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Friday, January 27, 2006

Don't hold your breath, Tom
Posted by Jill | 6:43 AM

For some strange reason, Tom Friedman persists in believing that George W. Bush is a thoughtful president who will do what's best for the country. Today he advises the president to take on energy independence as the theme for his State of the Union address:

The direction in which America needs to go is obvious: toward energy independence. If Mr. Bush steps up to that challenge, this speech could be a new beginning for his presidency. If he doesn't, you can stick a fork in this administration. It will be done — because it will have abdicated leadership on the biggest issue of our day. Here's the speech I'll be listening for:

[snip]

I am here to tell you that if we don't move away from our dependence on oil and shift to renewable fuels, it will change our way of life for the worse — and soon — much, much more than communism ever could have. Making this transition is the calling of our era.

Why? First, we are in a war with a violent strain of Middle East Islam that is indirectly financed by our consumption of oil. Second, with millions of Indians and Chinese buying cars and homes as they join the great global middle class, we must quickly move away from burning fossil fuels or we're going to create enough global warming to melt the North Pole. Because of that, green cars, homes, offices, appliances, designs and renewable energies will be the biggest growth industry of the 21st century. If we don't dominate that industry, China, India, Japan or Europe surely will.

But to lead, we must impose the highest energy-efficiency standards on our own automakers and other industries so we force them to be the most innovative. I want to inspire girls and boys across America to study math, science and engineering to help our nation achieve green energy independence. President Kennedy said, Let's put a man on the Moon. I say, Let's make oil obsolete.


Friedman is absolutely right that this kind of speech would be the best way for Bush to regain any shred of credibility, because it affects the domestic economy AND national security. But in case Friedman has forgotten, George W. Bush, and indeed this entire Administration, is owned lock, stock, and barrel by the energy industry. His Middle East policy is based on the notion that somebody is going to control that oil and he wants it to be us. He denies that global warming exists, let alone that it's a threat.

I think it's a pretty safe bet that Friedman is not going to get what he wants, nor is he going to get the resignation of Dick Cheney that he wants, either. And I'm not sure that the CEO of General Electric, whom he offers as an alternative, is going to be a whole lot better, given GE's status as a military contractor.

The only question is whether Friedman is going to say that Bush is toast after the SOTU, which from what we hear is going to be more of the same "Run for the hills! The terrorists are coming! Only we can keep you safe, and only if you give up your freedom!" theme we've been hearing from this bunch ever since the 9/11 attacks saved their bacon the first time.
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