Well, I know you're just kinda being flip about one little issue
(being able to get info from Berkeley instead of USGS
(Er...Geological Services??)), but I'm going to use your post as
a jumping off point for a little mini-rant about silly anti-
Federal statements. Which should spark a little post-solstice
fervor here since we have so many anti-Federal folk on list.
I find it really irritating and, frankly, intellectually chowder-
brained to have heard as many times as I have during these two
recent gov't shutdowns (and to have heard from people I consider
pretty smart & educated and people I know only as Joe Average on
the street) the attitude that "We're all getting along just fine
without the Federal gov't being in operation. That just proves
that it's all unnecessary!" To which I say, "Thbbbbppptthhhh!!"
The Federal gov't is *far* from shutdown. When Federal prison
gaurds go home, when they tell all military personnel to get off
the base and out of the submarines, when Border Patrol closes up
shop, the Coast Gaurd stops rescuing ships in distress, and the
US defaults on its several trillion dollars of debt, *THEN* we
can talk about the government being "shut down." And I'll be real
interested to see how many people are saying "See, we don't
really need the Federal gov't after all!" at that point.
I would certainly agree that there are areas of our society where
Federal influence should be decreased (though I am not for
abolition of the Federal gov't as some people on this list and
elsewhere are), but to point to the current "shutdown" as
evidence for not needing a Federal gov't is...well, it's stupid.
It's like tossing a little firecracker at your house and, seeing
that it did no damage, saying, "Aw, heck, go ahead and drop that
nuclear warhead on it!"
>
> later
> robert
>
I should note that though this mini-rant has been inspired by
Robert and Richard's posts, it is not directed at them
specifically, but at a general attitude that I have encountered
in several different places and discussions(from FC to the coffee
shop to the classroom) since the so-called shutdowns began.
-- Greg Ritter gritter@vcu.edu ritter@urvax.urich.edu http://www.urich.edu/~ritter