If You're Not Hip To Will Bunch, Here's Your Chance ...

We have, on numerous occasions, tagged (linked), or included in our Bonus Riffs, the blog "Attytood", written by Philadelphia Daily News Senior Writer, Will Bunch.



Often informative, witty, hysterical, prescient, thoughtful, on-the-money, it is, simple, some darn good writing.

Yesterday, was the 30th Anniversary of what became known as President Jimmy Carter's Malaise Speech, not that what it was titled (The "Crisis of Confidence" Speech), which had to do with our energy policies, among other things.

Bunch takes a look back at it, in his post "The speech that could have saved America", noting "Too bad. I think you can make a strong case that America would be a better place if we had only listened that night."

Here's a snip;

I think a number of enormously positive things would have happened if the alternative energy research -- gutted by Reagan, who in the ultimate act of symbolism even ripped out the solar panels that Carter had installed on the roof of the White House -- and other conservation programs had continued. For one thing, U.S. consumers would have pocketed more of the cash that we instead borrowed from China, and innovation in fields like wind and solar power would have created thousands of new jobs. More importantly, our foreign policy would not be ruled by the need to dominate in the Middle East, and regardless of whether or not you think the 2003 Iraq invasion was all about oil, I think we can agree it never would have happened if the United States wasn't importing 70 percent of its oil, which is a lot MORE than 1977 levels.

Bunch also links to a NYT Op-Ed yesterday, by Gordon Stewart, one the speech's writers.

On July 15 — 30 years ago today — at 10 p.m., President Carter and 100 million people finally faced each other across that familiar Oval Office desk. What they saw and heard was unlike any moment they had experienced from their 39th president. Speaking with rare force, with inflections flowing from meanings he felt deeply, Jimmy Carter called for the “most massive peacetime commitment” in our history to develop alternative fuels.

Contrary to later spin, the speech was extremely popular. The White House was flooded with positive calls. Viewers polled while watching found that the speech inspired them as it unfolded.

Well, we all know how things turned out on that front, and Bunch isn't shy about laying it the feet of Bonzo's former partner, our union-busting 40th President, Ronald Reagan.

Additionally, there's a link to an interview of Bunch, by Crooks and Liars John Amato, regarding Bunch's book, "Tear Down This Myth", that's worth taking the time to check out.