How Obama Owns Moderate Mantle

As we approach the little spoiler on the deck lid of the Bush administration, time has come to analyze and (one hopes) suggest how an Obama presidency solves three problems at the same time.

While many are concerned about the environment, few are really committed to the idea of sacrifice in the name of the environment. Hearing terms like Global Warming, Carbon Footprint, and Greenhouse Gas conjures of self-righteous, Prius-driving Lesbian Seagull Liberalism types who feel it is their business to pass judgement on others. Al Gore should be engaged as a surrogate for this group, because he is the President-for-life of this group.

The other 90 percent of us, which includes most of those who own Priuses, are better reached through another approach.

Germany has a functional mechanism for moving toward solar energy. The options are an oligarchical French model using nuclear power, centralizing power generating assets in the hands of established utility providers, and the German model which locates the same power generating assets, through a system of tax credits, closer to the consumer.

While the French system, with appropriate reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel, has a role in the overall picture of the American system, to make it central to our energy needs for the long term as proposed by Senator McCain is myopic. The German system is particularly suitable for the nature and culture of Americans.

Every time those things which were in the hands of a relatively small number of enterprises, transportation in the 1890s and information inthe 1980s being prime examples, and there is a rapid transfer of capacity and technology closer to the consumer, the United States economy booms. That needs to be remembered.

The idea of moving to solar begins with a call to the patriotism of Americans. Our greatest Presidents, FDR, JFK, Reagan, Clinton, leveraged the assets of government and the experience of publicly-funded science in the name of patriotism into enhanced living standards in this country. From the tools that came with the Manhattan Project, to the Internet, and even the greatest powdered orange drink ever, the Space Program's Tang, when Government gets down with science, Government actually gets it right!

The Devil is ice skating. Government gets nothing right which does not have absolutes that cannot be altered by the observers opinion.

The Nation begins by partnering with our experienced German allies. While our abilities will come up to speed rapidly, we can benefit by recognizing the Europeans' place on the learning curve and avoiding the pitfals that we can foresee. Adjustments and advancements suitable for the specifics of this continent can be ad-libbed when there is a plan in place of what needs to be one regardless.

The first step requires restarting idled manufacturing capacity for the production of solar panel generators. The idea which appears to work best is contracting with and established enterprise, such as Siemens or Bosch for the placement of solar generators on every square inch of federal rooftop in the country in two years.

We add a tax credit which offers the greatest rewards to early adopters of solar technology, and the technologies necessary to make a home a net energy producer. A consumer owned, individually managed computerized home energy consumtion/production monitoring system may be one option. The role of utilities would shift from energy generating to grid maintenance and technological research. The role of commercial electricity generation would not be eliminated, indeed much like the railroads, the ability would be to sell more to commercial users.

While the initial investment appears costly, the need for millions of people to manufacture, install, transport, maintain, warehouse, sell, and yes, eventually recycle solar panels will put millions on tax rolls, and move millions more up in tax bracket. The patriotic call to duty, which is already being answered in the heartland by windfarms and ethanol producers, is for Americans to start acting like Americans again, and become self-sufficient.

The victory garden of the challenges to face the Obama administration will be flanked by solar panels and vigiled by a home wind generator, a more productive option in parts of the country not blessed with prodigious, year-round sunlight. (We hear you, up in Vermont.)

In short order comes the bonus.

There will be a tipping point, where one can only guess, when enough Americans become net energy producers, that excess capacity not sold to neighbors in Canada and Mexico could be dedicated to something unfeasible right now like the electrolysis of seawater for hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. The resulting slurry could be mined for precious minerals, and those precious minerals could be used to restore the Dollar to a relationship backed by tangible wealth.

Yes, we're talking about reversing Bretton Woods, and taking a talking point away from Ron Paul voters in 2012. The value of the Dollar would skyrocket.

As we are able to share our technology with other nations, demand for petroleum would plummet. Our industrialized allies, and democratic neighbors would be the first to benefit, with American engineering and ingenuity finally replacing dirty energy production in the emerging nations of China, India, and Brazil.

This builds a situation which does not allow for the survival of despots Ahmadinedjad and Chavez. Russians are less able to take a belligerent stance with Europe and the Caucasus, when the ability to freeze them ceases to exist. This nation returns to a role of world leadership and regard that was all but destroyed by the excesses and incompetence of the Bush administration.

Let's see the results. Environment fixed. Economy booming. Strategic interests protected. Despots ruined. Affluence becoming contagious. It sounds like a winner to me.

President Obama, let's get started

A note to our friends.

A short time ago, your Wandering Gentile suggested that several figures shoud find their destiny as "screw those conservative douchebags." We fear that some of our readers may have found the terms to be inappropriate, or offensive, and may not have appreciated the satirical intent. Our objective was not to insult our fine readers in any way shape or form.

However, the hateful, screeching polemic of many conservative quasi-pundits deserves to be returned in kind, on the same level, in the same style. They are ill-equipped to receive the same taunting that they offer on a daily basis, hence the departure from the usual cheeky, yet erudite style which the Wandering Gentile's admirers have come to know and sort of like.

It is unlikely to happen again.

Gil.