Energy and the National Goals - A Crisis of Confidence（共30页）20200字.docx

Energy and the National Goals - A Crisis of Confidence（共30页）20200字.docx

《Energy and the National Goals - A Crisis of Confidence（共30页）20200字.docx》由会员分享，可在线阅读，更多相关《Energy and the National Goals - A Crisis of Confidence（共30页）20200字.docx（16页珍藏版）》请在冰点文库上搜索。

"EnergyandtheNationalGoals-ACrisisofConfidence"

　　JimmyCarter:

"EnergyandtheNationalGoals-ACrisisofConfidence"

　　GoodEvening:

　　Thisaspecialnightforme.Exactlythreeyearsago,onJuly15,XXXX年,IacceptedthenominationofmypartytorunforPresidentoftheUnitedStates.IpromisedyouaPresidentwhoisnotisolatedfromthepeople,whofeelsyourpain,andwhosharesyourdreams,andwhodrawshisstrengthandhiswisdomfromyou.

　　DuringthepastthreeyearsI’vespokentoyouonmanyoccasionsaboutnationalconcerns,theenergycrisis,reorganizingthegovernment,ournation’seconomy,andissuesofwarandespeciallypeace.Butoverthoseyearsthesubjectsofthespeeches,thetalks,andthepressconferenceshavebecomeincreasinglynarrow,focusedmoreandmoreonwhattheisolatedworldofWashingtonthinksisimportant.Gradually,you’veheardmoreandmoreaboutwhatthegovernmentthinksorwhatthegovernmentshouldbedoingandlessandlessaboutournation’shopes,ourdreams,andourvisionofthefuture.

　　Tendaysago,Ihadplannedtospeaktoyouagainaboutaveryimportantsubject--energy.ForthefifthtimeIwouldhavedescribedtheurgencyoftheproblemandlaidoutaseriesoflegislativerecommendationstotheCongress.ButasIwaspreparingtospeak,IbegantoaskmyselfthesamequestionthatInowknowhasbeentroublingmanyofyou:

Whyhavewenotbeenabletogettogetherasanationtoresolveourseriousenergyproblem?

　　It’sclearthatthetrueproblemsofournationaremuchdeeper--deeperthangasolinelinesorenergyshortages,deepereventhaninflationorrecession.AndIrealizemorethaneverthatasPresidentIneedyourhelp.So,IdecidedtoreachoutandtolistentothevoicesofAmerica.

　　IinvitedtoCampDavidpeoplefromalmosteverysegmentofoursociety--businessandlabor,teachersandpreachers,governors,mayors,andprivatecitizens.AndthenIleftCampDavidtolistentootherAmericans,menandwomenlikeyou.Ithasbeenanextraordinarytendays,andIwanttosharewithyouwhatI’veheard.

　　Firstofall,Igotalotofpersonaladvice.LetmequoteafewofthetypicalcommentsthatIwrotedown.

　　Thisfromasoutherngovernor:

“Mr.President,youarenotleadingthisnation--you’rejustmanagingthegovernment.”

　　“Youdon’tseethepeopleenoughanymore.”

　　“SomeofyourCabinetmembersdon’tseemloyal.Thereisnotenoughdisciplineamongyourdisciples.”

　　“Don’ttalktousaboutpoliticsorthemechanicsofgovernment,butaboutanunderstandingofourcommongood.”

　　“Mr.President,we’reintrouble.Talktousaboutbloodandsweatandtears.”

　　“Ifyoulead,Mr.President,wewillfollow.”

　　Manypeopletalkedaboutthemselvesandabouttheconditionofournation.ThisfromayoungwomaninPennsylvania:

“Ifeelsofarfromgovernment.Ifeellikeordinarypeopleareexcludedfrompoliticalpower.”

　　AndthisfromayoungChicano:

“Someofushavesufferedfromrecessionallourlives.”

　　“Somepeoplehavewastedenergy,butothershaven’thadanythingtowaste.”

　　Andthisfromareligiousleader:

“NomaterialshortagecantouchtheimportantthingslikeGod’sloveforusorourloveforoneanother.”

　　AndIlikethisoneparticularlyfromablackwomanwhohappenstobethemayorofasmallMississippitown:

“Thebigshotsarenottheonlyoneswhoareimportant.Remember,youcan’tsellanythingonWallStreetunlesssomeonedigsitupsomewhereelsefirst.”

　　Thiskindofsummarizedalotofotherstatements:

“Mr.President,weareconfrontedwithamoralandaspiritualcrisis.”

　　Severalofourdiscussionswereonenergy,andIhaveanotebookfullofcommentsandadvice.I’llreadjustafew.

　　“Wecan’tgoonconsumingfortypercentmoreenergythenweproduce.Whenweimportoilwearealsoimportinginflationplusunemployment.”

　　“We’vegottousewhatwehave.TheMiddleEasthasonlyfivepercentoftheworld’senergy,buttheUnitedStateshastwenty-fourpercent.”

　　Andthisisoneofthemostvividstatements:

“OurneckisstretchedoverthefenceandOPEChasaknife.”

　　“Therewillbeothercartelsandothershortages.Americanwisdomandcouragerightnowcansetapathtofollowinthefuture.”

　　Thiswasagoodone:

“Bebold,Mr.President.Wemaymakemistakes,butwearereadytoexperiment.”

　　Andthisonefromalaborleadergottotheheartofit:

“Therealissueisfreedom.Wemustdealwiththeenergyproblemonawarfooting.”

　　AndthelastthatI’llread:

“Whenweenterthemoralequivalentofwar,Mr.President,don’tissueusBBguns.”

　　ThesetendaysconfirmedmybeliefinthedecencyandthestrengthandthewisdomoftheAmericanpeople,butitalsoboreoutsomeofmylongstandingconcernsaboutournation’sunderlyingproblems.

　　Iknow,ofcourse,beingPresident,thatgovernmentactionsandlegislationcanbeveryimportant.That’swhyI’veworkedhardtoputmycampaignpromisesintolaw,andIhavetoadmit,withjustmixedsuccess.ButafterlisteningtotheAmericanpeople,Ihavebeenremindedagainthatallthelegislationintheworldcan’tfixwhat’swrongwithAmerica.So,Iwanttospeaktoyoufirsttonightaboutasubjectevenmoreseriousthanenergyorinflation.IwanttotalktoyourightnowaboutafundamentalthreattoAmericandemocracy.

　　Idonotmeanourpoliticalandcivilliberties.Theywillendure.AndIdonotrefertotheoutwardstrengthofAmerica,anationthatisatpeacetonighteverywhereintheworld,withunmatchedeconomicpowerandmilitarymight.

　　Thethreatisnearlyinvisibleinordinaryways.

　　Itisacrisisofconfidence.

　　Itisacrisisthatstrikesattheveryheartandsoulandspiritofournationalwill.Wecanseethiscrisisinthegrowingdoubtaboutthemeaningofourownlivesandinthelossofaunityofpurposeforournation.

　　TheerosionofourconfidenceinthefutureisthreateningtodestroythesocialandthepoliticalfabricofAmerica.

　　TheconfidencethatwehavealwayshadasapeopleisnotsimplysomeromanticdreamoraproverbinadustybookthatwereadjustontheFourthofJuly.Itistheideawhichfoundedournationandhasguidedourdevelopmentasapeople.Confidenceinthefuturehassupportedeverythingelse--publicinstitutionsandprivateenterprise,ourownfamilies,andtheveryConstitutionoftheUnitedStates.Confidencehasdefinedourcourseandhasservedasalinkbetweengenerations.We’vealwaysbelievedinsomethingcalledprogress.We’vealwayshadafaiththatthedaysofourchildrenwouldbebetterthanourown.

　　Ourpeoplearelosingthatfaith,notonlyingovernmentitselfbutintheabilityascitizenstoserveastheultimaterulersandshapersofourdemocracy.Asapeopleweknowourpastandweareproudofit.OurprogresshasbeenpartofthelivinghistoryofAmerica,eventheworld.Wealwaysbelievedthatwewerepartofagreatmovementofhumanityitselfcalleddemocracy,involvedinthesearchforfreedom;andthatbeliefhasalwaysstrengthenedusinourpurpose.Butjustaswearelosingourconfidenceinthefuture,wearealsobeginningtoclosethedooronourpast.

　　Inanationthatwasproudofhardwork,strongfamilies,close-knitcommunities,andourfaithinGod,toomanyofusnowtendtoworshipself-indulgenceandconsumption.Humanidentityisnolongerdefinedbywhatonedoes,butbywhatoneowns.Butwe’vediscoveredthatowningthingsandconsumingthingsdoesnotsatisfyourlongingformeaning.We’velearnedthatpilingupmaterialgoodscannotfilltheemptinessofliveswhichhavenoconfidenceorpurpose.

　　ThesymptomsofthiscrisisoftheAmericanspiritareallaroundus.Forthefirsttimeinthehistoryofourcountryamajorityofourpeoplebelievethatthenextfiveyearswillbeworsethanthepastfiveyears.Two-thirdsofourpeopledonotevenvote.TheproductivityofAmericanworkersisactuallydropping,andthewillingnessofAmericanstosaveforthefuturehasfallenbelowthatofallotherpeopleintheWesternworld.

　　Asyouknow,thereisagrowingdisrespectforgovernmentandforchurchesandforschools,thenewsmedia,andotherinstitutions.Thisisnotamessageofhappinessorreassurance,butitisthetruthanditisawarning.

　　Thesechangesdidnothappenovernight.They’vecomeuponusgraduallyoverthelastgeneration,yearsthatwerefilledwithshocksandtragedy.

　　Weweresurethatourswasanationoftheballot,notthebullet,untilthemurdersofJohnKennedyandRobertKennedyandMartinLutherKing,Jr.Weweretaughtthatourarmieswerealwaysinvincibleandourcauseswerealwaysjust,onlytosuffertheagonyofVietnam.WerespectedthePresidencyasaplaceofhonoruntiltheshockofWatergate.

　　Werememberwhenthephrase“soundasadollar”wasanexpressionofabsolutedependability,untiltenyearsofinflationbegantoshrinkourdollarandoursavings.Webelievedthatournation’sresourceswerelimitlessuntilXXXX年whenwehadtofaceagrowingdependenceonforeignoil.

　　Thesewoundsarestillverydeep.Theyhaveneverbeenhealed.

　　Lookingforawayoutofthiscrisis,ourpeoplehaveturnedtotheFederalGovernmentandfounditisolatedfromthemainstreamofournation’slife.Washington,D.C.,hasbecomeanisland.Thegapbetweenourcitizensandourgovernmenthasneverbeensowide.Thepeoplearelookingforhonestanswers,noteasyanswers;clearleadership,notfalseclaimsandevasivenessandpoliticsasusual.

　　WhatyouseetooofteninWashingtonandelsewherearoundthecountryisasystemofgovernmentthatseemsincapableofaction.YouseeaCongresstwistedandpulledineverydirectionbyhundredsofwell-financedandpowerfulspecialinterests.

　　Youseeevery