Good News

Jimmy Carter announces he is cancer-free

Jimmy Carter Deserves More Respect

These Jimmy Carter Speeches Show Why He Was a Radical President:

As we are forced to listen to Donald Trump’s racist and misogynistic blarings about deporting undocumented immigrants and likening women to dogs, let’s cleanse ourselves by revisiting some of Jimmy Carter’s speeches.

“Ours is the party that welcomed generations of immigrants—the Jews, the Irish, the Italians, the Poles and all the others, enlisted them in its ranks and fought the political battles that helped bring them into the American mainstream,” Carter noted in his 1976 acceptance speech at the Democratic convention. He continued, with words that Bernie Sanders echoes today, “Too many have had to suffer at the hands of a political economic elite who have shaped decisions and never had to account for mistakes or to suffer from injustice. When unemployment prevails, they never stand in line looking for a job. When deprivation results from a confused and bewildering welfare system, they never do without food or clothing or a place to sleep. When the public schools are inferior or torn by strife, their children go to exclusive private schools. … An unfair tax structure serves their needs. And tight secrecy always seems to prevent reform.”

He went on to call for universal voter registration, a nationwide comprehensive health program for everyone and “a complete overhaul of our income tax system.” And little did he know how prescient this would be: “We can have an American government that does not oppress or spy on its own people but respects our dignity and our privacy and our right to be let alone.”

Moron "Crazies"

I have already linked to and posted about Obama feeling 'feisty,' ready to take on the 'crazies'.

But wait there's more:

The president also questioned the ideological consistency of those who champion free-market solutions — except when the free market is pointing to the wisdom of renewable energy. He singled out billionaire brothers Charles and David Koch, who are major donors to Republican political candidates.

"It's one thing if you're consistent in being free market," Obama said. "It's another thing when you're free market until it's solar that's working and people want to buy, and suddenly you're not for it anymore. That's a problem."

In a statement, Koch Industries' Philip Ellender said the company "supports all forms of energy, but we believe they need to stand on their own merits. Koch has consistently lobbied for the repeal of taxpayer-funded subsidies and mandates. Even though they may benefit us in the short-term, we will continue to fight these market-distorting policies and special deals, and we will continue to call them what they are — corporate welfare."

Obama said the economics are now such that "solar isn't just for the green crowd any more, it's" for the green-eyeshade crowd too."

I very much dislike it when someone co-opts a word or phrase and uses it in a deceitful way. Somehow the word or phrase that is used to critique someone is turned around and used to critique the critic. Here we have Koch Industries using the phrase corporate welfare, which is usually used to critique large corporations, being co-opted in a truly bizarre way. I'll concede that Elon Musk and General Electric don't need corporate welfare. However, much of the "taxpayer-funded subsidies and mandates" go to smaller companies, some of which are not profitable. I'm not sure if the Kochs think that tax rebates and credits are corporate welfare. These rebates and credits go to individual homeowners as well as small businesses. People who support solar are trying to help save Mother Earth, unlike the Kochs who are part of the industries trying to destroy her.

I want to reiterate something I said in an earlier post: "Jimmy Carter was a futuristic visionary. That is my opinion of him." Only two presidents have had solar installed at the White House, Jimmy Carter and Barack Obama. Reagan took down what Carter had installed, and Bush The First, Clinton The First, and Bush The Second didn't seem to care at all.

You may ask yourself "Where Did the Carter White House's Solar Panels Go?"

To be fair to George W. Bush I will include this:

Already, certain buildings on the grounds of the federal landmark employ solar power, courtesy of the National Park Service and President George W. Bush.

And to complain more about the Koch Brothers I will include this:

Yet, the U.S. invests only $5 billion yearly on energy research and development at present—roughly one seventh what China spent last year—and private industry has never filled the gap.

That's from five years ago, things have probably changed.
 

Jimmy Carter

After the news recently about Jimmy Carter having cancer many on the internet gave their thoughts on the man. Many focused on what he has done after he was president. He has accomplished more after his presidency than most of us accomplish in our entire lifetime.

I have always respected Jimmy Carter. I actually thought he was a better president than most of the presidents I have seen in my lifetime.

If someone gave me one of those word association tests and said "Jimmy Carter" I would respond "solar power". So far I have not come across anyone mentioning solar power when they opine about Jimmy Carter. Lots of people made fun of him at the time when he gave a televised speech while wearing a sweater. They also mocked him for having solar panels installed on the top of the White House.

From Wikipedia:

On April 18, 1977, Carter delivered a televised speech declaring that the U.S. energy crisis during the 1970s was the moral equivalent of war. He encouraged energy conservation by all U.S. citizens and installed solar water heating panels on the White House. He wore sweaters to offset turning down the heat in the White House.

Ask any sane and rational person what the biggest problem facing us currently is and most will respond that it is climate change. Jimmy Carter was looking for solutions to this problem back in the nineteen seventies. Solar is now a profitable and growing industry. I see ads on television for local installation. Elon Musk is associated with solar. Solar provides people with jobs.

Jimmy Carter was a futuristic visionary. That is my opinion of him.

By the way, one of the first things Ronald Reagan did as president was to have the solar panels removed from the top of the White House.

Quote Of Note - Jimmy Carter

“We will not learn how to live together in peace by killing each other's children.” Jimmy Carter

That Was Then And This Is Now

Then:

Jimmy Carter put solar panels on the White House roof, and offered tax credits to anyone who purchased solar energy systems. When Ronald Reagan took office, one of the first things he did was remove the solar panels from the White House and terminate the tax credits. Many people in the solar industry went out of business. The country was convinced that solar doesn't work.

The Time Between Then And Now:

Wasted years and bad leadership as far as energy is concerned. Ronald Reagan helped convince nearly everyone that solar doesn't work. The consensus was that Jimmy Carter was a doofus. Politicians talk a lot about taxes. Ronald Reagan is anointed to sainthood by the Right Wing. Oil consumption and more oil consumption. Rush Limbaugh inexplicably becomes a power-house media figure and further elevates Reagan (into godhood I suppose) while denouncing Carter, and talks a lot about taxes. Politicians talk some more about taxes. GM kills the EV1. Politicians keep talking about taxes. Wars and more wars fought over oil.

Now:

U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman inaugurated a solar energy system Tuesday at the department's headquarters in Washington.

The new system involves a 205 kilowatt photovoltaic solar array placed on the roof of the building. The photovoltaic system is 40- to 50 times the size of a typical residential PV system and is one of the largest in the Washington area, officials said. It is expected to save as much as $26,000 in utility costs during its first year of operation.

"As America's largest energy consumer, the U.S. government has the responsibility and the opportunity to lead the way to a cleaner, more efficient, more affordable and more secure energy future," Bodman said in prepared remarks. "I determined the Department of Energy should -- and would -- lead by example."

Bodman said the significance of the solar array is both practical and symbolic: "It improves the way the department consumes energy. And it is a symbol of America's commitment to using the best available new technologies to confront the energy challenges we face today and will face tomorrow."

Politicians are still talking about taxes.

Meanwhile I’m thinking that “affordable solar power for all” would be a good campaign slogan.

Quote Of Note - Jimmy Carter

“Penalties for the possession of a drug should not be more damaging to an individual than the use of the drug itself.” Jimmy Carter

How Stupid Are Republicans? Part Deux

Myths are hard to kill, and it seems to me that most Republicans prefer myth to reality. Paul Krugman debunks another Republican myth in his February 22, 2008 column entitled Don’t Rerun That ‘70s Show:

Jimmy Carter’s overall economic record was much better than most people realize — the average economic growth rate under his administration was 3.4 percent per year, slightly higher than the growth rate under Ronald Reagan and far better than growth under either Bush.