what a crime it is to invest American money in trying to get America off of foreign oil. oh the outrage (in Ben Stein's voice)

There's a difference between loans and direct subsidization.

You can bet your ass China is plowing money into alternatives to oil. Perhaps you'd like to let them take over the market, America can start making little plastic toys.

Take that $3.4B annually and add it to the $24B for green tech. Then triple it and make it an annual investment.

Big difference between subsidizing hugely profitable and well established companies, and subsidizing struggling startups working on creating new technology that will be required in the not so distant future if we want America to remain competitive in the global economy.

Does this include ethanol subsidies? The idea of burning your food for fuel never sat well with me.

I firmly believe in education and research and development. Subs wouldn't be posting on the internet if people in Government 50 years ago didn't believe in this as well.

Seriously, conservatives. I know that there's got to be at least a few of you with functioning brains.

Oil companies are the most profitable businesses in the history of humanity

Green industries have problems with slow adoption and economies of scale, but have great growth potential if they can get a foothold in the market.

One of these deserves subsidies, the other doesn't

I'd add this to the incredibly long list of things conservatives don't understand, but it was already on there. Thanks for reminding me though, Subby.

deadcrickets: I'm of two minds for it. I don't agree in ANY corporate welfare at all like most Libertarians. However, I agree with Bush Carter in that it's in our national interest in regards to security militarily and economically to be weened off foreign oil.

Yeah, we've been pretty slow on this one.

So this is it then?
They've got nothing left, and the campaign hasn't even started yet?
Is there some constitutional way to just skip the next 9 months of derp?

Remember kids that small green line is "run away favoritism". Funny also the 35 billion in guaranteed loans the Obama admin put out for the nuclear industry is completely ignored.

Serious Black: [www.greentechmedia.com image 640x284]

You were faster but I think a pie chart is better. :)

tinyarena: So this is it then?
They've got nothing left, and the campaign hasn't even started yet?
Is there some constitutional way to just skip the next 9 months of derp?

Didn't notice this when they swung towards social issues? This one was next on their list of sh*t to fling at the wall to see what sticks.

Aarontology: There's a difference between loans and direct subsidization.

No there isn't. Also, the president is a black man, did you know? Read more on breitbart.com

Which fuel should we invest in as a country?

Ones that become more and more expensive every year? (nuclear and fossil fuels)

Or ones that become CHEAPER every year? (renewable?)

Already solar is becoming cheaper than many fossil fuels. And that's not even counting the costs of the fossil fuel CO2 creation and other polution which is being passed on to the tax payers that we will have to deal with in the future.

lexslamman: One pollutes and funnels American dollars to countries who don't like us.

The other doesn't pollute and promotes home-grown entrepreneurship.

And one become cheaper every year to produce energy and the other becomes harder to get and more expensive.

They would have you believe that oil companies are completely on the dole, while solar and wind companies are heavily taxed entities in desperate need of some "tax breaks" and loans in order to alleviate the burden of producing their auspicious form of energy.

No, they would have you believe that oil companies are well funded businesses that are utilizing proven technology to turn a handsome profit and are not in need of subsidies, while "green" technologies are still very much in development and that we need to help them along in order to move away from hydrocarbon-based fuel sources, whether for environmental, national security or financial reasons.

Yeah but thats different.....just because.

WTF Indeed: Government money going to stop Whooping Cough: $30,000 a year
Government money going to stop Cancer:$857 BILLION a year!

The cigarette settlement money went into the general fund....it is not being used to stop cancer or research cancer or anything like that....it was used to redecorate the offices of politicians and their staff.

I came in here to say many things and found them all already said. Kudos, Farkers, for swiftly demolishing a trolltard headline.