with increased prices for food.

Let's set that aside and return to the speed limit issue.

Say, the national speed limit is dropped by 10 MPH. Say use of gasoline dropped by 10%.

There is now, a less usage of corn liquor, and, in my understanding, there are problems with storing ethanol for long periods.

Would this, then, not create a need for a reduction in cookin corn liquor?

Then what would happen to all that corn that is sitting around on the ground?

How long would it take before the farmers were crying to the poli-tic-ians for more subsidies, because they can't get their corn sold?

Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against farmers. We need them!

However, we have not had real small family farming in years.

The small family farmers have not been able to subsist, because of all the gummint restrictions, and taxes.

On the other side of the coin, there is minimal policing of the highways, just because there is not enough money to maintain constant patrols.

Travel any major interstate in this country, and you will soon learn that the speed limit means nothing.

Speed limit through Iowa on the interstate is one of the lowest in the nation; yet every time I drive through there, the majority of traffic are blowing my doors off.

Somebody, is constantly coming up with new laws to "protect" us, yet, with no way to enforce the laws, much less the ones already on the books.

We are living in a post-modern world, where we are told there are no absolutes, there is no right and wrong; yet, we are being inundated with more laws.

Obedience to law, requires morality. If you are not a moral person, you ain't gonna abide by the law.

Unfortunately, crime does pay, and the chances of getting caught get less and less every day.

Add to this the idea that even if you are caught, you can usually get a lawyer to get you off or reduce the charges.

Kill someone? Why not, trial lawyers are waiting to find loopholes to get you off. And you can always sue the estate of the person you killed and get money.

Well, I have definitely wandered away on this one.

It ain't gonna do no good to reduce the speed limit.

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