What the hell is wrong with Robert Reich?

[ProSense]

Reich

The man who electrified the nation with his speech at the Democratic National Convention of 2004 put it to sleep tonight. President Obama’s address to the nation from the Oval Office was, to be frank, vapid. If you watched with the sound off you might have thought he was giving a lecture on the history of the Interstate Highway System. He didn’t have to be angry but he had at least to show passion and conviction. It is, after all, the worst environmental crisis in the history of the nation.

More bullshit about emotion.

The President distinguished what has happened in the Gulf of Mexico from a tornado or hurricane because they are over quickly while the leak is an ongoing crisis, lasting many weeks and perhaps months more. He likened it to an “epidemic.” But the real difference has nothing to do with time. Tornadoes and hurricanes are natural disasters. Epidemics occur because germs mutate and spread. The spill occurred because of the recklessness and ruthlessness of a giant oil company in pursuit of profit.

It is a fucking epidemic. As for "recklessness," is he criticizing the President for pointing out exactly that?

Obama: BP will pay for its "recklessness"

And what has the nation learned from all this? The same lesson we’ve known for decades, according to the President. We must end our dependence on oil. But if we’ve known this for decades, why haven’t we done anything about it? The President endorsed the cap-and-trade bill that emerged from the House (without calling it cap-and-trade) but didn’t call for the only thing that may actually work: a tax on carbon.

Was he expecting a detailed overview of why we're still using oil? Yeah, the American people tuned in to hear about the Gulf effort and he needed to start throwing jargon at them. How long should he have spent explaining what the hell a tax on carbon is?

[babylonsister]

1. What's with 'journalists' in general? They're believing their own

hype, and in order to stay relevant, have to keep hyping.

IMO.

[kirby]

14. 'Journalists'? He is an economist...

an acedemic, a professor at UC Berkeley, former Secretary of Labor for Clinton.

I would not discount his criticism so quickly.

[tekisui]

2. I don't know anyone who actually cares about this emotion angle.

What people care about is making sure this never happens again, and holding those responsible accountable.

That is what we want to see.

[depakid]

6. Unfortunately, there's been less accountabiity than there has emotion

As to corporations like BP being reckless, that's a symptom of the very lack of accountability that's become the norm- and it's gotten to the point where many of them endanger their financial viability -or their own existence in the process.

[Name removed]

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[marylanddem]

5. Yes - the lack of emotion is rather disturbing.

[phleshdef]

17. There is no lack of emotion. But he isn't overemotional, like all the drama queens claiming a lack.

[ProSense]

7. Maybe a different perspective would help:

here and here.

[babylonsister]

8. Perhaps he lost his humor with all the crises he's had to deal with.

As for his alertness, maybe he's just exhausted. I am from just watching him.

And I'm sure he's being willfully drugged. That's comical, you have to admit.

[depakid]

12. That would be my guess- worry and lack of sleep

President Obama may be a lot of things, but a sociopath or benzo user he assuredly is not.

[librechik]

22. my hubby blames nicotine and I'm sure it plays a role

at the end of the day (literally) cigarettes are numbing and cause fatigue

[flpoljunkie]

10. The oval office setting is somber and Obama's speech reflected it.

Obama has an unprecedented set of problems on his plate. That this shows in his face, is not surprising.

[tekisui]

11. I agree that you could read his face and see the weight on his shoulders.

I can't imagine what he carries every day.

[Davis_X_Machina]

4. Hilda Solis has *his* job, dammit. That's what's wrong. n/t

[lamp_shade]

9. L'il chip on his shoulder maybe? Nose out of joint perhaps? That's my suspicion.

I don't pay any attention to him.

[HughMoran]

13. He's been a little OCD lately

I've been watching to see if he comes to his senses at some point...

[joe black]

15. I didn't think the speach was that bad.

And I'm not an Obama cheerleader.

[ironrooster]

16. I'll bite. Reich is correct in addressing the inappropriate metaphor

of "epidemic" This isn't a epidemic - it may possibly be the worst man made environmental disaster in the
history of the world - on par with the deforestation of the Amazon. You will see the effects of this for
decades. The view is that this was spilling 40k (barrels) of oil prior to the new BP condom they have in place -
and current estimates are 20k (barrels). 40k barrels = 1,680,000 gallons PER DAY. When did they get the new
straw in place? Oh never mind... the spill was gushing full bore for what - about 50 days? That's
2,000,000 barrels or 84,000,000 gallons of oil give or take. The Exxon Valdez was approx 257,000 barrels of oil,
or about 1/8 the current amount at 50 days, and we are still counting. The strata about the circumference
of the well head is leaking - you can plainly see it on the video. That means that the subsoil around
the casing is compromised. If the well were capped at this point, they run the risk of a greater
erosion about the casing and a blow out from the sea floor. They have no choice but keep pumping
to prevent back pressure. We are fucked.

Now I understand that there isn't much Obama can do about the blow out, per se - but I believe what
Reich desires is for Obama to cogently describe the disaster for what it is (a crisis) and use the
crisis to push hard for environmental reform. That's called "leadership" - but the OP knows that
already, and this is merely an attempt to yank chains - the rubes are so easily manipulated
eh?.

[ProSense]

18. In context, the President was right

The millions of gallons of oil that have spilled into the Gulf of Mexico are more like an epidemic, one that we will be fighting for months and even years.

In fact, we're plagued by the oil industry, and this disater is a direct result. Metaphorically, we'll be fighting the disastrous effects of oil for decades.

Still, of all the things for Reich to pick at, this is one of the silliest.

[ironrooster]

20. It's very simple.

Obama needs to push much harder for the environment. The only way he
can bolster that approach is to expose the magnitude of the disaster.

[Name removed]

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[Thrill]

21. They want an Actor not a President

.