Jimmy Carter's "malaise" speech and the SOTU

[steve2470]

Reading some posts here reminded me of Jimmy Carter's "malaise speech" and how perhaps some would have wished the SOTU to be more similar to it.

Why was the "malaise speech" considered a failure ? Or am I incorrect in that perception ?

on edit: changed text to better reflect my meaning.

[xchrom]

1. what people want is positive action taken in the direction of the people.

instead of in the direction of corporations.

unemployment is till 9.4%{and that's probably low} -- and millions underemployed.

[Bluebear]

2. Leave malaise alone.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=439&topic_id=271716

;)

[malaise]

6. Bwaaaaah hahaaha

:rofl:

[phleshdef]

3. Yea, basically, some want chest beating so they can't pretend its "fighting for something".

Really, they just want Obama to entertain them and their near religious adherence to ideology.

[Uncle Joe]

4. Because Carter challenged the dog eat dog notion of materialistic worshiping unfettered capitalism

and the corporate media didn't want the American People to focus on a positive concept like "introspection" they wanted the people to focus on depression, the name of the game with the corporate media is to keep the people dumbed down in order to enable the corporate owned Republican Party to power.

I want to talk to you right now about a fundamental threat to American democracy. . . . I do not refer to the outward strength of America, a nation that is at peace tonight everywhere in the world, with unmatched economic power and military might. The threat is nearly invisible in ordinary ways. It is a crisis of confidence. It is a crisis that strikes at the very heart and soul and spirit of our national will. We can see this crisis in the growing doubt about the meaning of our own lives and in the loss of a unity of purpose for our nation. . . .

In a nation that was proud of hard work, strong families, close-knit communities, and our faith in God, too many of us now tend to worship self-indulgence and consumption. Human identity is no longer defined by what one does, but by what one owns. But we've discovered that owning things and consuming things does not satisfy our longing for meaning. . . .

I'm asking you for your good and for your nation's security to take no unnecessary trips, to use carpools or public transportation whenever you can, to park your car one extra day per week, to obey the speed limit, and to set your thermostats to save fuel... I have seen the strength of America in the inexhaustible resources of our people. In the days to come, let us renew that strength in the struggle for an energy-secure nation. . . .<30><31>

Thanks for the thread, steve.

[steve2470]

5. you're welcome.

My knowledge of the speech was that although it was sound in concepts, it was immensely unpopular.

[Uncle Joe]

7. The popularity of most any speech can be manipulated by propaganda given enough time and/or

saturation.

Ironically the word "malaise" is far more descriptive of the reporting and analysis, than the speech itself.

The corporate media; was too disinterested in helping to lead the nation to a more difficult yet ultimately far more rewarding path, than trying to put the people to sleep and dream of easy global domination just to maintain a destructive and self destructive status quo.

[malaise]

8. The RW hawks, the media hacks and the oil industry

controlled the discussion. Carter's "malaise' speech was prescient and brilliant. Half the crap faced by Americans today could have been prevented if his ideas had been supported.

When Reagan removed the solar panels from the White House, it was all the evidence needed to show that the morons were back in charge.

I love Jimmy Carter.