Why is the US congress funding opposition parties in other countries?

[Sazar]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=589&ncid=721&e=8&u=/ap/20040819/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/venezuela_recall

now I don't know about you... but WHY exactly does the US want to influence elections in another country?

Abdul said Sumate — which has received a $53,400 grant from the National Endowment for Democracy, which in turn receives funds from the U.S. Congress

and thats just this party...

/me shakes his head...

and venezuela is not even a problem nation... but they do have oil :cool:

[UDawg]

Saz oil is what the WHOLE western oil runs on. If we don't have it we shut down. Get used to it. This isn't any secret but the left keeps crying about it but they wont let us get our own oil and they shut down the nuclear plants. Oh but they will put up usefull alternative sources for oil like windmill generators. :thumbsup:

It is your sides fault that we have not shifted from oil to other energies.

Now that being said I don't want US money funding anyone else but the US. I am against forgien aid.

[Rakeesh]

Something the left doesn't seem to take into consideration: Most alternative fuel sources require other energies to produce.

Hydrogen is a good example. In order to extract hydrogen from water, you have to use electrolysis which naturally requires a lot of electrical energy. Where do you suppose we get most of our electrical energy from? Oil and other fossil fuels. Natural power sources, such as windmills, hydroelectric dams, and solar panels won't be enough to provide a constant supply of hydrogen fuel. The only really good alternative source would be nuclear power.

FWIW Many republicans have been pushing for nuclear power (especially John Mcain) however many dems ardently oppose it.

[Clay]

Haven't windmills been shown to kill birds? Windmills + spotted owls = http://www.nvnews.net/temp/cow.gif

[vampireuk]

There is a new technology break through that allows the extraction or storage of hydrogen without another fuelsource, but it is still below the level to be considered efficient at the moment.

Hell the UK apparently has enough coal reserves to keep the country going for another 100 years.

[jnd3]

now I don't know about you... but WHY exactly does the US want to influence elections in another country?

'Cause it's cheaper than sending the Marines? ;)

But remember, it's not Congress' money. It's the taxpayers' money.

[Riptide]

Go nuclear. It has been and still is the best alternative source of energy generation. Once they finally manage to get fusion reactors going (if ever) then we'll be in much better shape.

[Rakeesh]

There is a new technology break through that allows the extraction or storage of hydrogen without another fuelsource, but it is still below the level to be considered efficient at the moment.

Hell the UK apparently has enough coal reserves to keep the country going for another 100 years.

Hmm...I wonder if hydrogen would be suitable enough to power entire cities? AFAIK it isn't as things currently stand, but I could be wrong.

Hydrogen would be the way to go if so though. It's completely clean burning (no carbon involved whatsoever as with normal combustion reactions that you get with natural gases which are also considered "clean burning": H2 + O -(h)-> H2O, the product is just pure water vapor) and it has a very high energy yield, much higher than fossil fuels, and IIRC, natural gases too.

[vampireuk]

Also wind farms are not going to work for the US, the country is way too big. In the UK we are apparently building offshore windfarms, they say 18 new offshore windfarms would give power to 2 million homes.

[Rob_0126]

I could see the mid west ok with windmills, because of the mountains, but over here on the east coast, I dont think so.

Hydrogen power would be the best solution, since the majority of the planet is covered by it.

[Sazar]

Now that being said I don't want US money funding anyone else but the US. I am against forgien aid.

I'd rather have foreign aid than funding for opposition parties in other countries... thats just wrong...

[Rakeesh]

I could see the mid west ok with windmills, because of the mountains, but over here on the east coast, I dont think so.

Why not? Just build one big giant windmill so that you can intercept the next hurricane, and all of that energy will power your cities long enough for the next hurricane to come and renew it :D

[Rob_0126]

Why not? Just build one big giant windmill so that you can intercept the next hurricane, and all of that energy will power your cities long enough for the next hurricane to come and renew it :D

If we had the technology to make a windmill that could handle a hurricane, then we might be better off now.

[Riptide]

If we had the technology to make a windmill that could handle a hurricane, then we might be better off now.
Assuming there was a year round hurricane to power it or you had a revolution in battery technology that could store huge amounts of power for large lengths of time. Batteries are really holding us back in a major way.

[UDawg]

I'd rather have foreign aid than funding for opposition parties in other countries... thats just wrong...

I don't want either and I don't think there is a difference. You are aiding that party so it is foreign aid. All administrations do this and I don't like it.

[Rakeesh]

I don't want either and I don't think there is a difference. You are aiding that party so it is foreign aid. All administrations do this and I don't like it.

You know, this is almost exactly how I think/feel, but you can't ever tell anybody else that without them getting pissed off at you and/or accusing you of being fascist.

[Son Goku]

Sounds like deja vu, and I don't like the interference if one will, in foreign elections; meant to influence the outcome in a "democracy". This is nothing new though, and has been going on for a fair amount of time. No one admin has a monopoly on it either :(

Different altearnative sources could be viable in some places. Solar cells in Western CA, up around the area of Death Valley should get a fair amount of sun (though no one lives there and power would have to be transported). Some places like New Mexico also see a fair amount of sun...though other areas of the country such as where I am now, there hasn't been much in the way of sunny days all summer from what I hear.

IIRC, this is one area where some info from the Israelis might be of use. They, as a country don't exactly want to be more dependent on Arab oil then they have to be; for, well obvious reasons. They might have some developing know how which others could benefit from ;)

[Drumphil]

You are aiding that party so it is foreign aid.

only if the party in power is corrupt and takes the money for itself rather than actually spending it on important things. giving money directly to a political party as is being talked about here, you can be certain that the money will be used directly by the party to further their own ends.