« Matthew Arnold on the True Apostles of Equality | Main | Christmas in July» Don Boudreaux
July 03, 2008
Why Take these Clowns Seriously?
Don Boudreaux
Below is a link to an MP3 file that features part of President Jimmy Carter's July 1979 speech on energy policy. Carter made all sorts of grand promises and commitments about reducing America's dependence on foreign oil, blah, blah, blah. Big words, government diktats, and collective 'solutions' to problems real and imaginary sounded no less silly back in the disco days than they do today.
Download National_Energy_Crisis_Address.mp3
(HT my friend Terry Brock)
I have no doubt that 30 years from now people will revisit the speeches, blog-posts, and writings of the likes of Barack Obama and John McCain and find them to be just as fancifully idiotic as is this speech by Jimmy Carter.
Posted by Don Boudreaux in Energy, History | Permalink
TrackBack
TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://www.typepad.com/services/trackback/6a00d834518ccc69e200e55384c8668833
Listed below are links to weblogs that reference Why Take these Clowns Seriously?:
Comments
My fellow Americans,
Charge what thou wilt shall be the whole of the energy policy.
Thank you for your attention.
--- President Crowley
Posted by: T L Holaday | Jul 3, 2008 1:51:53 PM
Wow, great link! ;-)
Posted by: Chris Meisenzahl | Jul 3, 2008 2:12:16 PM
You are right. We forgot Carter and followed what the "free" market dictated and look where it got us, right back where we were in 1979.
Oh yes, there was a little issues of two wars inbetween.
You should be so proud.
Posted by: spencer | Jul 3, 2008 2:38:49 PM
Spencer,
We're not back to where we were in the summer of 1979 when Carter made that speech. That summer -- I remember it well -- was one of long lines at gasoline stations and, more generally, great difficulty and uncertainty in buying gasoline. People, including Carter, were talking seriously of mandatory gasoline rationing.
The situation today is far better. While the real money price at the pump is higher, I suspect that the full price that people pay today for a gallon of gasoline is lower than it was during that dreadful summer. The reason is that the full price includes not only the money price paid at the pump, but the time spent waiting in line.
Even if today's full price is higher, though, we are experiencing no shortages as we did back then.
Moreover, when world demand for oil rises, it's not surprising that its price rises. Price SHOULD rise. Following Carter's advice more closely would have done nothing (thank goodness!) to halt today's impressive economic growth in China and India and, hence, very little to have altered the chief cause of today's higher prices of oil.
Posted by: Don Boudreaux | Jul 3, 2008 3:14:42 PM
Spencer,
In free markets, governments don't get to dictate whether or not you can drill for oil on privately owned land. There is no coherent argument to be made stating that the energy market is a free market. It is one of the most regulated markets in the America and the world.
Get a clue.
-Ken
Posted by: Ken | Jul 3, 2008 3:56:49 PM
I find it funny that those on the left like to use the "see what the unregulated free market does" argument as explanation for current gas and food price increases, when both of those markets are the most heavily manipulated by government.
Posted by: RVTurnage | Jul 3, 2008 4:17:47 PM
In addition to Don’s outstanding rebuttal, here’s an interesting comparison of relative household expenditures on gasoline, which is at an all time high (you guys probably already covered this).
We’re nowhere near record high gas prices adjusted for per capital income growth. (h/t coyote)
Posted by: Mesa Econoguy | Jul 3, 2008 4:37:30 PM
Don't worry Spencer, both major presidential candidates are in agreement that government must pick the winners and losers among potential sources and providers of energy. However discredited by the USSR and others since 1979, there remains much support for the command economy.
Posted by: The Dirty Mac | Jul 3, 2008 8:11:41 PM
Somewhat related to my above spelling mistake (per capital) post:
I’m getting weird spelling corrections, and zero PnP on my LAN. Installed XP SP3 2 weeks ago.
Anybody else getting bizarre functionality?
Bill Gates’ parting shot, perhaps?
Posted by: Mesa Econoguy | Jul 3, 2008 9:12:27 PM
I remember also. The gov't instituted alternate day rationing where if your license tags ended with even, you could buy gas on even dates. There were incidents of individuals pulling a gun to make sure they could fill up unmolested.
Posted by: Sam Grove | Jul 3, 2008 9:35:37 PM
I remember Jimmy Carter as being a fool -- thank you for reminding me that he was an idiot. It's really scary when people in power think they're smart. That man had no humility.
Posted by: SheetWise | Jul 4, 2008 7:14:07 PM
I listened to the speech. What really got me was not the vacuousness of Jimmy Carter, one expects that; but, the idea that that speech could be saved as one of the "great speeches" in any collection.
Posted by: vidyohs | Jul 5, 2008 9:45:01 AM
I listened to the speech. What really got me was not the vacuousness of Jimmy Carter, one expects that; but, the idea that that speech could be saved as one of the "great speeches" in any collection.
Posted by: vidyohs | Jul 5, 2008 9:45:24 AM
mesa...friend of mine had to completely format and rebuild his system after xp3. apparently, problems are common, and has led my office to foreswear auto-updates until the issue is "fixed." i've made the switch to mac, despite being the pc fix-it guy in my group of friends, and I love it. if xp kills you, or dies itself, go mac...it really is worth the hype.
Posted by: shawn | Jul 5, 2008 3:45:00 PM
mesa...friend of mine had to completely format and rebuild his system after xp sp3 a few weeks ago. apparently, problems are/were common, and has led my office to foreswear auto-updates until the issue is "fixed." i've made the switch to mac, despite being the pc fix-it guy in my group of friends, and I love it. if xp kills you, or dies itself, go mac...it really is worth the hype.
Posted by: shawn | Jul 5, 2008 3:45:48 PM
though...i do remember him saying he found a way to "undo" sp3...so email me if u keep having troubles and i'll find out what he did...may have even been in add/remove programs, but I don't think so.
Posted by: shawn | Jul 5, 2008 3:48:38 PM
It's much easier, in a time of war, to order the country to change their behavior. In the late 70s, with the nation clearly not involved in any war, such a plea from Carter must have seemed nonsensical, or worse daft.
Posted by: Xmas | Jul 5, 2008 6:09:46 PM
It is Mao's fault. (I am only half kidding)
Posted by: Floccina | Jul 6, 2008 8:29:14 PM
Check out Nixon's 5th State of the Union message.
Posted by: jorod | Jul 7, 2008 8:44:51 PM
DARRYL KINNEY 7301 98TH AVE
UNITD
KENOSHA.Wi. 53142 April 28,2008
MEMO ADDRESSED TO THE UNITED STATES SENATE
I am a citizen of the United States and have been addressing several Senators with the issues and problems to follow
including Nancy Pelosi and Barack Obama as well as several others and will in the near future be speaking in front of
you all because of Americans being held hostage by Navy personnel from Great Lakes Navy base as well as by
veterans used to Stalk and intimidate by the abuse of Power of the IRS and the United States Dept. of Justice. I
have been taken out of and kept from employment by them as they attempt a hostile search for money, i have my
phones tapped and computer hacked by government personnel spending alot of government budget following me
everyday for at least 8 months, all my family and past associates has been paid by them to create some ftctious story
because of a conspiracy, initated by the FBI from Chicago and brought to Wisconsin. All of this is a clear violation of
my Civil Rights and also the rights of my daughter who has been questioned and harrassed at school by them, she
is 5 years old. I have had to replace my computer 3 times because they are camped upstairs and i listen to them thru
the vents as they call themselves strategizing but not very well if I hear your every attempt to play on American
citizens.My family has had their cars as well as i have tampered by them in and attempt to get us or me to spend
money, they have raised bills above normal, been in my garage leaving lights on in an order to do so stopped my
emails from reaching their intended destinations and faked as the recipient, they have acted as operators and
fake being the person I called on the other line, I have been told by the police that they would not do anything
because they know who it is which is fither showing the attempt to keep me hostage. I have filed lawsuits and will
continue because I believe even that was manipulated by them as everything and everyone else has been, I have
talked to the security chief after calling the Chief of Great Lakes Navybase, no cooperation, Bush is who I believe
brought this because of corrupt judges from Chicago, after I brought this out to officials. American citizens who are
not terrorist being treated as if they are, I say send some more troops to war since we have so many of them to follow
people around everyday, someone is reimbursing them for this large price tag of surviellance. I see the plan must
be to discredit or in gov. terms attempt to burn me or ruin my career because they have some corrupt people in
the government.
sincerly,
Darryl Kinney 7301 98th Ave. UnitD
Kenosha,WI 53142 262-237-1310
Posted by: DARRYL | Aug 22, 2008 6:05:00 PM
The comments to this entry are closed.
