Patriot Games 2

2 comments

1. George Smith

   February 12, 2014 at 1:11 pm

   To recite “The Predator State’s” James Galbraith, who devotes almost  a chapter to it, freedom in the state of the country, and to a lot of its citizens means only the “freedom to shop.” In this case, freedom to shop for coal. I’m also going to add that much of the coal is also being bought by China because of its energy needs and the available market to American coal, which has been controlled, to an extent, like tobacco. Galbraith goes a long way in explaining that the freedom to shop also includes the removal of standards and regulations because they get in the way of improvement and serve its most rapacious forms. A friend reliably informs that eastern PA is seeing a lot of snow, it’s been a cold winter. Paradoxically, there has been a shortage of propane, this in a state that has fracking and at a time when the industry in the country is producing more of it. The cost has skyrocketed. In January, said acquaintance went through a cylinder to heat their home. One cylinder of propane cost 1k, which seems crippling to me, an example of gouging in a time of need. So any benefit of excess supply is not even passed on because it has become more lucrative to sell it elsewhere and at higher cost. 

    
2. Frank

   February 12, 2014 at 5:51 pm

   I understand that there is also a propane shortage in Wisconsin.

    

   As for the coal, the Norfolk Southern has their coal terminal in Newport News, just across the James River. From time to time, I drive by there; there are mountains of coal awaiting shipment.  Sometimes there are as many as dozen coal ships anchored in the Cheasapeake just east of the CBBT waiting to take on their cargo because the port cannot accommodate them.