Category: Politics (explicit)

I’ve tried to avoid writing about politics and politicians for the last few years. This post is a pretty clear example of why I chose to do that.

I read a news item this morning about Obama’s announcement of $8 billion in loan guarantees for nuclear reactor construction. Awesome, thought I! Go on with your bad self, Our Friend The Atom!

Then I read another paragraph in:

“On an issue that affects our economy, our security, and the future of our planet, we can’t continue to be mired in the same old stale debates between left and right, between environmentalists and entrepreneurs,” Obama said in a stop at a job training center outside Washington. “Our competitors are racing to create jobs and command growing energy industries. And nuclear energy is no exception.”

Foreign countries are “our competitors”? Really? So it’s a zero-sum game if, say, China builds up its use of nuclear power and reduces its use of fossil fuels? That’s bad for us how?

I thought it was just a bizarre, pandering anomaly when Obama made his SOTU comment about “foreign companies” and “foreign entities” being able to, um, buy U.S. elections with TV ads.

I could’ve sworn the 2008 election was supposed to be — in part — about restoring America’s stature overseas. Little did I know it was going to be about jingoistic nationalism. Not so awesome.