Friedman Unwittingly Reveals Unwholesome Fear and Dirty SECRET Solution

Quick Fact:

November 24, 2009; NYT - Stolen E-Mails Sharpen a Brawl Between Climate Scientists and Skeptics The University of East Anglia said ....[t]he incident came to light last Tuesday morning [Nov 17th]

Coincidence [As an experienced investigator, M.E. does not believe in coincidences] OP-ED columnist Thomas Friedman just happened to publish a very strange opinion piece that very same day: November 17, 2009; NYT - What They Really Believe OP-ED piece by Thomas Friedman

OP-ED Excerpts (read carefully):

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...the drill-baby-drill opponents of this [cap-and-trade] legislation ... believe the world is going to face a mass plague, like the Black Death, that will wipe out 2.5 billion people sometime between now and 2050.

But there are two other huge trends barreling down on us with energy implications that you simply can’t deny.

The energy, climate, water and pollution implications of adding another 2.5 billion mouths to feed, clothe, house and transport will be staggering. And this is coming, unless, as the deniers apparently believe, a global pandemic or a mass outbreak of abstinence will freeze world population — forever.

Now, add one more thing. ... more and more people can now see how we live, aspire to our lifestyle and even take our jobs so they can live how we live. So ...by 2050, ...many more will live like “Americans” — with American-size homes, American-size cars, eating American-size Big Macs.

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THE UNWITTING REVELATION:

Friedman reveals, in his opinion, that a mass plague that wipes out 2.5 billion people is the only other alternative, albeit a very poor one, to Cap and Trade legislation. Initially, he predicts a plague would have the same impact as Cap and Trade --- lower human demand for energy and water.

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Accordingly, Friedman (and ostensibly likeminded Democrat leaders) fear ordinary Americans are living too well, and as hordes in developing nations aspire to our middle class lifestyles, cumulative demand will deplete energy and water resources. Lifestyles of even America's elites (people with beach houses?) would then be endangered. Solution? Saddle middle class Americans with passed-along carbon taxes to lower their current lifestyles.

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Anyone else have serious doubts about Friedman's strange logic? To him, Cap and Trade is more about deterring world admiration of U.S. lifestyles, lowering yours and mine in the process, than allowing our powerful free market to respond, as it historically has, very well, by innovating.

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Friedman goes on to say:

And we believe that the country that invents and deploys the most E.T. [energy technology] will enjoy the most economic security, energy security, national security, innovative companies and global respect. And we believe that country must be America. If not, our children will never enjoy the standard of living we did. And we believe the best way to launch E.T. is to set a fixed, long-term price on carbon — combine it with the Obama team’s impressive stimulus for green-tech — and then let the free market and innovation do the rest.

So, as I said, you don’t believe in global warming? You’re wrong, but I’ll let you enjoy it until your beach house gets washed away. [color emphasis added]

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Is Friedman accurate? Examine the recent (October 30, 2009) evidence for yourself: Green Job Benefits - for China. And here is the underlying Wall Street Journal article Chinese-Made Turbines to Fill U.S. Wind Farm. Reality: U.S. taxpayers may expect 2,800 jobs, but only 15% of those would be in the U.S. China will get the 85% balance.

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Friedman overlooks relevant facts (utopians always will) and so he fails utterly to convince M.E.