I never read the famous Carter “malaise speech” but now that our role in the world is under debate again it has a renewed currency. Here is the link to the full speech and I must say it is amazing how little progress we’ve made in the past 30 years. Regardless of what you think about Carter’s effectiveness as President, it is becoming increasingly clear that he — along with Eisenhower — tried to give warnings about fundamental dangers to our lifestyle but were heeded little.
What is going to be different about the next 30 years, or will my children read Obama and ask why things didn’t change?
*As a side note, I think that Andrew Bacevich has a very good understanding about the roots of our country’s problems and ties in both liberal and conservative concerns into a very cohesive package. I encourage everyone to watch at least one interview or read one of his books.