Because fossil fuel is something finite (ie., we're gonna run out sooner or later), and because the people who 'own' it are few and powerful, having the government invest in a techonology that will not only diffuse the power of said few but also tangibly benefit the greater Earth in the long run... well, that makes sense to me.

I guess it's all about priorities. To me, things like abortion & gay marriage (just to keep my same examples), aren't really a big deal in the grand scheme, and should be dealt with locally, personally, without the government's hand in. The fact that they keep popping up in political debate strikes me as pointless. All parties have made their views known - there is no blanket solution that will make everyone happy. And though it's not the government's responsibility to ensure warm-fuzzies for the people, they do have a responsibility to rule justly, with concern for all involved. These are not debates that can be satisfied with restrictive legislation. To quote Kodos: "Abortions for some, tiny American flags for everyone else!"

[applause]

On defense, I... remain skeptical. I think homeland security is an important issue to a country brutally attcked from without, but I can't help but shudder to think about covert racial profiling and 'Freedom' Fries, excessive, unchecked government spending and bills passed into law restricting freedoms so dearly fought for under the banner of America the Beautiful not so long ago. It is definitely something the government needs to concern itself with, and regardless of how I feel certain countries are doing that, the fact remains that security is much more important to discuss than abortion.

So why, then, can we not get away from matters of personal, private concern? This is the question.