Fill Your Tank, Fuel a Democracy...

If you care about social issues and drive a vehicle that features an internal combustion engine, you might want to fill up your tank at Citgo the next time the needle tries a little frottage with "E." Seems Citgo is a subsidiary of a state-owned oil company in Venezuela. Yeah, Venezuela, of South America fame. Far from the Middle East. And, most importantly, a democracy, whose primary source of capital is a healthy supply of oil.

And the same Venezuela headed by President Hugo Chavez, elected by a landslide victory (and later re-elected), the guy who currently has a 70% approval rating versus, for example, that of one George W. Bush, which now stands at 40% 37%, the guy whom that pinnacle of rightest righteousness Pat Robertson recently suggested should be "taken out" by U.S. forces for daring to run his country independent of hegemonic influence and for having good relations with other Latin American countries. And, of course, Robertson makes the claim that assassination would be a "whole lot cheaper" than going to war (never mind a rational reason as to why we should consider an attack on Venezuela, one that isn't dripping with crude). Yep, the primary goal of any prudent strategy to avoid war--in the mind of this Christian, anyway--is to save money, not lives. Imagine that! Oh, and the same Chavez who recently offered humanitarian aid to U.S. victims of Katrina in the form of fuel, water, food, and medical services.

But wait, there's more. If you're not already troubled enough by Robertson's political advice, check out this related article. And for a laugh, there's this. But I digress...

Maybe the best idea is simply to ride your bike.