The Energy President

There are watershed issues that define every American presidency. Our nation’s first president, George Washington, had the task of holding together a tenuous union of competing factions during the founding of our nation. Not having the benefit of historical mandate for his presidency, Washington helped develop customs of the newly enacted executive powers that were granted him. Our first president offers us a model of presidential bipartisanship, when he skillfully arbitrated between the Jeffersonians, the forerunners of today’s Democrats, at loggerheads with the dominant party of the day, the Federalists.

Lincoln had the task of guiding a nation torn asunder by the Civil War. His reward for successfully meeting the challenge was assassination, a month after the war ended. Historians now recognize that Lincoln’s skillful selection of generals helped ensure a Union victory, when the outcome of the war was in the balance. He also was able to neutralize the radical elements of his day, wedded solely to ideology, rather than the higher ideals of national unification.

FDR, who came to power during arguably, the nation’s darkest economic period, The Great Depression, rode shotgun over sweeping legislation that boldly launched experiments in stimulating the economy, just as he had promised during his inaugural address. While today’s current crop of conservatives will disagree, Roosevelt might be the model of how our new president might act. By his own candid admission, Roosevelt admitted that the initial thrust of his New Deal ("The First 100 Days") was experimental. He would launch an initiative, see if it worked, or whether it didn’t. If the project was a dud, he’d retrench, and move forward, not getting bogged down in over-analysis, or hand-wringing.

LBJ, and Nixon, both had qualities that should have left a better legacy, but they each were plagued by issues that will forever dog them down the dark corridors of time. Johnson’s was the Vietnam War, and Nixon never got over the shame of Watergate.

Our next president has the looming specter of the energy issue. What he is able to do with this, could make, or break his presidency. It could also serve as a hinge pin whether, or not, the U.S. continues to be viewed as a leader in the world. Hindering any action on his part is vast ignorance of the issue, on all sides. The American people, gullible, and like spoiled children, can’t fathom why they can’t motor around any longer, with sub $2/gallon gasoline. The drive-by media, more wedded to equal parts ideology, as well as their corporate benefactors, no longer seek out truth, but are more apt to maintain the status quo, and offer a steady stream of misinformation, further compounding the issue with the general public. Our elected leaders, in the Congress, and Senate, would rather grandstand, and tilt at windmills (rather than develop them as an alternative energy source), further diluting any hope that the incoming president has of moving a proactive agenda on energy, forward.

I leave you with a reasoned Op Ed, in London’s Financial Times, by British Petroleum’s CEO, Tony Hayward (ponder his three myths). It’s ironic that such an evenhanded piece could be penned by an oil “bogeyman.” His conclusion is that the solution is simple. I would differ with him, but I commend him for tackling this issue with a measure of grace, rather than more of the recent histrionic media blathering.

Happy motoring!

Price parabolas, and the need for a leader

On Friday, oil closed at a record of $137.69. Never before has the price of black gold been this high, and after seeing the price spike $10.15 in one day, many are fearful of what will happen when the markets open Monday.

Not to sound like a doomer, but in my mind, what we’re seeing, with the meltdown of the credit market, record rates of foreclosures, with many homeowners literally leaving the keys in the mailbox, and walking away, as well as a parabolic upward surge in energy costs, might be the beginning of a crisis in the U.S., and possibly what James Kunstler wrote about, in The Long Emergency.

Actually, rather than being fearful, as would be normal given the uncoupling of energy costs, from supply and demand, and see them totally at the whim of the kind of mob psychology that fuels wild speculation, Americans are scratching their heads. They’re not quite sure what’s going on. All they know is that it’s costing them more and more each week, or every three, or four days, when they drive up to the pump.

In the midst of this financial meltdown, and national crisis, nary a politician has stepped forward to talk about the issue in anything more than sweeping political-speak. Now might be a time when our supposed oilmen in charge, could actually offer Americans some sense of what’s taking place, since both come from the world of oil derricks, and cowboy boots. Instead, the lamest of presidential ducks, President Bush, is nowhere to be found. Cheney might be dead, for all we know, as Americans haven’t heard from him in months.

On the horserace side of things, neither Obama, nor McCain have a clue of what needs to happen. Now would be a time to truly show the voters that they are prepared to lead, as this crisis has provided a golden opportunity to step forward, and do something to calm the spooked markets. One or both men could convene an energy summit. They could bring in knowledgeable people from oil, finance, economists, and others, to see what might be done in the short-term, to ease the pain that most Americans are beginning to feel each time they fill up the SUV, or pass through the check out line at the supermarket. They also could offer some specific substance when they talk in the most general of terms about their national energy policy. Any idiot can say they are for alternative energy, as the gaggle of candidates running for everything from dogcatcher, to president now does. What the hell does it all mean, your talk of “alternative energy?”

That’s not going to happen, however. What we’re witnessing is the kind of leadership vacuum that comes from decades of politicians coming to the federal ATM in Washington with an empty satchel, and stuffing it full of taxpayer money, then walking off, while the next person in line does the same. It’s no better at the state, or local level, either. We are seeing a dearth of leadership of epic proportions. No one, and I mean no one, is offering anything hinting at solutions. The left tell you to buy a Prius (Pre-ass), and the right proffer drilling in the national parks. Actually, Newt Gingrich makes as much sense as anyone does at this point, when the other side's leader, Barry Obama, seems to be channeling Jimmy Carter, circa 1976. Maybe Mr. Change was just offering a way of tackling America's obesity problem?

We are at the mercy of the hucksters, and con men, my friends. Because of this, I’m concerned that we’ll continue to see things unravel, and get worse, before they get better. And unfortunately for the simple minds out in TV land, neither John Obama, or the old guy, Barack McCain will offer a dimes worth of difference.

Breaking out everywhere

The pre-release interest in Moxietown continues to be high. Just this week, I've received several media inquiries about possible appearances for the book.

Fellow blogger, Mark LaFlamme, interviewed me about Moxie, and the new book, and has graciously posted my answers on his blog, The Screaming Room.

It wasn't as scary as I expected, and no, I didn't scream.

Stop talking; start doing

The saying goes that “talk is cheap.” That probably depends on whether or not the talker is a government official. If so, his/her talk might cost you a stack of bills.

During this campaign season, we’ve all had to wade through a logjam of candidates, both local, and national, all talking about the things they’re going to do. No politician is ever going to say he opposes education. Yet, when they say that they’re for educational attainment, how do we know that the candidate is going to push through a program to teach soft skills, for instance, preparing students for the real world, versus supporting much of what’s wrong with No Child Left Behind?

My current position that pays my bills requires me to go to more meetings than I’ve ever attended in my life. Many of these meetings are with people that have been in the public sector for a much longer time than I have. While many of these colleagues are good people, I think, there seems to more talk, and not a lot of action.

My grandfather was a doer. I don’t know if he ever went to any meetings, other than church on Sunday. He was a woodsman, farmer, and in his earlier days, worked at the Worumbo Mill, in Lisbon Falls in the dye room. Days where he regularly worked 16 to 18 hours were the norm. In the agrarian days of the 19th and 20th century, men, and women knew the value of work. Life was about doing, not talking.

Raised up in a culture where doing was valued, I got away from doing during my 20s, and early 30s. I forgot how to move things forward. It’s only been the last five, or six years that I’ve rediscovered the joy that comes from setting a goal, and seeing it realized. With that comes a sense of empowerment.

One of the reasons why having a garden is good, besides the wonderfully fresh produce that results, is that it is a way to stay connected to an agrarian past when getting something done was a way of life, and a rite of survival. No garden, no food. No food, no life; simple, but basic.

Several years ago, when I was writing for the late, great Portland Pigeon, a free monthly, one of my first essays was on being DIY (Do It Yourself). I have looked for that essay in some of my old files, and on floppies collecting dust, but I can’t find it. Basically, my premise was that people needed to stop talking, and start doing. At the time, I was doing activist work, and too much of my time was spent in meetings, with people interested in talking, rather than doing.

Do you want to change the world? Find one small thing that needs changing, and get it done. Think you have something to say, but lack a platform to get the word out—start a blog, or write a book. Tired of paying high food prices, for over-processed food, then find a corner of grass and plant a small garden.

It all sounds simple, but profundity can be found in the simplest of acts.

Moxietown at the printer

The new book is at the printer, and my website has been updated. It appears that we're on track to have copies of the book available by the first of July, just prior to the Moxie Festival, in Lisbon Falls.

Because Moxietown will have a limited-run pressing (meaning that we are only printing a small number of copies for the festival, and will only reprint once), copies of the book may be hard to come by, after the festival.

To ensure that you receive a copy, RiverVision Press is urging that you pre-order your book today. That way, you'll be guaranteed a copy of Moxietown.