Obama promise clean energy… like all 7 presidents before him

In his state of the union address tonight, Obama promise:

Now, clean energy breakthroughs will only translate into clean energy jobs if businesses know there will be a market for what they’re selling. So tonight, I challenge you to join me in setting a new goal: By 2035, 80 percent of America’s electricity will come from clean energy sources. (Applause.)

This goal is a not new but old, very old. Obama made effectively the same promise 6 months ago, just like all 7 presidents from Nixon in 1974 to Bush junior had pledged but never delivered.

As always Jon stewart says it best, 6 months ago, when Obama first made the promise.
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China, India and their culture of Hope

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Giridharadas’ point about the culture of hope among Chinese and Indian is an important observation. The two countries prop up by their swelling labor pool and sound government management are lifting millions out of poverty, consistent economic growth, accumulating wealth, raising eye brawl and garnering national prestige. They are rightly bath in a culture of hope.

This culture of hope means China and India are more likely: to be optimistic about their future then pessimistic; to quit and find better job instead of jealously guarding a job they don’t even like; to invest their profit instead of hording cash; to embrace change instead of fearing reform; to attract oversea capital and talent instead losing them; to study and work hard instead of asking for government hand-outs, to collaborated instead of pulling each other down.

They are in a positive feedback loop. Optimistic economic prospect encourages investment, which creates jobs, thereby increase consumption, demand goes up, investment to boost supply soon follows, and so on and so on. Diminishing return wont come into play just yet because every round of investment is likely to be made with increasing sophisticated technologically either imported from overseas or developed domestically by growing pool of educated talent. This economic growth will eventually slow down as the China and India close-in on the technology front tier and supply catches up to demand. Considering the state of development and population of China and India, it will be a while (China: 15 years; India: 25 years?) for that to happen.

This is not a economic miracle nor a new phenomenon, it has happen before to Japan, the East Asian tigers (South Korea, Hong Kong, Singapore and Taiwan), and United States during the 19 century.

The likely continue success of China and India raises three issues: First, China may become the first major country to not democratize after significant economic modernization, contrary to what the likes of Francis Fukuyama suggest; Second, India’s development model may also represent an alternative model to proponent of Developmental State thesis, where a strong state guide economic development; Lastly, China and India represent the first non-western region hegemon, since the end of 15 century. Theses are issues for me to ponder in future posts.

PS. I initially intended this to be a single short paragraph commentary on the interview. Things got a little out of hand.

PPS. This is my first post written with Windows Liver Writer and I love it. It’s the best full blogging experience by far. Another reason to dump my Mac and jump back on Windows’ bandwagon.

The Other Guys = Hot Fuzz + The Daily Show

=
+

It really is.
Its Hot Fuzz‘s genre critique and The Daily Show‘s political-social satire that made this movie genuinely enjoyable for me.
There were some poorly constructed moments and subplots, but they neglectable.

★★★☆

Jon, you got it wrong.

Jon steward’s Daily Show is one of my favorite show.
I think i have watched almost every show since i discovered it.

But i was a little bit disappointed in Jon today.
In this following clip, Jon criticized Republicans goals of tax cut and deficit reduction as contradictory, where in fact they are not.

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Jon you got it wrong.

Tax and deficit can both be reduced simultaneously as long as one or both of the following happens:

1. The economy grows and expand the tax base enough that absolute tax collection increases even as tax burden as a proportion of the GDP decreases. or,
2. Government cuts spending more than they cut taxes.

Come on Jon, these are simple ideas that i am sure you or at least one of our staff is fully aware.
Dont twist your logic to attack the republicans. It will make you look like a petty demagogue.

I know that you are a “comedian”, but too bad many of us think of you as a trusty newscaster who is also funny.

Note: i wanted to end this post with a self depreciating joke, in spirit of my The Daily Show. You know something along the line of “hey its just a TV show why so serious, you are a nerd” but i cant really think of one. so i am just going to end it here.

Note2: to be fair, neither scenarios is likely to happen. No serious economist expect US economy to grow enough to off-set extending the subject tax cut. And there dont seem to be enough political will to significantly cut spending.