On 18-Feb-2005, Scott Weiser wrote:

Yup, but you fail to recognize that the regulatory climate in the US

Regulations have nothing to do with it. The US cannot increase its
capacity by 25% overnight. You don't have the reserves. I used to
work in the oil industry and specifically did research on US Arctic
exploration for companies like Chevron, Exxon, etc.

You fail to understand the degree to which America consumes compared
to its ability to produce. But ignorance seems to be your specialty.

Given the stimulus to provide our own electricity, we can do so.

With what? More multi-billion nukes that don't work? How about
gas turbines? - quick to install - no wait, they require natural
gas, which imports from Canada you'd lose. How about dams on
rivers - uhh, no more rivers to dam. I guess you'll have to stick
to hamsters in wheels.

Temporary impediments only.

If US industry can so quickly recover from a loss in capacity,
then that means your previous claims about the importance
of corporate welfare are bogus. If corporations can build
efficient capacity quickly, then there is no reason to support
any company - just let it die and it will be replaced.

it's time to amend the
pacts so that our economy suffers no harm.

Your economy is suffering because you are spending money you
don't have, are importing more than you export and are wasting
more than the vast majority of the world's population. Corporate
America has been using whatever means it has to shift to cheap
imports to boost shareholder value at the expense of long term
US value. Nothing to do with trade agreements.

Mike