A look back at history, 31 years ago. From the Malaise Speech,
Jimmy's points 1-4:
Point one: I am tonight setting a clear goal for the energy policy of the United States. Beginning this moment, this Nation will never use more foreign oil than we did in 1977 -- never. From now on, every new addition to our demand for energy will be met from our own production and our own conservation. The generation-long growth in our dependence on foreign oil will be stopped dead in its tracks right now and then reversed as we move through the 1980's, for I am tonight setting the further goal of cutting our dependence on foreign oil by one-half by the end of the next decade -- a saving of over 4 1/2 million barrels of imported oil per day.
Abject fail.
Point two: To ensure that we meet these targets, I will use my Presidential authority to set import quotas. I'm announcing tonight that for 1979 and 1980, I will forbid the entry into this country of one drop of foreign oil more than these goals allow. These quotas will ensure a reduction in imports even below the ambitious levels we set at the recent Tokyo summit.
Epic fail.
Point three: To give us energy security, I am asking for the most massive peacetime commitment of funds and resources in our Nation's history to develop America's own alternative sources of fuel -- from coal, from oil shale, from plant products for gasohol, from unconventional gas, from the Sun.
Complete and total fail.
I propose the creation of an energy security corporation to lead this effort to replace 2 1/2 million barrels of imported oil per day by 1990. The corporation will issue up to $5 billion in energy bonds, and I especially want them to be in small denominations so that average Americans can invest directly in America's energy security.
Fail.
Just as a similar synthetic rubber corporation helped us win World War II, so will we mobilize American determination and ability to win the energy war. Moreover, I will soon submit legislation to Congress calling for the creation of this Nation's first solar bank, which will help us achieve the crucial goal of 20 percent of our energy coming from solar power by the year 2000.
Fail.
These efforts will cost money, a lot of money, and that is why Congress must enact the windfall profits tax without delay. It will be money well spent. Unlike the billions of dollars that we ship to foreign countries to pay for foreign oil, these funds will be paid by Americans to Americans. These funds will go to fight, not to increase, inflation and unemployment.
Fail.
Point four: I'm asking Congress to mandate, to require as a matter of law, that our Nation's utility companies cut their massive use of oil by 50 percent within the next decade and switch to other fuels, especially coal, our most abundant energy source.
Win! Hey Al, what do you think about Jimmy embracing a massive increase in the use of filthy CO2-emitting coal?
A look back at history, 31 years ago. From the Malaise Speech, Jimmy's points 1-4:
12 comments:
Lou,
I thought you'd like this guys blogpost on hipster minimalism.
http://bikesnobnyc.blogspot.com/2010/08/good-news-for-poor-you-can-afford-to.html
Didn't Jimm'ah Carter give us the Department of Energy that has, like, 50,000 federal paperpushers all waiting for pensions, costing billions per year, and like Nobel economist James M. Buchanan pointed out in his work on public bureaucracies ( Public Choice Theory ) that all organizations, and organisms, are driven to grow their existence? In short, make the problem worse?
And fails? How about so long as we give the Egyptian elite 2-3 billion in cash every year, for a now total of what 30 billion, they won't shove their starving slobs into attacking Israel. ( God, do I miss the good old days of the Cold War, when the Russian serfs picked up half the worlds Buy-A-Thug tab, instead of me, and American serf, picking up all the world's Buy-A-Thug bill.)
I always viewed this as his best effort...but then until a year and a half ago I thought he had the worst president award...but now sadly he can't even win that...OK that makes him a failure.
It should be interesting to see if Obama's apparently unstoppable self-estime continues after his one term is up. My guess is he is incapable of Clinton-in-94-esque re-reading of the political winds. (TBD) He will therefore lose in 2012, and probably not get the message then either. America will continue to not be good enough for him or his wife, and in need of "fundamental" transformation. Jimmy showed up at a Democratic convention a few years back, with prime seating, and faux-schlub crockumentary maker Michael Moore, of all people, sitting together with him. May the Obamas continue to stick around Democrat shindigs for decades, as long as they continue to be the Government Party, the Identity Politics Party, the America is Bad Party, and the Collectivism Works Better Party.
Unless Republicans get off the dime and rein in loose cannons like Palin, the Democrats will easily win in 2012.
Seriously, at this time there's no one who can take on Obama and his money machine (Romney hasn't a chance, Jeb's out because of his last name)
Obama and his cronies, one way or the other, will extend unemployment benefits permanently.
We'll end up with the dole (and likely a VAT), and he'll be sure to take all the credit.
When the unemployed still can't find a job in 2012, but at least have some monthly income thanks to the above, they'll vote for him and his party until someone else cuts them a better deal.
Bill in NC,
George Bush could get re-elected after the Obamebacle.
Dont forget the terrible mission Operation Eagle Claw.
He was a really nice guy, and a horrible POTUS.
Carter treated the Secret Service like dirt. The shtick for the public did not continue off camera. He thought he knew what was good for us, i.e. that he was better than us. The people entrusted to take a bullet for him were treated as anonymous drones at the very best. A people person he absolutely wasn't, even then.
I can't blame Operation Eagle Claw on Carter. The military screwed up the Son Tay raid, the Mayaguez rescue, Eagle Claw. Heck, even D-Days Point Du Hoc was a mess up.
Carter can take credit for getting rid of the Sha of Iran, that maybe, had 50 Islamists killed, and replaced with Khomeini who killed a couple of million Iranians. Now that is Carter's guy.
I am still stewing because a large number of my dads friends got blown up in the Beirut bombing of the barrack, done by Hizbollah, and we yet to do something about it!
"...my dads friends got blown up in the Beirut bombing of the barrack, done by Hizbollah, and we yet to do something..."
Maybe we are going for a Cuba-like solution here. Probably an even bigger mistake in this case as the Persians (as opposed to the kleptocratic mullahcracy controlling Iran) have about 20x the economic and civilisational potential of the Cuban population, and I'm lowballing.
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