Political Crusaders

[Terri]

By Thomas Sowell
April 16, 2008

The latest political crusade is the crusade to replace ordinary light bulbs with the new CFL light bulb that is supposed to save electricity, reducing the need for fossil fuels and helping the fight against global warming.

Since crusaders seldom stop to weigh the cost of what they are advocating, it is especially important that the rest of us do so before we get swept along by rhetoric and emotions.

With the CFL light bulb, the initial cost -- several times that of a regular light bulb -- is only the financial cost. A bigger problem is what to do if a CFL light bulb breaks.

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[FlaJim]

Been stocking up on old fashioned light bulbs for about a year. A number of years ago, I stocked up on freon, too. A very profitable move, as it turned out.

Seatbelt usage were mandated in Fla 17 or 18 years ago. Stats released by the Fla Dept of Transportation the following year showed a higher incidence of crash injuries for those who wore the belts and the stats were never publicized again. Regardless, I haven't worn one in nearly 40 years because the first one I tried trapped me in the vehicle. Had to cut myself out with my pocket knife - another no-no today.

My doctor doesn't know I smoke, remarking that all my vital signs would be very poor if I did. I've been smoking for over 40 years.

Now the EPA, backed up by SCOTUS, is telling us not to exhale, in effect, because we're poisoning the atmosphere.

What an entertaining parade of clowns.

[thomas]

Amen brother! Common sense has been thrown out the window!
The Old Chief

[greg]

Been stocking up on old fashioned light bulbs for about a year. A number of years ago, I stocked up on freon, too.

That's one way to do it. But, when you run out, and the manufacturing base goes away, we get totally stuck with the toxic Communist China mercury.

A concurrent way is to start telling our Congress Critters to get smart, on pain of getting fired at term's end (implied, when there's enough of us conservatives and cranially-populated liberals), and repeal that law before we lose the manufacturing base. (We can recover the base, but it won't be fast.)

That is the best way to keep the lights on, without being beholden to an enemy who has sworn to wipe us out like Ahmedinejad has sworn to wipe Israel out. Two birds.