It is decisions like this which convince me Trump is something special.
The typical politician wants quick solutions, something they can show to the masses right away and where they can put their name on it.
This is a long term decision where the benefits will be realized AFTER Trump is gone.
Also, there are people who fear nuclear power and this is an issue which is somewhat contentious. Politicians love to hug wind turbines where you have little push back, even though it’s a farce.
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If anyone had asked me what I knew about him, I would've said something like "I know he is a New York real estate magnate, best known for casinos and skyscrapers he has developed. He has odd looking hair, a funny voice, and once had a reality television show that became famous for the phrase "You're Fired". He was also known for his interest in professional boxing and beauty pageants."
And that would've been about it. But there was one thing that really changed my mind on him. I wanted to learn more about him, so I watched the interviews online that he had in 1987 with Larry King.
What I found out in watching him was that he was boiling mad about the US government and the way that it did business not just an industry, but around the world.
At that point, he identified as a Republican, but I've been told he has changed back-and-forth over time, so I was only going on what he said in that interview.
If I recall correctly, there was one part of the interview where he talked about how the countries in the Middle East would, when he went over there to do business, actually laugh behind his back at the way stupid Americans had to conduct their affairs. I did not at all get the impression it had to do with stupid things like bribing and stuff like that… It seemed more fundamental that government was tying the hands of business.
But what really impressed me was that it was clear from looking at his face, he really cared about this country. And I see the same thing today.
And as I have often said onthis very forum, there were two things that absolutely sold me on him after he got into office: pulling out of the Paris climate accords, and moving the US Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
What made my jaw drop was watching him give his Rose Garden speech on the Paris Climate Accords where, on a global stage, he boldly characterized climate change as a wealth redistribution scheme, meant to make America poorer, and every other country richer. I was astonished to hear that coming out of the mouth of an American politician, never mind the President of the United States! I nearly jumped out of my seat and begin cheering… :-)
With the move of the US Embassy in Israel, what impressed me was the hysterical screeching from everybody both on the left right, all over the world, that the world was going to erupt in flames and result in another world war. He calmly stated that wasn't going to happen, and when he did it… Nothing did happen. Just as he said it would happen.
And when no acknowledgment of this truth that was crucial to the political risk of this policy, that was when I fully began to understand the forces that were going to be arrayed against him for the rest of his term. And I really underestimated it.
In this case, when I hear Trump say he is going to have an aggressive energy policy that includes a major portion of nuclear power, I believe him. I believe him completely that he'll do it.
And that he WILL do it, or at least try.
Hand-in-hand with our fiscal policy over the next four years I see our energy policy as being paramount. If we can develop an energy policy where energy becomes cheap and plentiful for industry and individuals in this country, least have a fighting chance to begin to combat our debt.
Maybe today.
Eisenhower knew that no one would drive on the Interstate system before he died.
