Sarah Palin, Communist?

A friend just sent this on (thanks, Greg!) as a reflection on another troubling contradiction in the Sarah Palin myth. Turns out that Governor Palin has been running a socialist state in Alaska, her much vaunted battle against Big Oil little more than an attempt to get them to share their profits with Alaskans as hand-outs. Here's how he puts it:

One of the most interesting and largely unnoticed things about Palin is that her popularity in Alaska is a direct consequence of her efforts to force rich oil companies to share profits with every man woman and child in the state—$12,800 per year for a family of four! Apparently, the crazy folk in Alaska are too unsophisticated to understand the importance of privatizing public resources.

Seriously, if this happened anywhere else in America, conservatives would decry it as outright Communism. Remember that fuss over the Iraqi Oil Law? At issue here was an attempt to get Iraq to de-nationalize their oil industry. Why not the same outcry against Palin's attempts to socialize the oil industry in Alaska?

Yet another matter that needs serious examination before anyone declares Sarah Palin to be suitable for national office.

No Friend to the Environment

Who is Sarah Palin?

from Americans United for Change

At Americans United for Change, we've already done a little digging, and it turns out Sarah Palin fits in perfectly with John McCain's backwards energy policy, disregard for the environment, and cozy relationship with Big Oil.

Palin has argued again and again in favor of oil-drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, despite clear dangers to surrounding wildlife.

This year, Palin sued the federal government for adding polar bears to the endangered species list, arguing the move would interfere with oil and gas drilling efforts.

Palin's close relationship with Big Oil fits right in with John McCain's reckless energy plan: take millions in campaign donations from oil companies, and in return give them massive tax breaks and free reign to drill in environmentally sensitive areas.