The further to the left or the right you move, the more your lens on life distorts.

Thursday, October 11, 2007

Nobel Al

It’s likely that Al Gore will win the Nobel peace prize tomorrow. Good for him. After all, anyone who raises environmental awareness contributes to world peace, I suppose. Personally, I’d feel a little uneasy accepting a prize that the Nobel committee, in its infinite wisdom, awarded to that great statesman and peace activist, Yassar Arafat. But that’s just me.

I’m conflicted about the “Goracle.” On the one hand, I see him as a well-meaning environmentalist who has used extreme hyperbole coupled with flawed science to popularize the notion that humans are largely responsible for global warming and that global warming will lead, over time, to a “catastrophic” end for humans.

On the other hand, I sometimes think (perish the thought) that Gore is a bit more cynical. That he’s used the climate change podium to position himself for a run at the 2008 Presidency. It does seem a bit more than simple coincidence that a full-page ad just appeared in the NYT urging Al to put his hat in the ring. After all, with a Nobel around his neck and a “stolen election” in his past, he could be the one who submarines Hilary’s inevitability.

Here’s the thing. If Al Gore can accept the same prize awarded to a corrupt, murderous, thug (think about the fact that Arafat stole billions from the Palestinian people, did not have the courage to help Bill Clinton finalize the best opportunity for peace in the ME in a generation, sponsored countless terror attacks , etc., etc.), I suppose I can accept Al Gore as a presidential candidate.

I’ll dismiss the fact that his positions on geopolitical matters do not coincide with my own, that his politics are bit too far left for my taste, that his “no interest” rejection of calls for his candidacy in 2008 are laughable, I’d still give him serious consideration if he puts his policies where his purported environmentalism is.

If Al Gore commits to a 10-year, half a trillion dollar program to make the USA fully energy independent, I’d vote for him. Because the unintended consequence of such a program would make Al Gore a hard-core national security advocate. Although he’d never admit it, an Al Gore 10-year energy independence program (yeah, one that heavily taxes gasoline, risks throwing the USA into a recession, angers the oil and auto industry … that one), would gravely injure Islamofascism by cutting off enormous revenues to Islamist governments in the ME.

If Al Gore (and a Democratic majority in the House and Senate) accomplish just that, nothing more, I’ll accept the inevitable tax increases, the moronic acceleration of political correctness across our culture, the “useful discussions” and never-ending negotiations with thugocracies around the globe, and everything else that makes me uneasy, because its time to act on energy, and I’m worried that existing candidates on both the Right and the Left just won’t do it.

So … congrats on the Nobel, Al. Maybe you can parlay it into something that really will help your country. We’ll see.