Malaise
This speech gives it to me. No wonder Reagan won in a landslide - his optimisim must have knocked all this doom and gloom to pieces.
I found this speech irrelavent, given the fact that we're now in another "energy crisis" and canidates are still talking about dependence on foreign oils.
Now, I can imagine this speech being given on a Sunday night service by a guest preacher in late, dusty summer at a Southern Baptist church - attendance is down, families on vacation, you just need someone to stand in the pulpit. And then perhaps the more redeeming ideas in this speech - that maybe freedom wasn't scrapping for some small advantage over others, would stand out more.
The speech reaches a good moment when he says that any act of energy conservation is an act of patriotism. Well, I don't know about that, but it is saving Bobby McGee and I money, and it is more earth friendly.
I'm trying to find a bright spot here.
But as it is, it's a speech given LIVE from the OVAL OFFICE, and I expect something more enobling then finger wagging there. When it comes time for a leader to seek change in those led, it is perhaps most helpful to call on their better natures, which of course must shame and over shadow their crueler selfs. To lead with, "You all a mess" just doesn't make me want to listen more, or follow a rather worrying school-marmish figure.
There are other examples of times when the leader has called upon the people to sacrifice, and I'm eager to hear the speeches of FDR who led in a crisis much greater than Carter's.
Had Henry the V made a speech (albeit to Shakespeare's imagining) that said, "I will do my best, but I will not do it alone," would anyone have bled on the fields of Agincourt? Not a chance. He would have been met with a chorus of "have at its." No, King Henry called upon those better angels,
"We few, we happy few, we band of brothers"
He says those not in the fight shall hold themselves accursed.
Those better angels charm the rough nature and fear of what lies before.
The best leaders don't have to pull the people with them, saying sulkily, "I will not do it alone."
Momma - I'm interested for your thoughts, mine have been pretty scattershot here. I do apologize that you've had to sit through this speech twice, as I am sure you probably watched it the first time around. Maybe you can tell me why it's a good speech?
8.07.2008
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
5 comments:
Wow, I had totally forgotten how bad this speech really was. I am glad we listened to it today though cause it made me LOL. Put it under the heading of “putting things in perspective”. First we should be thankful that Jimmy Carter is not president anymore. Don’t you think this makes W look better? The other thing to be thankful for is that even pitiful examples of Oval Office occupants are term limited.
It does seem amazing that some of the problems and the solutions outlined are remarkably familiar. Windfall profits tax –we’ve done it before and all the accountants said amen and rejoiced. Where were all these watchdogs in 1985 when oil sold for $6 a barrel? Conservation was a good idea then and it is today. Wonder why he didn’t think of tire gauges? Not being too Pollyanna about it but I think a lot of people today think about ways to be better stewards. We have made strides here and in environmental regulations. (I’m not willing to give Jimmy C. much credit for the changes.) I don’t remember what happened to the solar bank plans. Wind and ethanol sounded good then too. I actually worked with some engineers working on oil shale projects in Colorado. The thing is, in a capitalistic economy – The economics have to make sense. True then and still true today.
But I digress; I could veer off now and go on a real pro big-oil rant. You know how I love the engineering and technology of it (never mind all those Ranger Ricks I used to read to you), I will refrain and save that for another day. Be sure to ask me for talking points and please don’t let anyone tell you that the oil companies should drill on the leases they already have or lose it. That’s already the law. The term of the leases that they buy from the government is either 7 or 10 years and if they haven’t drilled they lose the rights to that lease. I hate when the facts are just distorted.
As to the speech itself, sounds like he should do some TFA study on low expectations and how they influence outcomes. I was really surprised at the negativity. Daddy and I shook our heads listening to this; I imagine in the same places we shook them in 1979. I think even democrats thought it was bad.
I was definitely ready for some Peggy Noonan words delivered in a Ronald Reagan voice. Juxtapose this example with “a shining city on a hill”.
People forget how truly horrible Carter was as President. Perhaps it is overshadowed by how truly horrible he is as an ex-President. The guy sets a new standard of sucking at everything he does.
Back to the 70's though, he was correct. The USA suffered from malaise, but it was mostly because of him. The fact that he needed to invite a cross-section of the USA to Camp David to find out what is wrong, only to be told that he lacked leadership should tell you everything you need to know.
Reagan, after this tool, was an unbelievable breath of fresh air. The hostages were released in Iran upon Reagan's inauguration. People think this was done to embarrass Carter, but it was not...it was a truly palpable fear that Reagan's first act as President would be to bomb them into the stone-age (or something farther past that since Iran was already at the stone age). Steel mills were closing, interest was at 18%, inflation was almost South American, the energy crises was happening, and a small Islamic nation was about to take 52Americans hostage for over a year.
Carter was the worst President of the 20th century (Harding was better) - and I am glad that we have a chance to see history repeat itself if Obama gets the nod. He combines JFK's inexperience with certain Carter-esque qualities...it should be great fun.
I just want to be clear in case my last comment was too ambiguous - Jimmy Carter sucked.
I have also rethought my comment about him being the worst President of the 20th century. I was wrong. He was the worst President ever. Nobody sucked worse than him. Even U.S. Grant didn't suck this bad simply because if not for him winning the Civil War we may not have had a Union.
Did Carter's speech give you so much malaise that you quit your project? You are several speeches behind now. Another idea shot to hell by Jimmy Carter! Obama will fix everything.
Mom - Sara continues to have malaise. Make her get back to her work.
Post a Comment