While watching one of John Edwards' new ads on YouTube, a line stuck out at me. In it, Edwards says: "We need you. Your country needs you."
Here is the video:
By the way, as much as this seems like a candidate diary, it really isn't meant to be. (And, yes, if you read some of my other diaries, you will discover I am an Edwards supporter.) I want to simply use something Edwards said to make a larger point regardless of who ultimately gets the nomination.
This statement encompasses a vision of America that has been sorely lacking in the political discourse in recent times. I think it expresses a feeling of the need for a National Purpose other than constant war and conflict. As John Edwards has said previously:
"We need to be patriotic about something other than war."
My best guess is that with the Federal Reserve lowering interest rates, the price of oil will continue its climb back to $100/bbl. The high price of oil has led to new domestic exploration for the black gold; but in the long term, we need to move away from polluting and depleting energy sources to natural, renewable and relatively clean sources of energy creation (solar, wind, tidal, geothermal and hydro) even if it costs more in the short term.
This does not even get into the national security aspect of dependence on hydrocarbons for our energy needs.
Most of the reason why we have not built more of these types of renewable energy sources has less to do with their efficiency than their tremendous capital startup costs. Did private individuals, private companies or venture capitalists provide the funding for our national railroad, highway, airport or energy grids? No, taxpayers did.
Why is this important? I think that with the debt crisis we are just now coming to grips with and recognize, we are heading for a prolonged period of an economic slowdown. There is some analysis that suggests that unemployment is actually worse than official statistics suggest (perhaps closer to 7% due to workers who are no longer looking for work since Bush took office).
Another aspect of this kind of national work program is that it would take advantage of one of America's strengths: innovation. Why is it that Americans have continued to be competitive in the world although "wage arbitrage" should have overtaken us by now? One word: innovation. Even now, most of the world's inventions are made here in the U.S. If we can put a man on the moon, we can build a better solar panel or windmill for right here on earth.
Back to my original point: in a time where a certain political party has sought to divide us along religious, ethnic and racial lines, a national policy that seeks to create a national purpose would have wide-ranging positive effects beyond the immediate energy independence it would bring.
How many people use drugs because of depression brought on by a feeling of not being needed. Would a policy that promotes some sort of national purpose be a panacea? No, of course not. But I bet that it would help. Idle hands are the devil's workshop.
So one of the messages the upcoming Democratic president needs to stress to Americans upon their inauguration is: "We need you. Your country needs you." Now let's get to work rebuilding the country.