note: I wrote the following article for a local paper, The Monadnock Shopper News, where it appeared in a column that focuses on environmental issues. A 600 word limit forces me to keep things short and touch on just a few points. And while I certainly voted for Obama in 2008 and will certainly vote for him again this year, I certainly do not agree with everything he does. This is what makes Democrats their own worst enemy--the inability to walk in lockstep, a talent their colleagues across the aisle seem to do so ably on so many issues. I sometimes wonder if their whip literally uses a whip to get the votes he needs. Anyway, here are a few thoughts:
Reflections on the State of the Union
Another year, another long speech full of way too many
standing ovations. Seriously, why can’t they ask people to hold their applause
until the end? Or better yet, mandate that all standing ovations be replaced
with a lusty round of ‘Huzzah! Huzzah! Huzzah!’ which is then immediately
followed by the throwing of caps in the air. This would not only limit the
number of silly ovations but also bring ‘Huzzah!’ back into fashion, which is
long overdue by my reckoning.
I looked over the article I wrote after last year’s speech
and the first thing that jumped out at me was the emphasis on high-speed rail.
Thank goodness that dead horse didn’t rear its ugly head again. The laughter in
the room would have been embarrassing.
Also somewhat laughable is President Obama’s definition of clean energy,
which seems to include things like natural gas and—wait for it—‘clean’ coal.
This is akin to saying a low-fat cupcake is good for you. Sure, it’s better for
you than a regular cupcake, but it isn’t doing you any favors in the healthy
body department. Natural gas and ‘clean’ coal may be better for the environment
than other fossil fuels, but Mother Earth is not writing them a thank you note
any time soon.
The most effective part of the speech was when Obama
ridiculed tax subsidies for oil companies and championed renewable energy
sources. Last year, he noted that the oil companies were doing just fine on
their own. This year, he offered up this well-worded phrase: ‘We have
subsidized oil companies for a century. That’s long enough. It’s time to end
the taxpayer giveaways to an industry that’s rarely been more profitable, and
double-down on a clean energy industry that’s never been more promising.’ Ah,
those are the types of lines I wait for. Too bad they are buried in a speech
full of other stuff not nearly as quote-worthy.
It seems I am in good company when I react favorably to the
above sentiment. David Roberts, in an
article on grist.org, notes that in a poll gauging reactions of viewers to last
night’s speech, Obama’s passage about ending oil subsidies and competing with
China and Germany as producers of solar and wind technology was received almost
as favorably as when he mentioned the death of Osama bin Laden. That is pretty
favorable, and quite telling. It tells me that Americans are ready to embrace
renewable energy and stop corporate welfare for the oil giants. We want to be
able to compete in a fast growing market and not have to play catch-up to
China. People want to buy solar panels made in the United States and want the
government to help make that happen. Above all, it tells me that Americans can
see through the rhetoric that flies around Washington like snowballs on a
schoolyard. We can see where the future lies and, speaking of lies, we are not
swallowing the lies that come oozing from the poison pens of corporate
lobbyists and the corrupt politicians these lobbyists have much too much
influence over.
So thank you, my fellow Americans, for being clear-eyed and
open-minded. Let us also be full-throated, so that our voices and opinions may be
heard and ultimately, heeded.
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