Before the ascendancy of the Left, Americans were the 'can do' folks.
Under the tutelage of the Liberals/Progressives, Americans have been taught to see themselves as being on the edge of disaster, with only big government between them, and the impending catastrophes.....
...enter Krugman, stage Left.
" ...in December 2010 Mr. Krugman had announced that “peak oil has arrived.”
9. " For decades, it has been a doomsday scenario looming large in the popular imagination: The world’s oil production tops out and then starts an inexorable decline—sending costs soaring and forcing nations to lay down strict rationing programs and battle for shrinking reserves....
To the peak-oil adherents, this is just a respite, and decline is inevitable.... The peak-oil boosters argue that instead of plowing money into new ways to find oil, we should be conserving what we have and
investing in alternative energy sources so that we’re prepared when supplies run low and costs soar."
http://www.wsj.com/articles/why-peak-oil-predictions-haven-t-come-true-1411937788
And the Journal mentions yet another Liberal icon, one associated with Obama's 'science czar,'...." Forecasters like
Paul Ehrlich became celebrities with dire warnings of overpopulation and exhaustion of natural resources. As the theory took hold, it helped
justify increased investments in alternative energy, and informed some expert thinking about the future of energy."
Of course, there is the coincidence that many of the alternative energy boondoggles that Liberals/Progressives pour taxpayer funds into are run by Democrat donors....
10. "... Solyndra.... was supposed to be the cornerstone of Obama's vaunted green-energy future, but now is a king-size political embarrassment. Solyndra, recipient of a $535 million Department of Energy loan guarantee, last month cancelled a $300 million initial public offering because auditor PricewaterhouseCoooper said its operating losses and negative cash flow raise doubts about its ability to continue as a going concern.
Ouch!... Vice President Joe Biden crowed that it was "part of the unprecedented investment this Administration is making in renewable energy, and exactly what the Recovery Act is all about."… Taxpayers are on the hook for $390.5 million—73% of the loans. Some observers questioned the wisdom of the government's deal from the start, saying the company was an inefficient, high-cost producer.”
Obama s Tough Luck - Barron s
a. "How did Solyndra get a half billion dollars and Obama’s blessing? Simple, they spent $550,000 on lobbying in 2010."
Lobbying Spending Database - Solyndra Inc 2010 OpenSecrets
b. "Allegations that White House aides attempted to pressure an Air Force general to alter his congressional testimony in order to aid a firm controlled by a prominent Democratic donor lent new momentum Friday to GOP complaints that “crony capitalism” contributed to the Obama stimulus programs’ failure to revive the economy."
Obama s Crony-Gate Scandal Widens Billions Now Under Scrutiny