Drill Like Brazil

Ramirez. Drill like Brazil. Drilling rigs are infrastructure too:

Such investments could have a similar beneficial impact on the American economy, and the irony is that the oil companies are willing to use their own money here if we let them. Yet, even more restrictions on U.S. domestic production are planned.

Thanks in part to a relentless pursuit of domestic energy resources to complement its ethanol production (an "all of the above" energy plan like that proposed by Republicans during the campaign), the Brazilian economy grew 5.8% in 2008 and is projected to expand 2.9% even in a tough 2009, according to the median estimate of 16 economists surveyed by Bloomberg.

This could create 160,000 new jobs. And why kill our auto industry? Charles Krauthammer:

I think it is absolutely insane. On the one hand we have an auto industry in Detroit which is at edge of extinction, and we are keeping it alive with billions of your money and mine.

On the other hand, we are now adding on to it regulations that are going to be crushing.

Look, how did the auto industry get in trouble in the first place? Even in fat times, Detroit had trouble because the under regulations, the standards imposed on it, it had to produce small cars which nobody would buy in order to sell the big cars, which would sell and create a profit.

We had soviet-style production mandates required even in the absence of a market. This is going to add to this in this situation of crisis already happening in Detroit.

I mean, it's the government strangling the patient as it administers oxygen--expensive oxygen on our money.

Detroit News here.