Stories tagged with "state of the union"

What does "Addicted to Oil" mean?

Posted by Yankee on February 6, 2006 - 10:15pm
Topic: Sociology/Psychology
Tags: addiction, george w. bush, peak oil, state of the union [list all tags]

I've been meaning to write a post about Bush's choice of words for a week now, but of course everyone has beaten me to it. Today, Dave Roberts of Gristmill has an insightful take on the issue:
When Bush talks about "addiction," the subtext is always his own carefully constructed personal narrative: The youthful alcohol problems and the redeeming power of Jesus and the love of a good woman. In Bush's campaign story, he was spiritually redeemed; he shook off addiction by improving his character. The subtext of America being "addicted" is that the American people are somehow fallen and weak.

But America does not rely on oil by virtue of any moral failing. It is not a weakness. It's simple prudence: For quite a long time now, oil has been an incredibly cheap, incredibly concentrated source of energy.

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KR: Administration backs off Bush's vow to reduce Mideast oil imports

Posted by Prof. Goose on February 2, 2006 - 2:30am
Topic: Policy/Politics
Tags: advanced energy initiative, energy, george w. bush, oil, oil prices, peak oil, state of the union [list all tags]

WASHINGTON - One day after President Bush vowed to reduce America's dependence on Middle East oil by cutting imports from there 75 percent by 2025, his energy secretary and national economic adviser said Wednesday that the president didn't mean it literally.

(link) Discuss.  Open thread here, but this seemed a good conversation starter to carry over from the thread below.

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The White House: AEI in All Its Glory (SOTU Open Thread 3)

Posted by Prof. Goose on February 1, 2006 - 1:53am
Topic: Policy/Politics
Tags: advanced energy initiative, energy, george w. bush, oil, oil prices, peak oil, state of the union [list all tags]

The White House position paper on the Advanced Energy Initiative (expanded from the SOTU) can be viewed here. Discuss. (Anyone remember the Apollo Legislation proposed by Inslee et al a while back?)

And, if you haven't already, go check out this piece over at EB on the Iranian Oil Bourse.

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Liveblogging the State of the Union

Posted by Yankee on January 31, 2006 - 11:27pm
Topic: Policy/Politics
Tags: state of the union [list all tags]

And so commences liveblogging. I'll probably focus mostly on the energy points (right, that didn't happen), but if history is made (e.g. "internets"), I'll try to immortalize that too.

9:15 Right now we're fighting terrrrism. Gotta make 'em all democratic. (Ed note: please take my tone to reflect only my own opinion.)

9:20 "America rejects the false comfort of isolationism." (now there's something to chew on in a relocalized world...)

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CNN: Bush's SotU to Focus on Energy

Posted by Prof. Goose on January 30, 2006 - 4:15am
Topic: Policy/Politics
Tags: energy, george w. bush, oil, oil prices, peak oil, state of the union [list all tags]

The politicization of energy--a trend that, if our understanding of the situation is even somewhat accurate here at TOD, will become more and more prevalent in the politics of the US and the world--will likely reach a new level when President Bush takes the floor of the House of Representatives in his State of the Union speech this week.
Trying to calm anxieties about soaring energy costs, President Bush is using his State of the Union address this week to focus on a package of energy of proposals aimed at bringing fuel-saving technologies out of the lab and into use.
(link) Yes, well, we've already given the last energy bill a rough treatment here at TOD (use the search box in right sidebar), but we might as well tear this speech apart too, eh?
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