McCain calls for $300 million prize for better car battery

[True blue (and gold)]

Actually, I thought he was talking about someone else.:irked: :lol:

 

Well, let me be the first to tell you...it's me! :lol:

[All Tell]

You can say my name and point your finger at me any time you like. It's not like those regular in P/R don't know who you are talking about, anyway. I do, however, feel secure in my belief that you do not use your "socialist" Obama references as a joke, as Math does with McCain's age.

 

Actually I wasn't referring to you.

[H]

What I am saying is simple- if alternative fuels were practical at a price that would be lower to consumers then gasoline is right now, than they would be being sold right now. I guess I am just not as optimistic that alternative fuels are cheap, at least not now.

 

Believe me, I'm no expert on this subject, you are going to win an argument here. But I believe that when the market is left to itself, it will correct itself.

 

 

I'm afraid I don't have as much confidence in the efficiency of the market as you do. I am reminded of a joke I heard once:

 

An economics professor and a grad student are walking along the sidewalk, and the grad student spots a twenty dollar bill on the sidewalk. He says, “Hey professor, look, a twenty dollar bill.” The professor says, “Nonsense. If there were a twenty dollar bill on the street, someone would have picked it up already.” They walk past, and a little kid walking behind them pockets the bill.

[cch5432]

I'm afraid I don't have as much confidence in the efficiency of the market as you do. I am reminded of a joke I heard once:

I'm afraid I don't get the joke, unless you are saying that I am the professor saying "If alternative fuels would be here by now if they were practical" and very soon, alternative fuels will be here? :confused:

[AcesFull]

So, should government subsidies in the form of military protection for Middle East shipping lanes be discontinued? Or should a "military protection" tax be levied on petroleum products to properly account for this overlooked government subsidy? Surely you're not suggesting that market forces govern the pace of alternative energy research, even as we actively subsidize the world price of crude oil through the use of our armed forces? Boy, do the Saudis have us by the short hairs--not only do we (the American taxpayers) foot the bill for the protection of their fabulously wealthy kingdom, we also provide protection services (free of charge) for their valuable product on the high seas, AND we refuse to fund the research necessary to end our addiction to their product. Did I mention that 15 of the 19 September 11 hijackers and a large part of AQ funding comes from there?

Nice attempt to change the subject! The subject was research into alternative energies and I am sorry if my reference to direct subsidies was not restrictive enough to preclude you from making another apples to oranges comparison. Protecting shipping lanes is a federal responsibility and I do not oppose the "subsidies" for the effort.

Is that why the federally-funded 1869 Transcontinental Railroad was completed 13 years before the first privately-funded competitor? In the case of developing efficient batteries, I'm sure additional resources wouldn't speed things along.

The Transcontinental Railroad was a large construction project - not unlike the later construction of the interstate highway system. The major technologies necessary for connecting the Atlantic and Pacific with rail existed. Companies were paid by the mile for applying that existing technology depending on the roughness of the terrain.

Yes, because we all know that the way to solve an addict's problems is to provide them with more of the substance they are addicted to. :creepy: :scared:

Yes the solution to our problems is to slowly allow ourselves to run out of energy or wait until gasoline and diesel becomes too expensive to fuel an economy capable of funding research into alternative fuels.

 

If a 100 mile car battery is woth $300 million, maybe it could be developed twice as fast with a $600 million dollar incentive. If a battery is worth $300 million, what kind of prize would the first person to harness fusion - or better yet, zero point energy? $300 billion? Throwing large piles of taxpayer money into research generally yields a poor return. (Take corn based ethanol, for example.)

[John Anthony]

Money does talk... I could get the laziest, most obese kid on my street to cut my grass for 100 bucks. Probably just a political prop though.

[True blue (and gold)]

Actually I wasn't referring to you.

 

Ok...I'll still be the fall guy then, because I do it, too.

[Jim Schue]

Money does talk... I could get the laziest, most obese kid on my street to cut my grass for 100 bucks. Probably just a political prop though.

 

:laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh:

[the mathemagician]

Actually I wasn't referring to you.

 

 

I thought you were probably referring to me. I can't remember "rolling my eyes" at any of your 893 socialist,anarchist, communist, comrade Obama remarks ,but I may very well have. If so, it was the most appropriate retort I could have offered .Those remarks are unfunny and inaccurate. By your own admission, you often make such statements to rile liberal posters. Again, I find nothing wrong with saying those things. They are not funny or accurate,but I can't see getting bent out of shape for the remarks you make about Obama, Clinton, or anyone else. There is nothing sacred about any of our politicians. I don't mind any of the remarks I read on here, including those about myself.Feel free to mention my name, if you like. I enjoy reading the positive posters as well as yours.

[cch5432]

I thought you were probably referring to me. I can't remember "rolling my eyes" at any of your 893 socialist,anarchist, communist, comrade Obama remarks ,but I may very well have. If so, it was the most appropriate retort I could have offered .Those remarks are unfunny and inaccurate. By your own admission, you often make such statements to rile liberal posters. Again, I find nothing wrong with saying those things. They are not funny or accurate,but I can't see getting bent out of shape for the remarks you make about Obama, Clinton, or anyone else. There is nothing sacred about any of our politicians. I don't mind any of the remarks I read on here, including those about myself.Feel free to mention my name, if you like. I enjoy reading the positive posters as well as yours.

 

Technically, wouldn't anarchism be closer to conservatives? I'm actually curious, it just made me think.

[Habib]

Technically, wouldn't anarchism be closer to conservatives? I'm actually curious, it just made me think.

 

If they are close to anything it could maybe the libertarian wing of the Republican party, but certainly not the conservative bloc. Libertarians spread across both parties too, but, if I'm not mistake they have a higher concentration in the Republican party.

 

Anarchists are just a different breed. Like, out there.

[HHSDad]

Money does talk... I could get the laziest, most obese kid on my street to cut my grass for 100 bucks. Probably just a political prop though.

I think a better analogy would be to say to the fat kid, if you cut my grass, I'll make sure all my neigbors give you $100. And by the way, don't forget that the voting for best neighbor is coming up.