Re: OT: Shoulda listened to Carter


"greego" <greg.w.lindsay@xxxxxxxxx> wrote
On Jul 22, 3:07 am, "OT: Bush Love" <lordk...@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
29 Years Successfully Wasted

Jimmy Carter delivered his so-called "malaise" speech 29 years ago
today. What we wouldn't give today to have done what he advocated
(except perhaps for the expanded use of coal):

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CARTER: 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...

An impossible proposal. It's not the responsibility of the president
under the constitution anyway.

Nor is it to take us to the Moon, now... is it? Where I come
from, it's called 'leadership'... you're forgiven if you've forgotten
what it's like, it has been a while.

Point two: To ensure that we meet these targets, I will use my
presidential authority to set import quotas...

Import quotas lead to price hikes - and then when you then set price
controls on top you get shortages. Econ 101.

Price controls are the last gasp of an inflating dictatorship...
and nobody but you has brought them up. Red Herring.

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...


Best developed in the marketplace as a result of price increases and/
or increased demand. Picking winners from above never works. Econ
101.

Yeah, like fighting cancer or AIDS has to be market-driven.
You were arguing *against* price increases recently, like
a few lines ago... new brain?

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.

Picking winners never works.

Solar's pretty obvious... wind too. Isn't the stock market based
on picking winners? Isn't that how the market works? Aren't
you full of platitudes...

These efforts will cost money, a lot of money, and that is why
Congress must enact the windfall profits tax without delay...


Tax the profit of producers and you reduce the incentive to produce
more. Econ 101.

And they're producing more *now*? Refinery capacity is artificially
kept low, for just such a reason. Big Oil is also screaming for new
drilling permits when they haven't even exploited what they have.
Producers will only hold out if they think they can get someone to
*repeal* the taxes... if it looks like they're in for the long term, then
they'll pony up.

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...


Causes producer prices to spike and energy production to plummet.

Over a decade? Bullets must be bitten, as we are finding now.
Would we had started this early!

Point five: To make absolutely certain that nothing stands in the
way of achieving these goals, I will urge Congress to create an energy
mobilization board...


More bureaucracy never solved anything.

Put us on the moon, fool. Won a couple of world
wars. Developed the atomic bomb. I could go on...
government is not inherently evil, no matter what your
guru has told you.

Point six: I'm proposing a bold conservation program to involve
every state, county, and city and every average American in our energy
battle. This effort will permit you to build conservation into your
homes and your lives at a cost you can afford.


Meaningless.

Energy is best saved at the point of use... saves transmission
capacity and is more efficient. Imagine if every roofing shingle
was a solar cell... that's the vision Carter's having here.
You're not much of a 'big-picture' guy, are you?

To further conserve energy, I'm proposing tonight an extra $10
billion over the next decade to strengthen our public transportation
systems...


Look up 'boondoggle.'

.... and you don't live in a big city, do you? How's that
Hummer treating you *now*?

Our nation must be fair to the poorest among us, so we will
increase aid to needy Americans to cope with rising energy prices. We
often think of conservation only in terms of sacrifice. In fact, it is
the most painless and immediate way of rebuilding our nation's
strength. Every gallon of oil each one of us saves is a new form of
production. It gives us more freedom, more confidence, that much more
control over our own lives...


Blah.... blah... blah....

Make sure you have a hand free to shoot the messenger
while you've got both fingers in your ears... not easy.

I do not promise you that this struggle for freedom will be easy.
I do not promise a quick way out of our nation's problems, when the
truth is that the only way out is an all-out effort. What I do promise
you is that I will lead our fight, and I will enforce fairness in our
struggle, and I will ensure honesty. And above all, I will act. We can
manage the short-term shortages more effectively and we will, but
there are no short-term solutions to our long-range problems. There is
simply no way to avoid sacrifice.


Blah... blah.... blah...

You probably *like* being in Iraq... you'd probably vote
to do it all again. Guess what... your time at bat is gone,
for decades probably. Nobody's buying that crap any more.

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Thanks, America's crazy right wing. We couldn't have ignored our most
important problems for three decades and thereby made them much worse
without you.

You are clueless. The only answer is to reduce the size of government
and let the market work. If you try and control the market you get
the conditions that existed in soviet union, cuba, etc..

Not much on history either... take a look at Europe... a
real hell-hole, eh? That Euro's a piece of toilet paper now,
isn't it? Once you understand the difference between
Communism and Socialism Hell will freeze over, who
am I kidding?

If you let
the government grow big alongside a free-ish market you get fascism
(what we have now.) You must collapse as much of the government as
possible and let problems be solved though free people and free
markets. Reagan was right (even though he did nothing about it during
his terms): 'Government is the problem'.

Ah, another McVeighite. Well, go blow some government
up. Or do like Bush, and get elected on the '*** *** up'
program... *he* certainly put the truth to your truism.
You don't like government? Then don't let me find you
doing the Pledge Of Allegiance, or standing for our National
Anthem... because you just *** all over them. Wish I could
punch you, right fucking now. Come on over.
__
Steve
728 Abbey Glen Castle Dr.
Pflugerville, TX
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