Corn-pone advertising

Corn-pone Ads

I was listening to the radio this morning (not NPR for a change) and I heard something stupid enough to blog about. Call this one a failure of logic and or a failure to connect an argument.

Per the advertisement I heard, America is a great nation because of our independence. (Obviously since the 4^th of July was three days ago, we are supposed to feel a positive pathos from that holiday washing over this message.) We fought for our independence. But, did we know that we are not energy independent? Did we know that the U.S. oil production accounted for only 6% of our consumption for the same period?

At this point, the audience has been alerted to a potential issue that the orator wants to address. In a standard persuasive speech, the orator would now present a proposed course of action which would correct the problem. The solution should connect to the problem. Thus, I was astonished that the solution to a lack of energy independence was, in fact, conservation.

The ad advocated that you should take less trips to the store and conserve in all aspects of your life. Generally, I’m all for conservation and using less petroleum products` for all kinds of reasons, but as a solution to energy dependence, conservation leads something to be desired. Yes, admittedly, if we reduce our overall consumption, then the PERCENTAGE of consumption which our domestic production comprises would rise (assuming that production remains constant rather than falls off because of a decline in demand). Mathematically it works, but practically, if the problem is one of dependence, then this amounts to sweeping the whole thing under the carpet. For example, assume that we achieve 100% independence (meaning we consume no more than we produce). I suggest the economy would crash, people would starve, and the utilities would not be able to meet demand.

Reducing use does not create independence. Instead, independence either means finding an alternative which is locally available or acquiring additional production ability, or both.

The ad then said that the conservation solution would allow us once more to “control our destiny.” Talk about grossly misleading over-statements! What nation, in the last 100 years has had the ability to “control its destiny?” I can’t think of a one. Events, natural, political, and military are often enough imposed upon nations by the universe or other nations to stamp ludicrous all over this idea. In WWI, the U.S. tried to be a neutral, but unrestricted U-boat warfare inflicted on U.S. ships and citizens forced our hand. In a world where scary-crazy people (who, by-the-way, hate us) are working hard to achieve the ability to make atomic weapons, who believes that we have control over our destiny? I don’t. We have influence, strong influence, certainly. But control? I don’t think so.

The ad, by the way, was produced by the Illinois corn farmers. Clearly a wise geopolitical think thank.