Kennedy said we'd go to the moon before the decade was over when the space program was looking like a mess, yet we got there against all odds because the we established a national vision and said nothing would stand in our way. History doesnt recall what FDR said when he established the Manhattan project, but again given a national imperative, appropriate resources, and a sense of urgency, we created atomic bombs in a couple of years.
Why cant we institute something like that now? I am not talking about building windmills or drilling for oil in Alaska. I'm talking about changing the game. Think big. Nuclear fusion maybe.
Aside from crippling islamic nuts by taking away all their dough, it would have another nice side effect. It is my opinion that the US got where it is because it was almost totally resource independant up until the mid 20th century. Steel, coal, oil, wheat, cotton, etc. We had it all, didnt need to strike compromising bargains with anyone and hence we could act rightously. Energy independance would give us some of that opportunty back. I want the shining city on a hill back.
I have to defer to my husband, the engineer, on this. He has worked in both nuclear and petroleum engineering and has also designed and built wind turbines. He says that there is nothing that is as efficient in producing BTUs as oil. It’s cheap, easily recovered, and we have a ton of it and it is making more every day right under our feet.
Politics is the problem. No one in Washington really has the will to go after resources that we already own. And no one in Washington is willing to stand up against the greens in order to efficiently utilize our vast coal resources either. And when was the last time a nuclear plant was built in this country? No, our politicians are busy scrapping nuclear plants and giving them away to our enemies.
FDR established the Manhatten Project in SECRET. The people working on it didn’t know what it was and didn’t know each other. My father in law worked on it for GE Carboloy Division, and he didn’t even know what his part was for — just a real good guess after some of the details were revealed years later. There would have been a huge outcry had the nation known what was coming. When was the last time our government did anything in secret? The dopey Dems want to broadcast our withdrawal date from Irag, for crying out loud!
I totally agree with your last paragraph. We should be self sufficient as a nation. Exporting our raw materials and importing finished goods is driving us into the status of a 3rd world country! We’re almost at colony status when every need had to be met by England! Look at Toys R Us or Sam’s Club some day. Try to find anything Made In USA at the mall any more.
Bush might have been able to institute something like you are suggesting in the months after 9/11, but he doesn’t have the political capital to start such a project now.