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A Call
for Leadership and Vision
( written September 12, 2001)
In May of 1961, John Kennedy stood in front of the American people and
set the goal of landing a man on the moon within the decade. This was
unthinkable, almost impossible goal to achieve, yet by raising the spirit
of the American will, we achieved this goal.
Because of the Space program in the 60's, the technologies developed and
privatized, we created new technologies from mood rings, semiconductors,
"Space Age" materials, to computers.
An incalculable economic return on the original investment in the Apollo
program.
I call for George W. Bush, to make a similar challenge, which is the ONLY
long term solution we have with the terrorist bred in the middle east:
" Reduce our dependence on fossil fuels, to zero, by the end of
this decade".
George W. Bush just received authorization from Congress for $40 Billion
dollars to clean up this tragedy and to enable retaliation by our military.
This is a few hundred thousand time more money than the federal government
ever put into solar energy research, hydrogen fuel cells and electric
cars, in the last 10 years, combined.
Oil company executives, in the 70's declared they would invest in solar
energy, "when they can own the sun".
Well, they don't, we, the people do, and the $40 Billion dollars is our
money.
It is our interests in the middle east oil fields, our manipulations of
their governments that raises the arms of the oppressed to strike at the
US with terrorism. All of this is designed, via foreign policy, to protect
our fossil fuel interests in this region. We do this to protect the interests
of 8 to 10 of the largest companies in the world.
I suggest a long term vision for this money:
- we spend $20 Billion dollars to develop the oil fields or our southern
neighbor, Mexico. This investment will also improve our relationship,
which we could benefit from as well.
- we spend $20 Billion dollars on solar energy research, hydrogen fuel
cell research, fusion reactor development.
Imagine the jobs this would create in this decade. Remember the Apollo
program and it's long term effects.
Bin Laden was a Saudi Billionaire. His family made billions of dollars
in construction, supported by American oil dollars.
We made him. We trained him. We gave him the money, effectively, for the
fossil fuel deposits under his country, which as it happened, by luck,
they were born over.
We can bomb the terrorists to oblivion, many times over. We will succeed
in creating a generation of martyr's, for another, even more fervent generation
to emulate. We will continue the cycle of terrorist attacks and revenge
attacks forever, unless we solve our real issue:
"America's dependency on fossil fuel".
This is the only, real, long term solution, but it takes vision. No money
equals no power for the oil bearing countries. Without oil, these Islamic
states will revert to their Bedouin history. If they desire to live in
the 12th century, let them.
But there is no revenge like obsolescence.
Once again, technology is the real path to ultimate victory.
John
Steven Calder
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