The pre-Socratic Greek philosopher may have been the first to say that prophetic quote, but we Americans are witnessing it today at an accelerating pace like never before. Add to that the Mark Twain quotation “The only person who likes change is a wet baby” and we have a good idea about the state of the nation’s concerns. Let’s consider Politics first, drawing some insights from a current book written by influential Portuguese political scientist Bruno Macaes – “History Has Begun”:

  • Contrary to what many pundits are saying, America is not declining, but rather is where history is beginning by moving into a post-Enlightenment and post-capitalist climate.
  • Whether you are for or against Trump or Biden, they each play a necessary role that extends the political playing field further on both sides.
  • Political change – both national and global – is driven by economic and safety concerns, and technology is the ultimate arbiter.

Next, to Covid-19, a political hot potato both domestically and internationally.

  • Each country has slapped in place their own version of “shelter-in-place” and “social distancing” that gets cheered by one side and condemned by the other.
  • The statistics can be manipulated to support either side. People favoring safety push for more extensive restraint, people favoring economic recovery want less. But as of early September, a growing World consensus wants economies to open up sooner rather than later.
  • Younger students and their parents as well as people just beginning their careers perhaps feel the brunt of the measures being taken.
  • Humans are resilient social animals who have survived pandemics much worse than Covid-19, but we often feel overwhelmed by the day-to-day frustrations. But America will find its bearings and get out of mess that the world has bought on itself.

Next, to climate change, another political football that has been kicked around for over twenty years. Noam Chomsky’s latest book, “Climate Crisis and the Global Green New Deal,” has stirred up interest in a topic of declining importance to most people. (Who cares about temperature increasing by a couple of degrees in a hundred years if you lose your job and can’t pay bills?)

  • It offers nothing but a rehash of what has already been stated, hyping that time for reducing carbon dioxide emissions is running out, etc. etc.
  • It pushes the Democratic party’s green new deal but warns that “special interest groups” will neuter it.
  • It warns of dire consequences if the U.S. doesn’t endorse the Kyoto Agreement.

We have also read “Cool It,” written in 2010 by Danish statistician Bjorn Lomborg, who dug into the voluminous climate change data. (By the way, he briefly mentions “Climategate,” which exposed via extensive leaked EMails that some researchers and environmental activists deliberately misled the public.)

  • Good climate data extends for at most 200 years, a time short time period from which to extrapolate many decades (or further!) into the future.
  • Climate change (at least the hype has switched away from just global warming) occurs throughout all geologic time periods.
  • It is possible that Man has caused perhaps 50 percent of the recent (though suspect) climate change trends.
  • The focus on carbon dioxide from fossil fuels is misguided! It is a minor contributor, and the Kyoto Agreement/Paris Protocol ignores the severe economic costs and miniscule benefits contained in a carbon tax.
  • The book offers a sensible approach for discussing climate change, but warns that there are so many interrelated as well as unknown factors that reaching a tangible consensus will be difficult. However, the “doom-and-gloomsters” are wrong. Their environmental doomsday clock is not ticking as fast as they hype.

So, what does Allied Resource Partners make from all of the above? We set aside all the rhetoric and short-term confusion to focus on our current strategy. And when we do so, we are undeterred. We plan to keep our strategy “as it is.”

  • Keep funding and drilling on the leases we already own.
  • Keep looking for additional leases that we can pick up while the competition is running for cover.
  • Keep improving the way we run our business so we make money for our partners and ourselves while strengthening our business network among partners, vendors, and consultants alike.

Please contact us if you would like to hear more about what we have in mind.

Stay healthy and safe…