My hobgoblin on the State of the Union
If consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, then my hobgoblin is just a bit exercised about Bush’s call for energy independence in the State of the Union — nicely summarized in this Tom Maguire post. Here are the two parts of the speech that I can’t quite reconcile: 1) “In this decisive year, you ...
If consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, then my hobgoblin is just a bit exercised about Bush's call for energy independence in the State of the Union -- nicely summarized in this Tom Maguire post. Here are the two parts of the speech that I can't quite reconcile: 1) "In this decisive year, you and I will make choices that determine both the future and the character of our country. We will choose to act confidently in pursuing the enemies of freedom -- or retreat from our duties in the hope of an easier life. We will choose to build our prosperity by leading the world economy -- or shut ourselves off from trade and opportunity. In a complex and challenging time, the road of isolationism and protectionism may seem broad and inviting -- yet it ends in danger and decline." 2) "Breakthroughs on [ethanol] and other new technologies will help us reach another great goal: to replace more than 75 percent of our oil imports from the Middle East by 2025. By applying the talent and technology of America, this country can dramatically improve our environment, move beyond a petroleum-based economy, and make our dependence on Middle Eastern oil a thing of the past." Here's my problem -- in what way is the provision massive government subsidies of alternative fuels not another example of import substitution and industrialization? Isn't trying to reduce Middle Eastern oil imports an example of how to "shut ourselves off from trade and opportunity"???? To be fair to Bush, what he's saying might be correct even if it's not internally consistent. Trade on the whole is a good thing, but dependence on oil is bad. Except that a big reason the U.S. has intervened so much in the Arab Middle East for the past 25 years is not just because we're dependent on Arab oil imports -- it's that our allies in Europe and Japan are really dependent on Middle Eastern oil, and we can't afford for their economies to be disrupted either. As I said at the beginning of the post, I might be harping too much on two pieces of the speech that were meant to address different things. But in fairness to the isolationists, I suspect that they will be the biggest boosters of the President's energy policies. UPDATE: Andrew Sullivan's hobgoblin is also exercised about the SOTU
If consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, then my hobgoblin is just a bit exercised about Bush’s call for energy independence in the State of the Union — nicely summarized in this Tom Maguire post. Here are the two parts of the speech that I can’t quite reconcile:
1) “In this decisive year, you and I will make choices that determine both the future and the character of our country. We will choose to act confidently in pursuing the enemies of freedom — or retreat from our duties in the hope of an easier life. We will choose to build our prosperity by leading the world economy — or shut ourselves off from trade and opportunity. In a complex and challenging time, the road of isolationism and protectionism may seem broad and inviting — yet it ends in danger and decline.” 2) “Breakthroughs on [ethanol] and other new technologies will help us reach another great goal: to replace more than 75 percent of our oil imports from the Middle East by 2025. By applying the talent and technology of America, this country can dramatically improve our environment, move beyond a petroleum-based economy, and make our dependence on Middle Eastern oil a thing of the past.”
Here’s my problem — in what way is the provision massive government subsidies of alternative fuels not another example of import substitution and industrialization? Isn’t trying to reduce Middle Eastern oil imports an example of how to “shut ourselves off from trade and opportunity”???? To be fair to Bush, what he’s saying might be correct even if it’s not internally consistent. Trade on the whole is a good thing, but dependence on oil is bad. Except that a big reason the U.S. has intervened so much in the Arab Middle East for the past 25 years is not just because we’re dependent on Arab oil imports — it’s that our allies in Europe and Japan are really dependent on Middle Eastern oil, and we can’t afford for their economies to be disrupted either. As I said at the beginning of the post, I might be harping too much on two pieces of the speech that were meant to address different things. But in fairness to the isolationists, I suspect that they will be the biggest boosters of the President’s energy policies. UPDATE: Andrew Sullivan’s hobgoblin is also exercised about the SOTU
Daniel W. Drezner is a professor of international politics at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University and co-host of the Space the Nation podcast. Twitter: @dandrezner
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