An Homage to Greed, Mindless Palliatives, and Sticking Yer Head in the Sand

Here it is, "Burying Carterism," by a fellow named Duane D. Freese at TechCentralStation, via Free Republic.

I just want to make it clear that I did NOT go over there looking for something to make fun of. I try to listen to those people. They're not ALL nuts, you know. But the first thing I see is this, in which Mr. Freese, in essence, denigrates Carter's "malaise" speech, ridicules his plans for energy independence, and praises Reagan's optimism. The basic point is that Carter shouldn't have called a malaise a malaise (though, as Freese points out, he didn't actually use the word). Freese prefers Reagan's don't worry, be happy approach, and, of course, his laissez faire energy "policy." Reagan trusted the market and made us all optimistic, and we all lived happily ever after...

Except, of course, that nothing of the kind happened. If we'd listened to Carter we would have long ago weaned ourselves from dependence on Middle Eastern oil, we wouldn't find ourselves forced to intervene militarily there every ten years or so, we wouldn't have had to prop up tin-horn dictators there, we wouldn't have to station troops in Saudi Arabia, bin Laden would probably be just another anonymous religious fanatic, 9/11 might very well not have happened, we would no longer be the world's biggest oil glutton and the world's biggest producer of greenhouse gases.

Carter was right on this one, Reagan was wrong. Reagan convinced the country to stick its head in the sand, and the consequences have been disastrous. Electing Reagan was like hiring a doctor who tells you "Aw, shucks, you don't have to do any of that newfangled exercise! There's no need to cut down on the beer and bacon! Just be happy, believe in yourself, and read the Bible. You'll be just fine, pardner!"

Jebus, these people...I just don't get it.