Comment

Miscellany

April 1998 Vol. 219 No. 4
Comment

Bob Scott

Miscellany

You have probably read about a number of mergers of Russian oil companies in recent months, some of which are among the largest in the country and maybe in the world. In mentioning this to a friendly expat back in town on vacation (holiday, to our international friends), he replied with an interesting comment: "So what? When you merge two screwed-up operations over there you don't just get one that's doubly screwed up. It's more like screwed-up²."

Considering some of the recent antics of the Russian industry, one can appreciate his unabashed enthusiasm.

Sports utility vehicles (SUVs) have been taking a hit lately from Ozone Gore's goofeygreen minions and their fellow travelers in the press.

It seems these brightlights have suddenly discovered (A) that SUVs burn more of those evil fossil fuels, gasoline and diesel, than most autos do, which they think will enhance their global warming sky-is-falling scare story and (B) they're heavier and bigger than many cars, hence posing a health hazard to drivers of the latter in collisions.

Well, they do burn more fuel than a lightweight Hakakazi Midget, which will usually come out on the short end of a collision with an SUV. Of course, that has to do with mass, acceleration, velocity, friction and other such stuff which also applies to getting smacked by a locomotive at a railroad crossing, an 18-wheeler, an M1-A1 battle tank, a full-sized car of any sort or anything else that's bigger and heavier than the Midget. And that's precisely why people like SUVs — they're safer, because of their mass and people are willing to cough up more dinero to buy one and for that extra gasoline and diesel.

It's apparently not enough that government-imposed fuel economy standards on auto manufacturers led to downsizing cars in the first place. The environuts apparently now want to make all vehicles the same size and weight to "equalize" risks. Well, we know a good place to start if they're really serious.

First, get rid of all those big, black Secret Service Suburbans, the biggest of the SUVs, that tag along in motorcades after Billy Jeff, Ozone and other big wheels who zip around importantly in those big black limos — which also will have to go. Henceforth, everyone in government should travel in a Hakakazi to set an example. And what's more, they should be electric Hakakazis.

Now no one in his right mind can swallow these SUV stories, except maybe Ozone as long as he can keep his limo. The one who hasn't swallowed it, however, is Ozone's wife Tipper. We hear she just acquired a Lincoln Explorer SUV, which sets an example of another kind.

If Tipper doesn't buy into his BS, there's sure no reason anybody else should.

From the March 18 Houston Chronicle, the only daily newspaper serving the oil capital of the world:

"Unleaded gasoline fell 0.35 cent to 44.89 cents per gallon; heating oil dipped 0.04 cent to 38.48 cents per gallon, and natural gas was unchanged at $2.155 per thousand square feet." (The italics are ours).

Son of a gun! If gas is $2.155 per Msf, that translates into 2.155 ´ 2.155 ^1/2 = $3.164 per Mcf.

Obviously, you producer types are better off than everybody thought.

The Far Eastern Economic Review published in Hong Kong and an authority on events in China, recently reported a fascinating — indeed, even flattering — story out of that country.

It seems like a " veteran Chinese propagandist," one Yu Quanyu, so greatly admires Western propaganda skills that he has recommended Chinese Communist Party officials study and "assimilate" those skills so they can "engage in a public opinion struggle with our political adversaries."

Mr. Yu is director of the Press and Media Institute of the Chinese Academy of Science. In the Chinese journal Ideological and Political Work Studies, he cited as examples of skillful propaganda a series of speeches delivered by a noted American at an international meeting in Beijing sometime back. Each speech, he wrote, lasted 15 minutes and got seven to eight rounds of applause. Further, he said, the speeches were short, had little or no substance and no reasoning, and were "aimed at merely wining applause and votes," a real compliment coming from one propagandist to another.

So who was this American expert on deliberately spreading "ideas, facts or allegations to further one's cause or to damage an opposing cause," as one dictionary defines propaganda?

Well, if you have been keeping up with the news lately, you probably know who is in charge of the White House's recently accelerated propaganda program. That effort most certainly qualifies as a public opinion struggle, as Mr. Yu put it.

If you haven't guessed, those speeches that had no substance and no reasoning behind them and were aimed only at generating applause and votes were made by Hillary Clinton at the International Women's Forum in Beijing in 1995.

Item from a recent issue of The Washington Times:

"Undeniably, character does count. Both through our words and our examples … we must nurture our children …. "I ask that all Americans demonstrate in their personal and public lives, and teach actively to our country's children, the high ethical standards that are essential to good character." (the italics are ours)

Who said that? Billy Jeff Clinton in a proclamation for National Character Counts week. Some nerve.

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