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Friday, February 4, 2011

Innovating ourselves back into the 19th century

President Obama called for an 'innovation economy' to spur America to maintain its global leadership. Innovation made America great but the very nature of conservatism looks to the past rather than the future. In some areas that might not be the worst idea but the present crop of reactionaries (calling them 'conservatives' is an insult to rational conservatism which isw not beset with complete idiocy) believes that everything was better 150 years ago, even voting rights, worker protection and child labor laws.

One of the top GOP conservatives in the House, Thaddeus McCotter of Michigan epitomized this on the G. Gordon Liddy show yesterday. The subject was the 'incandescent light bulb'. Liddy started the conversation with the now oft repeated lie that the government has banned the use of incandescent light bulbs to force people to use more energy efficient newer light bulbs. Funny thin though is that I was in a hardware store today that had entire shelves full of what must be illegal light bulbs. Why aren't the authorities taking action against these stores flouting the law? Because the alleged ban is total fucking lie that has lodged in the minds of neanderthal cretins like Liddy's.

LIDDY: Is there any chance that you fellas can talk to [House Energy and Commerce Chairman Fred] Upton and get our light bulbs back, for heaven’s sake?

McCOTTER: Yes, yes. I saw that some on the left were praising the end of the incandescent bulb, at the very time they’re talking about an innovation economy. The irony is striking. One of the greatest innovations in American history was the incandescent bulb and I think we got to put it back where people can use them again.


Did the light bulb gestapo come around to Liddy's house and confiscate all his incandescent light bulbs? With cretins like this America has lost the lead in creating more energy efficient light bulbs.

The law that was passed merely encouraged to use of newer, more energy efficient light bulbs. To quote a New York Times article last year, “the incandescent bulb is turning into a case study of the way government mandates can spur innovation.”

Why don't we reinvent the typewriter and the telegraph? Let's just innovate ourselves into oblivion, it's what these retards would have us do.

1 comment:

Lighthouse said...

McCotter is not wrong, in my view

Understanding why the regulation-for -innovation argument does not hold:
http://ceolas.net/#cc2x


The light bulb ban is wrong for many reasons,
as extensively covered on the website.

For example, why the supposed energy savings are not there, using
official US Dept of Energy references:
http://ceolas.net/#li171x