(It ain’t all ad stuff here logo freaks, time to vent.)I was expecting leadership last night. Been expecting it for some time actually. No, not sending troops in harm’s way type leadership.
Big Idea leadership. Man on the moon leadership. I almost got it last night.
Looking at the country during the 1960’s, then as now, people were split on the war. But, they also had before them a goal of putting a man on the moon. Maybe it was a distraction from the war, who knows. It was a big idea though and the best people this country had worked their asses off to make it happen.
That’s what I was looking for from the President last night. A big idea.
So the idea I had some time ago is one that might not only help the auto and agricultural industries, but also help America get back to doing what it does best: inventing things. It also addresses the issue of our dependence on oil. You keep hearing the same thing from ALL the pundits and you heard it again last night: “We need to curb our dependence on foreign oil.”
Nope.
We need to eliminate our dependence on oil – totally. No matter where it comes from. (And we import a lot from Canada at around 40% too. Problem is, they also gave us Rush, Phil Hartman and William Shatner so I can’t hate.) Yes there are alternate energy sources, and yes, we can drill domestically or even mine for more coal.
Face it though, coal mines collapse and the oil supply won’t last forever. I’m also not about to retrofit a Hyundai with a Homer Simpon® Nuclear Reactor kit or add a giant wind turbine to my Toyota either.
Instead, I suggest the President set not only a fixed goal (he semi-did), but go ahead and really propose something bigger besides some phased-in watered-down goal. He needs to challenge everyone from janitors to Mt. Dew-chugging grad students at MIT with the ultimate citizen generated contest to come up with the following:
In 10 years, we need to completely replace the use of oil as a fuel source for everything. Develop a car that can run on 100% corn or even a corn-based fuel any car can use, whatever. But it needs to work by then. Failure is not an option. Use the negative space and reverse the problem if it helps. Pop quiz hotshot: in 10 years, our supply of oil runs out, whatta you do? If there was a comet heading this way you can bet NASA’s calling Bruce Willis and Stephen Hawking. Why is this any different?
Make it run on salt water if you want, I don’t care, but invent it. I know we had one in a garage in Boise some time ago, but Detroit’s black helicopters made it go away. Bring it back. Forget costs. Forget how clean it will burn. All of that crap. Do it now.
We put a man on the moon, we can do this.
It will revive the agricultural industry and let farmers get full value for their land. Sure, prices for cattle feed might go up. So what. Automakers will also bitch because this disrupts the oil industry and the incestuous relationship they have with it. So what. They’ll adapt, continue to make money and we’ll pay more – we always do. Would the world economy be upset? Probably. So what. I bet as many positive developments would emerge as anything though.
And the big three in Detroit aren’t going to stop making cars if the fuel source changes, are they? Nope. So what’s the problem? We get held hostage over how much we spend on oil and where we get it, but do nothing. We bitch because our best die while some yell “No blood for oil!” and other propaganda. Want to really ‘level’ the Middle East though?
Tell them we don’t need oil anymore. And oh, by the way, if you guys want to license the technology from us, guess how much it’ll cost bitch.
Forget installing Democracy v 2.0 in Iraq. American ingenuity is the single greatest weapon we have. Period. Inventing something like that would reinstall American Know-How™ 3.0 back here where it belongs. Sure, like most ideas we have, other countries may eventually copy us and make it faster, better and cheaper. But we would’ve invented it first. That’s what we do.
Instead, we got: “drill more in ANWR.” So much for a Big Idea.
Tags:President Bush state of the union address
9 comments:
The technology has been around for a long time. Conspiracy theorists claim that the only reason we're not driving electric cars is that the oil companies won't let us.
The oil companies won't let us, along with the automakers, who are in league with the battery maker lobby, who work hand-in-hand with the mining industry, which is, as everyone knows, controlled by the Council on Foreign Relations, naturally run by Skull and Bones, who take their marching orders from George Bush the Elder, who answers only to King Juan Carlos of Spain, who has a direct line to the Prince of Darkness himself.
Conspiracy? Prove me wrong!
the speech made me think of an old lennon tune: give peace a chance. bush was literally saying: give war a chance.
Bigger idea: eliminate the words "Democrat" and "Republican" from politics and policy. It'd take the wind out of 3/4 of the "candidates" who have announced their presidential bids. And it might refocus the remaining politicians on making some changes that may save all our asses in the long run.
If W could do that (which, by the way, would also eliminate the term 'bipartisan,' which has become meaningless in its own right) he'd gain a little respect - from me anyway.
james-h,
w can't even spell democrat or republican. and he can't even pronounce bipartisan without heavy coaching from aides.
Was McCain asleep - I swear MSNBC had the camera on him for a bit when the man was snoozing. Might've been praying, but I doubt it.
I thought the Pentaverate controlled everything.
J, they do, along with Colonel Sanders, (at least until Crispin gets out the paddles and zaps him back to life).
Axe Murderer references. I love it.
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