I am a Duran Duran fan, but Simon please worry about England's environment, a leave it to the Americans to worry about our environment. Nothing irritates me more than people from other countries that try to dictate American politics (like Bono from U2). I also do not like when America sticks her nose in other countries politics.
Per Karl Marx's Communist Manifesto, one way to communism is through environmentalism. Convince the people that we are destroying the environment and the government can pass more laws and take more control over the peoples lives. As you already know control is taken through legislation and taxation. Of course I need to realize that Robert Redford is a typical Hollywood elitist who is not worried about excess taxes because he has already made his millions. I am just a typical middle American who is already over taxed and does not count in the eyes of Hollywood. However, it is middle America that goes to the movies, concerts, plays, and buy Cds. Therefore, we give people like Robert Redford his paycheck. I am tired of people in the entertainment business spewing their propaganda, then think we the people should just accept it because they are ''stars".
Being in a free market one knows that the market will dictate the economy. There is no shortage on oil. If there was a shortage, I can gurantee you automobile manufactures, tire manufactures and any other manufacturer whose existence depends on oil would be investing millions to try and find an alternate resource. There is no sense of urgency with these manufacturers which tell us that there is no shortage. Again the government wants to stick their noses into the business of these companies through taxation and legislation.
Robert Redford, mentioned Global Warming. Well Global Warming is a Hoax. Once again we are supposed to believe the propaganda that the government and hollywood spews, but the evidence is the contrary. Recently in the Washington Post (this was in the last two weeks)they had an article about how Antartica has actually gotten about 10-14 degrees colder since 1986. Yet we have been told it was getting warmer. I guess these scientists (who work for the government) were not being consistant in their tempature measurements. Therefore, I guess the polar ice caps are not melting. Funny, prior to Global Warming we were brain washed to believe in Global Cooling. Environmentalist wacko Paul Ehrlich back in 1970 claimed the earth was cooling. In fact he once predicted(around 1970) that in 10 years all important animal life in the sea will be extinct. He also stated that 5 years is all we have left if we are going to preserve any quality of life. Again he made these statements in 1970. Also around that time Life magazine predicted by 1980 we would all need to wear gas masks. These predictions never came true, then the Global Cooling fad went away and along came Global Warming. It is more propaganda.
I respectfully disagree with yours and Robert Redford's opinion. I love the music Duran Duran makes, good luck on the up and coming CD. I will be one of the middle Americans that buy it. Dennis
"Dear Dennis,thank you for your letter, I appreciate your point of view but bar your opinion of RR (of whom I have no particular opinion) and your attitude to taxation in general I can agree with very little of it.
Your rather patronising request to "please worry about England's environment, a leave it to the Americans to worry about our environment." is not only pompous, given the fact that 'the environment' in question is by definition a world issue it is quite absurd.
I would draw your attention to the 1985 nuclear accident in Chernobyl and resultant radio active fallout, the effects of which are still being seen as far away as Italy.
There is a well documented area of ozone depletion which seriously affects the southern hemisphere particularly New Zealand and southern Chile and Argentina. Do you think that was caused only by the people in those countries? With their fridges and their aerosols?
"Well Global Warming is a Hoax." I am astounded by your ignorance. One only has to regard the extreme changes in world weather patterns and actually the steady reduction in area of the polar ice caps winter after winter to know that global warming is happening. It may not be what you want to hear but it's time to get your head out of the sand and maybe out of the oil corp. PR machine's arsehole.
As for "one way to communism is through environmentalism." Whether Karl Marx wrote it or not; I really can't take it seriously and if you honestly believe that, I can only suggest that it is you my friend who is the victim of propaganda.
respectfully yours, s