We'll need a mix of technologies going forward, including oil (as everyone agrees). The GOP's mistake is placing oil at the center of their energy "plan." When the GOP convention exploded in chants of "Drill, Baby, Drill," he said, imagine how the Chinese, Venezuelans and Saudis would have responded had they been sitting in a sky box.
Conventioneers might as well have been chanting, "IBM Selectric Typewriters! IBM Selectric Typewriters!"
Tom Friedman often misses the point, but he sure got it right this time.
ReplyDeleteYou omitted the premise of the "IBM Selectric Typewriters!" rejoinder, which was this:
Imagine that we are at the dawn of the IT age, the personal computer and internet revolution. Who would be calling for more IBM Selectrics? The Republicans, of course.
When they raise their fists and chant, "Drill, Drill, Drill!!", they are responding in the only way possible for them. It is a tautology that some group has to represent the current, wrong way of thinking, and the Republicans are the unlucky ones who have drawn the role of Judas in the passion play of the United States of America.
Their response to Henry Ford's mass-produced Model T would be to BUILD BIGGER BUGGY-WHIP PLANTS.
Republicans SO don't get it! I almost feel sympathy for them - if it were possible, I would reach out to them to help them to move beyond their restrictive thinking.
But really, what more can we expect from the kind of people who call themselves "Republicans" today? These people have historically backed the wrong horse on major issue after major issue going back to the founding of our country: slavery, women's rights, equal rights, organized labor, environmental protection, the list goes on...
And they have the audacity, at their national convention, to call themselves AGENTS OF CHANGE! GIVE ME A BREAK!
In the end, they are always overcome by sheer numbers on the progressive, populist side. It always takes a long time, but we always win. The nature of our victory is as inexorable as the 2nd law of thermodynamics!
Alas, it's almost impossible to be a happy progressive, because progressivism is such a waiting game. But it is ultimately worth the wait.
Thanks for that thoughtful reply and for the addition about the IBM premise. I dashed this off, and have let this blog languish a bit, while focusing on my posts at Campaign for America's Future.
ReplyDeleteAs Obama said regarding the GOP and change, "They must think you're stupid."
Hiya Blue One,
ReplyDeleteI'm making the rounds just in case you didn't get an email invitation. Our email database is spotty at best.
The Extravablogiversapaloozathon 2008 is September 27th, and we're hoping every area blogger will come!
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