The Conservative View: Cards and Politics

This week's Conservative View, by Adair County Commissioner Russell Turner (R-Stilwell).

The Conservative View
by Russell Turner

Cards and Politics

I have never fancied myself as being an accomplished card player, but knowing when to fold and get out of the current game is a trait that any good card player knows. When you are playing cards with one or two people you have a much better ability to set the tone of the game and insure that the game will be fair. On the other hand, if you get into a game where there are many players you have a much better chance of being taken to the cleaners, especially if some of the other players form an alliance. Everything in life is a game, if we learn how to play the game we will be successful; if we don’t, we run the risk of losing our shirts. The same can be said about international politics. In a little over a week our leaders will be attending one of the biggest games of chance that our country has ever faced. The United Nations' Copenhagen Climate Change Conference starts next week; the outcome of the meetings could mean the beginning of the end of U.S. sovereignty.

If our elected officials are foolish enough to sign off on the climate change agreement in Copenhagen, we Americans will be paying a high price for many generations to come. There are 192 nations attending including the United States, we will be 1 of 192 participants. Voting blocs such as the EU, the AU, and the "G-77" will likely pool their votes and negotiating resources to isolate the U.S. We could easily be standing alone and be a sucker ripe for the taking. While many developing countries would be exempt to the regulations, the United States would have to obey a host of regulations that would essentially tie one of our hands behind our back.

We would be required to cap green house emissions while other countries such as China would be exempt. American taxpayers would be required to help fund other nation’s attempts to improve their energy resources. We would be required to share new clean energy technology with other nations and there could be the possibility that the people that developed the new technology would receive no payment for their efforts. Maybe the well meaning socialists at the Conference in Copenhagen feel that they have a stacked deck and a sucker. I just hope that our representatives are smart enough to fold and leave while we still have a shirt.

If you wish to contact Russell Turner, or want to subscribe to his email loop, email him at rdrepublican@windstream.net.