Is anybody buying into T. Boone Pickins nonsense ?

[Nick at Noon]

I have no doubt the old pirate is to wind power what Bunker Hunt was to gold and silver.

In other words he's trying to figure a way to corner the market. Anytime the grip of Big Oil is loosened a little on the throats of our politicians, the Texas Oil Sheiks begin to look for new ways to control them -- and us.

T-bone probably has a patent on some windmill -- and he wants the government to use taxpayers money to develop the industry up to the point where it is profitable. At that time -- it will be turned over to him and his cronies for them to monopolize. Just like they've been doing ever since John D. Rockefeller Junior was a pup.

[BlooInBloo]

1. I keep seeing DUers talking about him. Who is he, and why are ppl talking about him?

[az chela]

4. he is an oil billionaire

[BlooInBloo]

7. Ah. TO be honest, all I think when I see his name is....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8nJ30dodvdc

[sam sarrha]

19. AKA: Robber Barron what part of cleptocrat do people not understand

[az chela]

2. he has plans to build a wind corrider across Texas

and he plans on getting the water rights to the area and taking the land away from the owners thru eminent domain and then piping the water into big cities to make a ton of money

[Liberal Veteran]

3. Ed Schultz, but then again, he can be a bit of a tool at times.

[bluestateguy]

5. I don't think we should dismiss a good idea just because we don't like the messenger or his motives

I think his plan has some merits, and it might be a starting point for positive action on energy reform. That does not mean I agree with his whole plan.

Regardless of what alternative energy sources are developed, there will be some people out there who make a profit off of it, maybe even a very large profit. So what! If it's good for the environment, then so be it. And T. Boone is going to be dead in a few years anyway.

[thunder rising]

16. I think we should correct for the size of the megaphone he is able to purchase with his money

until all others have been heard. He's got nothing new, he's got money to buy a BIG megaphone.

If his ideas were any good at all, he could fund them outright, so what's the catch?

[SmileyRose]

6. Honestly?

I don't care if he "corners the market". If he can get us off Saudi Arabian oil and into something from our own borders in a way that even the poorest of America can afford, then that's enough for me.

Bill Gates can be a real jerkmeister, his product is semi-crap - but his ability to market computers revolutionized everything and just the advances to medical care alone accomplished by that means IMHO he deserves his money.

From what I've seen, it's mostly been the chance to get rich that has pushed innovation - the only part that tees me off is when the "innovation" is stolen off someone else's hard work and smarts and that someone is never or barely compensated.

[Breeze54]

9. "that's enough for me"... hmmmm ... why does that sound so familiar?

Watch this video! I think you're in it!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FiQJ9Xp0xxU

[SmileyRose]

15. WTF?

:wtf:

[Breeze54]

12. Yeah, I'm sure the poorest of America are a great concern to him too!

:sarcasm:

If he "corners the market", you actually think it'll be affordable to even "the poorest of Americans"?

:rofl:

[Greyhound]

22. My brain hurts from trying to ooze out of my skull after reading this.

You managed to pack that much misinformation and that many contradictions in only 4 sentences.

Appreciate the honesty, but please, take a closer look at what you wrote.

[gatorboy]

8. He's already set to get some taxpayer money.

He was schmoozing with McCain the other day in case of a win.

[Iggo]

10. T. Boone likes being an oilman so much...

...evidently he would't mind being a windman as well.

Ain't no mystery here.

[2KS2KHonda]

11. I went to see him last week at a meeting and did not hear him say anything that wasn't true.

He might be a prick in some ways but he must have some brains...the guy obviously has more money than he could ever spend so I'm certainly willing to hear what he has to say.
Maybe I'm supposed to hate him because he is rich...?

[thunder rising]

17. I guess we would have to take your word on that. Just wondering if you've been to an Obama rally?

Just asking since you took the time and effort to praise an oil millionaire.

[2KS2KHonda]

18. No, there have not been any around here. I would go to a local one

and I will of course vote for him. Are you implying that no oil millionaires are praiseworthy?

[blm]

20. If Pickens hadn't worked his ass off to defeat the 2 best enviro candidates in 2000 and 2004 maybe

his motives wouldn't be questioned as much today. Most likely he and the other robber barons NEEDED Bush in office to make their record breaking profits and kept him in till they could wrest control of the alt technology from those who pioneered it. Gore and Kerry would've fully funded the research on many fronts and we'd be well on our way to energy independence by now.

[MBS]

31. yup. n/t

[Truth2Tell]

21. Maybe I'm supposed to hate him because he is rich...?

nawww, just hate him for funding the swiftboat lies against Kerry. That should tell you everything you need to know about his honesty.

[2KS2KHonda]

24. But that is a completely different matter. I can hate him for -that- reason but agree with his

conclusions on energy when he's right. Don't you sometimes acknowledge that somebody you generally dislike can be right about something? :-)

[Truth2Tell]

26. I didn't say he was wrong about energy. I just

pointed out why you should hate him. And not trust him.

I don't believe for one second that T-boner cares about energy independence or poor Americans. He cares about making money. Period. Even a broken clock is right twice a day. It's pure coincidence when his self-interest aligns with the right thing to do.

[2KS2KHonda]

29. I agree, he probably has ulterior motives but that does not mean we should ignore him

if he is right simply because we dislike the messenger. The would be the epitome of stupidity!

[Truth2Tell]

30. Who said ignore him?

Are you responding to posts from a different thread? :shrug:

[blm]

44. You think he's right about his FASCIST AGENDA to privatize water rights? Is it your job to sell us

this load of crap by pretending it's a bunch of roses?

[KharmaTrain]

13. It's Not Just Windpower...The Boner Smells A Trifecta...Coal & Natural Gas, Too

This article is 2 years old...but is well worth the read on his latest scam...

http://www.businessweek.com/bwdaily/dnflash/apr2006/nf20060427_9025_db016.htm

FAN OF ALTERNATIVE. Asked where he'd recommend putting money today, Pickens gave two suggestions. One was coal, because natural gas has become too costly to use for electricity generation -- and therefore coal's share of generation will grow. His second bet is the oil sands in Canada. Pickens says he can remember being in the Calgary Petroleum Club back in 1967 when the Canadian government first announced it was investing in new technology that mined oil from these unconventional deposits. Oil was $5 a barrel at the time.

Pickens said he concluded you'd have to be a government to invest in that. Today, Canadian oil sands producer Suncor Energy (SU ) is his single largest holding, and it has been so for five years. He also owns shares in the Canadian Oil Sands Trust.

Pickens is also a big believer in alternative energy. Although he says he has no investments in ethanol, which has been enjoying a boom lately, he has built a privately held business that installs natural gas pumps for bus and truck fleets at airports and for garbage haulers.

[blm]

34. Even BIGGER - he's acquired alot of land that has WATER underneath it. He'll drain those aquifers

at an enormous profit from parched cities.

remember in 2005 when I wrote about Gorbachev's discussion with a friend of mine - water wars will soon DWARF the oil wars we see now.

[KharmaTrain]

39. Yep...I Forgot About The Water

But looks like Gramps stepped into that mess in Colorado...wanting to re-open the 1922 agreement. There was a good thread here earlier today on the battle about water in the Colorado basin. And to hell if anyone's gonna get our Great Lakes water.

But then let the Boner waste his money on his crusade, it's better going to that then into another Swiftboat smear. The cynic in me says this is a set up to help Gramps...the corporate media plays him up to be some energy "hero" and he embraces his old Arizona buddy.

Cheers...

[blm]

41. I doubt that's all it is. Ken Lay/Enron was working to nail down water rights in India. RevMoon

bought up all the land above the world's largest aquifer - Guarani. Gorbachev warned over three years ago that there would water wars. I have no reason to doubt Gorbachev knew what was going on.

[RB TexLa]

14. Idiot racists who want to stop giving Merican money to non-whites and don't realize regions of the

world being dependant on each other is a good thing.

[Finishline42]

23. Windmills have been around since before Rural Electrification -

making volts for farmers.

Not much left to patent. Not sure how you would corner the wind?

I like 20% of electric power coming from alternative energy.

He's giving all his money away to charity when he dies - already given over $700 million away.

[PSPS]

25. He's got a corner on natural gas. So he's trying to boost the market for it.

It's still funny, in a sardonic sort of way, to see people (including many here on DU) fawn over him because "he's so rich! He must be honest!"

The guy is snake-oil and slime all the way. If he's promoting something, it's only because he stands to make an enormous amount of money from it.

[Joe Fields]

27. It is a shameless ploy on Pickens' part.

He would be poised to reap untold millions of dollars in energy rations.

[SteveM]

28. Swi-i-i-i-i-i-i-f-f-f-ft Boat (nt)

[MiniMe]

32. This thread (link) contains an article that tells you what it is really about...water

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x3813201

The wend power is just a way to enable him to build water pipelines.

[Occam Bandage]

33. That would be his plan, yes--to make money. Rather he make money and save the planet

than make money and destroy it.

[Canuckistanian]

35. It's time to change the status quo

Renewable energy works best on a local level. Big, centralized power plants are not going to be viable any more.

It's time we started taking responsibility for our power use on a local level, including even power-sharing for a few dozen homes or even single households.

And that will need innovative thinking. All Pickens is offering is ANOTHER system of mega-stations, subject to the same inefficiencies, boondoggles and powerful moguls controlling the profits.

It's time to totally re-think power generation and power use in a way that's sustainable AND affordable.

And T. Boone Pickens is not offering any of this.

[Disturbed]

37. The windmills are a ruse.

Pickins is all about Natural Gas, which he is putting his money into. He is scamming all the way.

[Canuckistanian]

38. I believe that

Local Natural Gas plants make sense but again, NOBODY should be cornering the market on ANY power source again.

Never again.

[MiniMe]

40. Its about water now, and the windpower is a cover for him to get the right

of way for water pipelines. And getting the land by using eminent domain.

[Dover]

36. Yes, the Democratic Party is buying into it.

Why don't we ask them how they figure placing our futures in the hands of private individuals
or companies rather than state or federally owned ones, is to our benefit?

http://www.silobreaker.com/DocumentReader.aspx?Item=5_889458435

[blm]

42. Thank you - your point deserves its own thread.

.

[spanone]

43. 'the greatest transfer of wealth' from our pockets to his