Mar 11 2009
DC Liberals An Incoherent Bunch Of Eff-Ups
A Tokamak Fusion Reactor
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Some news has been circulating in my circles which has just cemented for me how bad it is in DC with the current liberal Democrat control (or lack of therein) of the Federal Government. I have never seen a more confused or incoherent lot in my life. They put on a facade of understanding what they are doing, but their actions (not their words) demonstrate that any 3rd grade class in America could do better at defining and implementing a strategy to get the nation back on track.
We know the general pattern since Obama took office: wild, unfocused, out of control pork spending which has bankrupt the country badly in just one year (see graph below). What would be two presidential terms of deficit spending in one year!
We have a treasury team stumbling along with no real plans, just disastrous press conferences. We have a Chicken Little-in-Chief crying crisis as he gins up one massive spending bill after another. We have son of Spendulus coming because the historic debt from last month is apparently not enough. It is a growing disaster of epic proportions (no exaggeration intended).
What crystalized this mess for me was the deletion of a very important and ongoing program (i.e., money goes to work right now) which could free the world of hydro-carbon based energy without the blight of endless windmill or solar panel farms. It is the promise of unlimited, virtually clean energy which the US is on the verge of tapping right now. It is the greenest of causes, the most amazing energy resource in the known universe, a high tech leap that has any number of offshoots – and it has been cancelled.
In this tsunami of government spending, the opportunity to harness nuclear fusion based power has been ended, replaced with dog runs and bike paths in the Spendulus pork buster bill! How did this happen? Here is an overview on the program and its potential:
The sun and the stars burn hot in the cold, infinite depths of space because of nuclear fusion, where hydrogen atoms combine to form heavier elements with the release of energy. If mankind could harness this fusion process, we would have nearly unlimited fuel with little or no pollution.
Although fusion has been achieved in the hydrogen bomb, researchers have been looking for over 50 years to tame it for electrical power. Taking up the daunting challenge, the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) is embarked on a program to reach this goal by using a new technology.
With SAIC’s help, the NRL is spearheading a promising approach to fusion where beams from the world’s largest krypton-fluoride (KrF) laser compress and heat a pellet containing deuterium and tritium “fuel” that burns to form helium and energy in a thermonuclear reaction.
More technical details here on the Nike Laser Fusion program that has been making steady progress for two decades just outside DC. And here are some publications from a symposium NRL hosted in 2004 regarding energy issues (note this is under the Bush administration). Here is an overview of nuclear fusion as a power source. Here is more on the potential of fusion energy:
Fusion power would provide much more energy for a given weight of fuel than any technology currently in use, and the fuel itself (primarily deuterium) exists abundantly in the Earth’s ocean: about 1 in 6500 hydrogen atoms in seawater is deuterium. Although this may seem a low proportion (about 0.015%), because nuclear fusion reactions are so much more energetic than chemical combustion and seawater is easier to access and more plentiful than fossil fuels, some experts estimate that fusion could supply the world’s energy needs for millions of years.
… fusion power has many of the benefits of long-term renewable energy sources (such as being a sustainable energy supply compared to presently-utilized sources and emitting no greenhouse gases) …
Seems almost mythical, doesn’t it? So what could possibly be a higher priority to DC liberals than tapping this limitless energy supply? Why, in this era of out of control spending, was there no money for this work?
Here are some of the projects in the Spendulus bill which took precedence over this history changing research:
- $33,725 has been set aside to install automatically-flushing toilets in the city of Sumter , South Carolina.
- $500,000 has been set aside to build a dog park in Chula Vista , California.
- $886,000 has been set aside to build a 36-hole disc-golf course in Austin , Texas.
- $1.4 MILLION has been set aside to build a water park in Pine Bluff , Arkansas.
- $2 MILLION has been set aside to help residents in North Miami, Florida, switch over to energy-efficient fluorescent bulbs.
- $650 MILLION has been set aside to provide digital TV coupons.
A fraction of the last item alone could keep the research going for years. I think the dog park projects piss me off the most. We seem to be more concerned about pooping puppies than economic survival and energy independence.
Many liberal-leaning media elite are starting to see the light – sadly too late and not clear enough. But it is starting. The problem is, they still think the clowns can turn things around! Here is Howard Fineman on the mess:
Obama still has the approval of the people, but the establishment is beginning to mumble that the president may not have what it takes.
…
But there is only one question on this great test of American fate: can he lead us away from plunging into another Depression?
Obama may be mistaking motion for progress, calling signals for a game plan. A busy, industrious overachiever, he likes to check off boxes on a long to-do list. A genial, amenable guy, he likes to appeal to every constituency, or at least not write off any. A beau ideal of Harvard Law, he can’t wait to tackle extra-credit answers on the exam.
I am beginning to think Obama’s lack of experience, combined with the radically insane liberal leaders he is dealing with in Congress, is a bridge too far for this young president. I mean, when do we stop blaming the team and blame the boss?
Yes, free the president from his flacks, fixers and goons — his posse of smirky smart alecks and provincial rubes, who were shrewd enough to beat the slow, pompous Clintons in the mano-a-mano primaries but who seem like dazed lost lambs in the brave new world of federal legislation and global statesmanship.
Heads should be rolling at the White House for the embarrassing series of flubs that have overshadowed President Obama’s first seven weeks in office and given the scattered, demoralized Republicans a huge boost toward regrouping and resurrection. (Michelle, please use those fabulous toned arms to butt some heads!)
First it was that chaotic pig rut of a stimulus package, which let House Democrats throw a thousand crazy kitchen sinks into what should have been a focused blueprint for economic recovery. Then it was the stunt of unnerving Wall Street by sending out a shrill duo of slick geeks (Timothy Geithner and Peter Orszag) as the administration’s weirdly adolescent spokesmen on economics. Who could ever have confidence in that sorry pair?
That from unabashed liberal commentator Camille Paglia. This all assumes the problems we see don’t actually emanate from the very top. Is the problem only the team? Doubtful. This is a reflection on the leadership.
When dog runs and flushing toilets get priority over the holy grail of energy options, you know the people are screwing up royally. This doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out.
For that matter, if there was one threat to the carbon tax, cap-and-trade charade it would be cheap limitless energy. A break through in nuclear fusion would make the cap-and-trade concept an irrelevant folly. All we would have to do is invest to transform the carbon based energy sources on the power grid to nuclear fusion – cheap and clean energy without the carbon tax. Coincidence?
You have to look at spending priorities from the pov of the average liberal baby boomer with a masters degree in art appreciation.
Anything with the word “NUCLEAR” in it – BAD! BAD! BAD!
Anything with cute puppies in it – GOOD! GOOD! Throw money at it!
(What do you do with a masters degree in art appreciation? You keep those latte’s coming!)
Meanwhile, almost no appointments have been filled at Treasury because no serious person wants to ruin themselves by being associated with Tax Cheat Timmy Geithner.
Oh, forgot to mention that Yucca Mountain is being shut down, since Harry Reid didn’t like it since the Las Vegas casino owners thought it might give them some bad PR. (Who do you think Harry Reid takes his orders from, really? Who do you think paid to put him where he is now? Think about it.)
Shutting Yucca Mountain down means that no more nuclear plants will be built in this country, since there will be no place to store waste. And all existing waste will simply be stored in short term disposal pits on site – the worst possible solution from either an environmental or security situation.
And that’s the “environmentally friendly” solution to the problem?
Excellent post! You could sum this post up by saying that you hope Obama and the libs in Congress fail with these liberal (i.e. foolish) policies that are wrecking the economy and the nation. Yeah, somebody should say that.
It’s not just Treasury, the only people willing to apply for most postions in this administration are cheats and charlatans, ethically challanged libs feeding at the taxpayer trough as anyone with even 1/2 a brain is running from President Pinnochio as fast as they can lest some of the stench end up attached to them.
Who in their right mind would want to hitch their wagon to President Urkel just to have it run down the hill and into a wall in less time than it took Jimminy Carter, the last Presidente to apply extreme liberalism to this nations problems.
Term limits must be put in place for Congress and Senate to eliminate the corrupt, relics of the past, career pols hiding in these Houses feeding off the peoples money and stupidity. New blood is necesary to take advatage of new ideas, new technology and new attitudes.
“From time to time the tree of Liberty must be nourished with the blood of tyrannts.”
There’s plenty of tyrannts in D.C. right now. to nourish a whole forest.
It’ Obama. Or, more to the point, whoever is running Obama. Axelrod, perhaps, Soros?
And here I thought science was going to get the promotion it deserved under an Obama administration.
Good point Aggie when is some Republican going to stand up and say what you just said. Use Urkel’s own words against the lying panderer.
The mainstream press sure won’t.
Science in this administration applies only when it comes to killing babies or those that could become babies, can’t kill Terrorists or GITMO residents though.
“Term limits must be put in place for Congress and Senate to eliminate the corrupt, relics of the past, career pols hiding in these Houses feeding off the peoples money and stupidity.”
We have a term limit … stop voting them back into office. Why do people seem to want a nanny state to do for them what they can do for themselves? Even the parties themselves can do something like that by refusing to support candidates once they have served a certain number of terms.
Question of the day:
How many members of Congress were serving in their current seats on the day President Obama was born? I know of at least two, but there are probably more.
free the president from his flacks, fixers and goons
They must be kidding. He would fall to the floor like a used “sex doll†making a hissing sound as he deflated.
Respectfully Crosspatch,
because the people will not do it for themselves when the porksters bring home free goods. Murtha insults his whole state but because he brings more taxpayer funds to them than virtually any other state gets they vote the corrupt SOB back in. If two terms is enough for a President it is enough for a congress critter . Maybe earmarks would slow down if incumbants couldn’t just use them as a private re-election fund.,
dhunter,
I’m quickly becoming a fan. You say what I’m thinking very well. Keep it up.
While I agree that limiting members of congress to something like 12 years is a great idea, I don’t see it as very likely that such a constitutional amendment would pass. At least not for a couple of decades, maybe. I was trying to be realistic and thinking about what could be done now. If there was such a great clamor for it to happen, the parties would do it themselves.
The thing is everyone loves their on critter and hates everyone else’s. Something like “My congressman is great but congress sucks”. I don’t generally favor laws that restrict people choices and freedoms.
People simply need to start using the primary process and after your party’s candidate has been in office a while, vote for a challenger in the primary. You don’t have to switch parties, just switch candidates within the party. Political parties should pass an internal rule that no primary will go uncontested once a party member has held a congressional seat for 12 years.
What really chaps my cheeks, though, is stuff like what I heard on the radio this morning. On the 10AM newscast on ABC radio, there was a correspondent who said “as the last of the Bush budgets is presented to the White House, President Obama has expressed reservations but is ready to sign it into law”.
My problem is with the phrase “Bush budget”. It is NOT a Bush budget and Bush was threatening to veto it if Congress passed it with all the pork. So Congress waited until Bush was out of office to pass it to Obama.
The “Bush budget” phrase was not a White House phrase, not a Democratic Party phrase, it was a phrase used by the correspondent herself. It is a lie, it is intellectually dishonest, it is pure political propaganda. People are not only being withheld important news, they are having information being intentionally misrepresented as something that it is not. Hearing that phrase infuriated me because it wasn’t a matter of opinion or interpretation, it was a flat out lie.
crosspatch:
No, it is not Bush’s budget. Not even most Democrats would say that. Evan Bayh, a Democrat himself refused to vote for it and called on Obama to veto it. He said this bill destroys the Democratic party’s credibility on fiscal discipline. So obviously he is not thinking of it as Bush’s budget.
About the nuclear fusion thing:
if it is coming along with progress, as it seems to be, then maybe there will be some private funding to continue it.
About the Obama thing:
Obama, Geithner Receive Failing Grades in Latest Survey
In stark contrast with Obama’s popularity with the public, a recent Wall Street Journal/NBC poll gave him a 60% approval rating — but a majority of the 49 economists polled are dissatisfied with the administration’s economic policies
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/first100days/2009/03/11/obama-geithner-receive-failing-grades-latest-survey/
Republicans have been rolling out the “No Cost Stimulus Act of 2009” all day today. Smart tactic.
http://www.dcexaminer.com/opinion/blogs/beltway-confidential/Republicans-Plan-Stimulus-Two-41022312.html
http://www.heritage.org/Research/EnergyandEnvironment/wm2336.cfm
http://www.breitbart.tv/?p=295643
And for those of you who weren’t paying attention, John McCain has been a strong supporter of fusion research. Not just the big programs, but the small outfits (notably Bussard’s Polywell containment work) as well.
You have to wonder who Obama is working for. Russia? China? Al Quaeda? Because he certainly isn’t working for the United States.
If the nuclear fusion option is realistic then private money will fund it. That is how economics works. We can’t depend on the government for one thing and criticze them for not getting into another. Remember they are complete idiots not selective.
As to the idea of voting people out of office, that is predicated on the idea that there is a dfference between the reigning politicians and then you need a good choice as opposed to the “lesser of two evils”. The current pols have hijacked the system, creating the appearance of a two party system when in effect they take turns sharing the spoils. Politics down to the local level is soooo corrupt that the chance of any cream rising to the top is remote at best. I would rather see a military coup and restoration of democracy as envisioned by the founding fathers (and mothers).
Boy,
I would rather see a milita coup with the assistance of the army
And a return to our founding fathers visions is not possible.
We need either an beneovolent dictator and or emperor.
Sounds extreme but we have blown the republic .
FOr 50 plus years the commies have been educating our children. Why do you think so many College degrees are required.
Maybe in half the jobs it was necessary, in too many it is not. Just a way to influence the un wise.
Voting would have to have severe restrictions with a definite raising of the age. Unless of course they serve A la starship troopers.
Most of them are idiots. This includes several in my family.
Additionally those who knowingly voted twice deserve the death penalty.
BloodyIdiot – that is the dumbest thing I have ever read.
Destroy the country through arms? Put in place a dictator?
What are you, a dark lord or something?
Get lost – you are now the enemy. You are no American