“Never Waste A Good Crisis” – The Obama Administration’s Motto
In Europe yesterday Hillary Clinton made this rather interesting comment:
BRUSSELS (Reuters) – Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told an audience Friday “never waste a good crisis,” and highlighted the opportunity of rebuilding economies in a greener, less energy-intensive way.
Highlighting Europe’s unease the day after Russia warned that gas flows via Ukraine might be halted, she also condemned the use of energy as a political lever.
Clinton told young Europeans at the European Parliament that global economic turmoil provided a fresh opening. “Never waste a good crisis … Don’t waste it when it can have a very positive impact on climate change and energy security,” she said.
And Clinton isn’t the only member of the Administration to use this phrase, Rahm Emanuel said much the same thing a few weeks after the 2008 Election:
Hearing Emanuel and Clinton use the same exact phrase like this leads one to wonder if this isn’t some kind of internal talking-point inside the Administration.
After all, when you take a look at the stimulus bill, Obama’s proposed budget, and the mortgage bailout plan it certainly looks like they’re putting it into practice. All three of them are chock-full of things that have very little to do with their supposed objective, and everything to do with every Democratic pet project that’s been on the table for a decade or more. To put it bluntly, it seems as if the Administration is using the current crisis as an excuse to expand the size, scope, and power of the state in ways that they would not be able to do if the economic crisis didn’t exist.
Not that I’d question their real motives, of course
Update: Now, President Obama himself has said he seeks “opportunity” in the current crisis.
H/T: Althouse
Cross-posted at Below The Beltway
