Dear Kossacks - This speech by Van Jones at the Power Shift conference in DC this weekend is worth attention:
While they’re stuck on stupid in DC, your generation is rising.
Love that phrase!
Apologies for a quick diary - do check it out the link above that goes to a Wonk Room report if you have time.
As diaried yesterday, Power Shift is a movement, mostly young people, focused on changing our energy-wasting, climate-destroying ways. 10,000 are attending this weekend's conference.
Van Jones described how we have a civilization “fueled by death” — fossil fuels from plants and animals that died millions of years ago:
We pull out of the ground death. We burn death in our power plants. Why do we get shocked when we get death in our sky as global warming, death in our oceans as oil spills, death in our children’s lungs as asthma and cancer?
This is a terrible legacy to leave to the coming generations.
The framing of energy issues by Mr. Jones was bang on:
The strongest moments of his speech came when he discussed America’s basic principles, in the context of arguing with “your uncle Joe” who watches Fox News at the Thanksgiving table. “Don’t you believe in liberty?” Van asked. “Shouldn’t we have the right as Americans to be energy producers?” he asked. “Shouldn’t we have the right and liberty to be free from energy companies who dictate how much we pay, what air we breathe?” Coal and oil companies try to divide us with cultural stereotypes and political ideology, when a green economy is actually the truly American economy.
Thank you sir! These are issues should concern all Americans.
He was critical of DC performance, including Obama's:
Jones argued that President Obama is like the friend who has the potential to be an A-plus student, but is only getting C’s and D’s. Jones told the assembled youth from campuses around the nation they can be a “hero for making sure your friend gets an A-plus on his presidency.”
Great way to put it. When Obama does the right thing, he is very effective. But apparently he needs pushing to make that happen.
If I can find a video I'll post it. Thanks.
UPDATE - video snippet found thanks to Edger. Partial transcipt below the video:
If you had a friend, a roommate, who should be an A+ student, and he's getting C's and D's, you would go over to your roommate, and you would put some positive peer pressure on him. And you would say, "I know you can do better work. I know you can perform at a higher level. And I love you enough that I'm going to insist that you meet your A+ potential." (unintelligible). Now, if you're a hero for ensuring that your friend gets an A on her paper, aren't you a bigger hero for ensuring that your other friend gets an A+ on his presidency?
Hold this whole town accountable. Hold them - but keep them accountable. Because that's how you can shift the power.
Well said.