Modern America is about to embark on a new trek. It's a voyage we haven't undertaken in more than 30 years. We will soon begin the process of building a new oil refinery.

Arizona Clean Fuels - Planning the most technologically advanced clean fuel refinery in the history of the US

What makes this event so unique is the innovation of liberal Democrats, lawyers, and the eco-nazis. Only in America could a group of original thinkers create a beauraucratic nightmare that takes more than seven years overcome. That's what the permitting process for this new plant required.

Arizona refinery permit took seven years, Senate told

To gain some perspective on just how long seven years is, and what can be accomplished, think about some of our past efforts. World War II only took four years to win. And we put a man on the moon only nine years after President Kennedy established it as a goal in his innaugural address. Here are a few other projects and how long they took:

• HOOVER DAM - 5 YEARS
• WORLD WAR II - 4 YEARS
• MANHATTAN PROJECT - 6 YEARS
• PANAMA CANAL - 10 YEARS
• EMPIRE STATE BUILDING - 16 MONTHS
• GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE - 4 YEARS
• LANDING A MAN ON THE MOON - 9 YEARS

Admittadly, the Panama Canal took a long time. But remember, the French tried and couldn't get it done in any case, for any amount of money, no matter how long they tried. We also had to establish a whole new country (Panama) before we could get started.

Only in America could we develop a system of permitting so involved that it takes longer than the Manhattan Project to complete.

IS THIS A GREAT COUNTRY OR WHAT?

RJ

This is also a great argument for why it's about time the Cubs won a World Series. All of your great works combined took less time than the Cubs winning a World Series. What the hell is wrong with our country?!?

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"Government big enough to supply everything you need is big enough to take everything you have... The course of history shows that as a government grows, liberty decreases."

-Thomas Jefferson

World's tallest building - Petronas Towers, far east.

Fastest trains, maglevs in China, TRV in France

Longest bridge, Japan

And so on. Lets face it, other than a kick-ass military, we should become used to being second rate. It's really not so bad once you get used to it.

Well, at least we're still no. 1 in some things:

U.S. leads world in substance abuse, WHO finds - Yahoo! News

Woo Hoo!

Well now, it seems to me that our lack of innovation and creativity, is due to a lack of encouragement. Being a current victim of public education (yes, that is what I consider myself), I can say that no encouragement for thinking differently is ever put forth in school. Even in one answers a question in a differrent way, they student is deemed wrong, because "that is not the answer in teh book."

Also, look in the media, anyone who even dresses differently is looked at funny.

Lets face it, conformity is becoming, if it is not already, a mainstay in our current culture. And that is leading to our ultimate downfall from being Number One.

Think about what kind of innovation it takes to create new, great inventions. Let's look at the automobile, some guy thought of taking a combustion engine, putting it in a metal box, and putting wheels on that box, and putting people inside of it.

Very few people have the creativity to think in such non-conforming ways, and those who do are scorned by our culture, and lose hope of continuting.

If we want to be number one again, then it is my opinion, that different ways of thinking should be encouraged.



I think I just went a bit off topic didn't I?

See what public school does to you?

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"A man flattened by an opponent can get up again. A man flattened by conformity stays down for good."
-Thomas J. Watson