> It's an issue we're too simple minded to comprehend . . .

Yes indeed; its just one more example of ignorant americans "clinging to guns and religion" - - that these elitists from the lowly ms. Esq. -- to the very top of their presidential ticket, keep ranting about.

Come to think of it, didn't some pinko commie (please take note note of my appalling ignorance there) say something along those same lines - something about religion being the "Opiate of the Masses"?

Indeed he did! I just looked it up on Wikipedia. It was Karl Marx! - actually; ranting about why people were not interested in his reforms, blaming it on religion numbing the people, so that they couldn't feel the pain of their own oppression. That is why all communist nations tried to ban the practice of any religion. And Indeed; it was religion, combined with a tougher than tough cold-war opponent that finally brought them down.

My point? Only that these elitists have nothing against the NCRA per se; but that the NCRA is being used to further a hidden political agenda - it is not to protect the environment. Thus we see continuous interference with virtually every public or private project intended to facilitate commerce; even those helpful to the environment, such as railroads.

It is indeed beginning to become transparent. Even us unwashed ignoramuses can put two and two together now and then - and we do see the emerging pattern here. It is those "me-too elitists", such as ms Esq, who have been educated beyond their intelligence, that don't seem to get it!

From a real environmental science standpoint, they are way over the top with their extremist junk science, such as MTBE, ethanol use, oil production restrictions, etc, etc, etc. The list is legion! These have caused enormous economic dislocation and worldwide food shortages and hunger - indeed much human suffering. I can't even begin to imagine the economic and environmental harm that their global warming policies will bring - not to mention the human suffering.

Moreover, they have not helped the environment one iota, but have instead seriously hurt it. Much California ground water has already been poisoned by MTBE (without any improvement in air quality - while wasting fuel besides). They also forgot that alcohol production releases enormous amounts of carbon-dioxide (the environmental scapegoat de jure ) into the atmosphere. And I won't even mention that if we produced our own oil, we would have no need for military force to keep commercial lanes in the middle east open. We could have left that to the bumbling Europeans to bumble for themselves.

It is a sad fact; that the environmental movement has been thoroughly and completely hijacked (so has the whole country). The father of conservationism, John Muir, is rolling in his grave. An otherwise good cause is being used to hide an otherwise obvious socialist agenda. How? According to Karl Marx, anything that helps bring about the collapse of capitalist economies, furthers the cause. They may not be achieving any environmental benefit; but they sure do seem to be achieving old Karl's agenda. And they will continue to do so;

Unless we vote out the pandering politicians who keep giving them power! --- Oh I forgot, some of those pandering politicians are elitists themselves. I wonder if those are not also Marxists, since they seem to talk a lot like him (note that Marx made no distinctions himself between the various "ism" associated with him - according to Wikipedia).

If we don't vote them out (and we probably won't) we will not long need railroads - we will just have to find something else to argue about on forums like this!

Now, if only we could all just figure out which politicians are the elitists (covers all "ists" and "isms")

If we can't -- I guess we just D.R.I.P. on them . . . (Don't Return Incumbent Politicians)

Sorry for the cheeky rant - but all this bull-bleep just gets my goat. But I guess now with that off my chest, I can go back to enjoying the most wonderous of all of mankind's inventions - at least for a while!

OPB