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71 comments on "Energy Resources and Our Future" - Speech by Hyman Rickover in 1957

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BrianT on June 30, 2007 - 12:33pm Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top

Mb: Awesome visionary, but I guess no one could have imagined the growth in effective power of the global elite over the next 50 years. When Rickover gave this speech in 1957, even the super-rich in the USA were to a certain extent submissive to the supreme power on the planet, the USA government-thus Rickover envisioned a future where steps would be taken to protect that power. Now the facade remains, but the vultures have picked away most of the muscle.

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writerman on June 30, 2007 - 1:03pm Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top

One could of course choose a new course, and attempt to save the Empire from itself! Somehow one needs to inject or recruit 'new blood' into the very heart of socio/economic/political power in the United States, and reinvigorate the whole project by fundamental structural reform. One way would be to reorientate the economy away from militarism towards something else. The American economy should become a 'peactime' economy once more, and reverse the policies of the last fifty years, which are leading towards disaster going forward. Simply put, this means breaking the power of the military/industrial complex and diverting resources towards domestic, civilian needs rather than the idea of Empire.

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BrianT on June 30, 2007 - 1:10pm Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top

Writerman: IMHO, as the USA integrates more tightly with Mexico it is not going to be easy to reinvent the place as a larger version of Germany, France or Sweden.

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oilmanbob on June 30, 2007 - 2:08pm Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top

Mexico has never had a foreign war except the French invasion and the US invasions in 1845, 1915 (Pershing chasing Pancho Villa) and 1920? when the Marines occupied Vera Cruz to help steal oil. Its a fairly peaceable place with pretty girls and great beaches and mountains.

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BrianT on June 30, 2007 - 2:34pm Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top

Oilman: The real estate is great- the life of the average Mexican isn't. Fantastic place if you are one of the top dogs (thus the push for US-Mexico integration).

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mbnewtrain on June 30, 2007 - 1:21pm Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top

The changes needed are not just political.

Admiral Rickover stressed the need for better education to meet the needs of a country where energy scarcity threatened its standard of living. Today we need more students interested in science and engineering and less in finance and law. The US schools still graduate far too many lawyers and not enough engineers. And increasing numbers of IT degree graduates won't help either - more people manipulating bits and inventing "iphones" won't save us.

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BrianT on June 30, 2007 - 1:28pm Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top

Mb: Hate to be redundant, but in 1957 the USA had an "us" mentality. Those days are long gone-you are on your own (just like in Mexico)-sink or swim.

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Dryki on July 1, 2007 - 11:07pm Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top

Yes, Moore's theme for SiCKO. The video is really about "we" vs "me" thinking. The health insurance industry is only one example. The U.S. as a nation cannot survive this transition. The nation will be in the way, a constant obstacle, both internationally and locally.

cfm in Gray, ME

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Engineer-Poet on June 30, 2007 - 6:05pm Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top

Energy schemes like "Sustainability" would be a good foundation for such a re-tooling.

Of course, if the USA cedes its military position in the world, a host of other interests will move into the vacuum.  This will mean instability at best, most likely a number of hot wars.

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71 comments on "Energy Resources and Our Future" - Speech by Hyman Rickover in 1957

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