Victor Davis Hanson: The season of our discontent

jewishworldreview.com ^ | Oct. 14, 2005 | Victor Davis Hanson

[Tolik]

Americans — never more affluent or privileged — are in a gloomy mood.  

Take energy. The current average cost of gasoline, $2.85 a gallon (based on Tuesday, Oct.11), is still less, when adjusted for inflation, than it was in 1981. But what is different today is that the relatively sudden surge in gas prices is assumed to be no mere spike.  

Instead the spiraling price seems like something permanent that could grow even higher as known world reserves decline. And it is made worse by our voracious consumption and the entry of China and India into the global energy market.  

In response to Americans' anxiety over energy and other, sometimes real, sometimes perceived problems, we are witnessing ideological stubbornness and inconsistency from both sides of the political aisle.

 

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[Tolik]

    Victor Davis Hanson Ping ! 

       Let me know if you want in or out.

Links: FR Index of his articles:  http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/keyword?k=victordavishanson 
His website: http://victorhanson.com/     NRO archive: http://www.nationalreview.com/hanson/hanson-archive.asp

[G.Mason]

"The result of this petrified leadership is that while things are not nearly as bad as they seem, the public in its frustration feels they are far worse."

"Petrified leadership" and the continual onslaught of the petrified MSM propaganda machine.

[MEG33]

"The result of this petrified leadership is that while things are not nearly as bad as they seem, the public in its frustration feels they are far worse. "

I do not understand it..

[hershey]

This too shall pass. (Thanks for posting VDH. He puts it in a nutshell.)

[Dane]

"Petrified leadership" and the continual onslaught of the petrified MSM propaganda machine.

And the onslaught of radical marxist envirowhackos.

[finnman69]

This angst has far less to do with leadership and far more with a culture of bad media, negative public stereotypes, and an unhealthy addiction to 'getting more stuff'.

[faireturn]

Hanson sums up by observing:

" --- the fatalism of a normally can-do public grows. Voters no longer trust once tight-fisted Republicans to balance the budget, while the old war party of Wilson, Roosevelt, Truman and Kennedy is no longer credible on national security.
The voters want to both expand traditional domestic energy sources and to curtail consumption, but the two horn-locked parties see these solutions as either/or rather than compatible.

The result of this petrified leadership is that while things are not nearly as bad as they seem, the public in its frustration feels they are far worse. -- "

The time is ripe to throw out lock-horned republocrat 'leaders'.

I wonder who Hanson would like to see step forward..

[G.Mason]

" And the onslaught of radical marxist envirowhackos.

Aye!

So many targets, so little time. ;)

[Sam Cree]

Nice article.

[alicewonders]

I am hungering for a real leader to step up to the plate in the Republican party - I just have no idea who that might be. No one that I can think of at the moment.

America has become too materialistic & hedonistic - we need someone to tell it like it is & lead us into a time of self-restraint & real conservatism.

[sgtbono2002]

I am pretty sure this gas spike is here to stay, and that it may be partially driven by our voracious apetite for energy

The larger part of the spike is driven by the voracious apetite for profit by gas producers ,oil companies and speculators.

I know ---I know-- bring on the lovers of high gas prices telling me they can sell for anything they like.Its Capitolism.Its economics. Thats all well and good, They have the Gold Mine , we get the shaft.

[Eagles6]

save

[Just mythoughts]

"And the onslaught of radical marxist envirowhackos."


I call them dirt-worshipers.

[Dane]

The larger part of the spike is driven by the voracious apetite for profit by gas producers ,oil companies and speculators.

And I see you are doing your part by putting risk capital in looking for more oil or other alternative energy sources.(rolling eyes).

[MNJohnnie]

and the continual onslaught of the petrified MSM propaganda machine.

That continually hyper exagerates the negative and willfully supresses GOOD news.

[sgtbono2002]

It didnt take you long did it? Rolling my eyes.

[Valin]

What's the old saying? "In politics, preception is reality."

[Valin]

OH it's all over, yes we're all going to hell in a handcart! It's the end of civilation as we know it! We're doomed DOOMED I say. Not like the good old days.
(Oct. is national sarcastic awareness month.)

[Milhous]

Usually such angst — less than half the population expresses confidence in the administration — would lead to the opposition's advantage. It hasn't, as the Democrats are offering no systematic alternative to meet the growing anguish.

Pollsters need to do a better job of discerning the true reasons behind falling presidential confidence instead of just parroting socialist left talking points about the higher price of gasoline. For instance, my sole source of discontent with Bush lies with his nomination of Miers.