RFK JR: Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. spoke at the Double Tree Hotel in South Burlington on Wednesday evening.
SOUTH BURLINGTON — Hosted by the Ethan Allen Institute, a free-market-minded policy think-tank based in Vermont, Democrat presidential candidate Robert Kennedy, Jr. was in South Burlington on Wednesday evening talking about energy and free markets to about 250 attendees in a banquet room at the Double Tree Hotel.
He focused much of his speech on energy and environmental policies, and was critical of the coal and oil industries for allowing pollution in places such as waterways, including the Hudson River in upstate New York during the1970s through 1990s.
“I spent 30 years suing the coal industry,” Kennedy said. “And coal-generated power plants for acid rain, for mercury [in rivers and fish].”
He also spoke enthusiastically about wind and solar technologies as a potential solution.
“Every farmer in North Dakota wants to put wind turbines on their property. Why? Because an acre of corn in North Dakota is worth $800 — an acre of corn with a wind turbine on it is worth $3,200.”
A KENNEDY IN VERMONT: The crowd featured a mix of people across the political spectrum. Here Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. is in the red tie, taking a photo with Burlington GOP Chair Christopher Aaron Felker.
Kennedy suggested that the main obstacle standing in the way of a more aggressive adoption of wind and solar power is the lack of adequate electric grid infrastructure. He explained that moving electrons as they travel over the grid leads to dissipation at about 100 miles. He said that getting the power from the areas with the most wind or solar activity to cities that need it most is often a challenge.
He used the analogy of the building of U.S. communications infrastructure during the 1990s, and the subsequent emergence of the Internet and the devices that came with it, as an example of how the nation would approach energy infrastructure under his guidance.
“Because we built that grid, it’s free telecommunications for everyone, free information for everyone,” Kennedy said. “And if we build out our energy grid we’re going to have free energy for everyone.”
He suggested the economic activity that could emerge from the drop in energy costs that he envisions could reverse concerning economic trends such as the growing national debt.
“The only way we are going to ever get anywhere near [taking on the nation’s debt] is by creating new industry and lowering costs in a dramatic way that will make us competitive across the rest of the globe,” Kennedy said.
Protecting public resources
He cautioned against the public letting go of their right to various natural resources, especially waterways. He spoke about his earlier career as a lawyer helping residents along the Hudson River fight lawsuits and win, forcing large companies like General Electric to engage in large cleanup efforts.
He also said the Roman Empire helped set a precedent later reiterated in the Magna Carta signed by King George in England in the year 1215.
“If you were a citizen of Rome and you were rich or poor, humble or noble, black or white, European or African, you had an absolute right to cross the beach, throw it in your net, and take out your share of the fish — and the emperor himself couldn’t have stopped you,” Kennedy said.
He suggested that despite that precedent set over 800 years ago, today overzealous governments test what control they enforce over their people.
“One of the primary lead features of every totalitarian system includes efforts to privatize the public trust resources,” Kennedy said.
A familiar face from the 2000s returns
Dennis Kucinich, a Democrat who served as U.S. Representative from Ohio’s 10th congressional district from 1997 to 2013, is serving as RFK Jr.’s campaign manager. Asked about how the campaign plans to take on the Democrat Party and win their primary, he said Kennedy’s popularity and name recognition would provide many advantages.
HE’S BACK: Former U.S. Democrat Sen. Dennis Kucinich of Ohio is seen here on the left in the grey jacket speaking with an attendee. Kucinich was a critic of the wars overseas and other policies during the 2000s, and now he’s running RFK Jr.’s campaign for president.
“[Our focus] Is letting people know about the authenticity and the truth of RFK Jr. The DNC has to fend for itself,” Kucinich said.
Michael Bielawski is a reporter for True North. Send him news tips at bielawski82@yahoo.com and follow him on Twitter @TrueNorthMikeB.
Re: “Every farmer in North Dakota wants to put wind turbines on their property. Why? Because an acre of corn in North Dakota is worth $800 — an acre of corn with a wind turbine on it is worth $3,200.”
This is a classic false dichotomy. A logical fallacy.
Why does a windmill add so much value to an acre of land? Is it because the energy it produces is so valuable (especially when compared to coal generation)? Is the adverse effect of one technology less than the other? Or is it because there is a huge, politically motivated, government (i.e., taxpayer) subsidy for wind power?
Does coal pollute the way it did 20-30 years ago when acid rain was a recognized problem? We don’t hear much about acid rain these days. What about natural gas? What about nuclear? What about Hydro Quebec? What about current developments in clean coal technology – technologies that mitigate or avoid pollutants or CO2 emissions generated by converting coal for electric energy?
If RFK Jr. was a true advocate for free markets, he’d let the markets work. As it is, RFK Jr. is merely replacing one politically subsidized methodology with another.
Again: If the government (and those who enable its authority for their perceived personal benefit – most often at the expense of others – can’t be trusted to correctly inform the public about the efficacy and adverse effects of vaccines, PCBs, etc., why should the government be trusted at all on climate change – or for anything it proposes?
Re: “If you were a citizen of Rome and you were rich or poor, humble or noble, black or white, European or African, you had an absolute right to cross the beach, throw it in your net, and take out your share of the fish — and the emperor himself couldn’t have stopped you,” Kennedy said.
No, the emperor couldn’t stop you. But his praetorian guard sure could.
If you believe there is such a thing as an ‘absolute right’, I have all sorts of stuff for you to consider – a bridge in Brooklyn, some land in the everglades, ocean front land in Kansas. Just put some windmills on it and you’ll be all set.
I find it interesting that the military can harness enough energy to form a direct hit from the sky to obliterate a human or a building, yet we can’t seem to innovate a way to have that same energy send power to our oven or heating systems efficiently. Gee, I wonder why?
Melissa, you aren’t supposed to be asking any questions, just do as you’re told! Back in line.
Dang – another hit to my social credit score. Oh well, my score reflects a great golf game anyway – way under par – the anti-social credit score list is where I be!
My social credit score with planned parenthood was 0% gasp……they didn’t give me any money, huh. But they funded the entire VT Dems, along with anyone else who got a 100% on their questions!
They don’t like me but the kids love me, who’d a thunk?
Melissa makes an excellent point. In a free market, energy technology development would more likely be transparent for all to see.
Consider ‘compact fusion’. It’s being ‘worked on’ around the world. Ostensibly, a generator the size of a tractor trailer can provide all the clean and green power Vermonters could use.
But imagine what happens in the world today if that technology, or something else as productive, inexpensive, and non-polluting, is made available to the people of the world. You want to talk about ‘disruptive innovation’. How would the world’s population handle the windfall? Are worldwide forces at work here trying to maintain control? The World Economic Forum perhaps?
Sure. Practical fusion power may be 20 years or more in the future. So too are the deleterious effects of climate change.
The true Liberty and Freedom that results from individual control of one’s destiny is antithetical to the economic control assumed by government and the large, subsidized corporations enabling it.
“Who is more foolish? The fool or the fool who follows him?” – OWK
Caveat emptor.
Just a note. MeKennedy did mention nuclear as an option, providing a safer version of itself is developed in the future.
Did RFK Jr. elaborate on nuclear power, or the other alternatives I mentioned? I suspect not.
Do this for him, create a myth,
With a twice spun hitch of fantasy.
Create, explore, walk through that door,
And speak so cleverly.
But one small thing, before you go,
Perform in iambic feet.
It sounds so nice,
Disregard the words.
The round will keep their sleep.
Double speak (i.e., another RFK Jr. false premise):
“One of the primary lead features of every totalitarian system includes efforts to privatize the public trust resources,” Kennedy said.
Since when is privatization tantamount to totalitarianism? Think about it… even though it’s expected that you won’t. What defines a ‘public trust resource’?
It’s a resource controlled by elected and appointed government officials (whoever they are). It’s ‘the tyranny of the common’. One size – one management plan – fits all. All of the resources and all of the users of those resources are controlled by government and crony enablers. Flexibility and accountability are absent.
With privatized management, accountability is assured by the Constitution, the free enterprise rule of law that is designed to support and assure redress of grievances whenever there is a breach of contract that damages the parties.
Make no mistake, what we’re seeing right now is not free enterprise. It’s crony capitalism. Large corporate entities enabling the elected and appointed government players that support them in return. That is what totalitarianism looks like. A rose by any other name would smell as sweet.
A viable democratic candidate comes to Vermont to speak. Who invited him? Who listened to him? Who reported on him? Across the state, VT digger in particular doesn’t have a story on him? Why wouldn’t every news paper, reporter be there? If you are “searching for the truth” wouldn’t you be there?
This is a prime example of how insular, how massively controlled and orchestrated all of what goes on on Vermont truly is.
Interesting that he didn’t speak about vaccines.
Interesting that he didn’t speak about covid and the mrna, gene therepy.
Comments on him are interesting too. He might not be totally deep state, there might be a bit of underling hatred, well since they did kill his uncle and his father, there is that. Didn’t talk about that either.
His talk seemed to curated for marxist vermonters, but looks like all he got was republicans.
Huh…..
And VtDigger, ever in search of the truth is nowhere to be found or report….huh…..sometimes what they don’t say is more important and revealing than what they do say….
A famous democratic candidate for president comes to Vermont, the most blue state in the nation and only 250 show up. Huh?
Here a question, how many do you think would have shown up for Trump? Last time, before he was totally vilified, they had a line going around the block a half mile long of people patiently, quietly waiting to see him. Of course the underground network was busy trying to buy every free ticket so nobody could see him and protestors all around, security in teams of two men every 50 feet around the entire block with a heavy police and rescue presence.
Interesting contrast no?
Ther is not a place big enough in Vermont to house all the people who would come to see Trump. So why doesn’t the VTGOP invite him. And again, all this in the most blue state in the nation.
Something is amiss in our little utopia…….
If Obama came how long would the lines have been? Biden?……seems things are already predetermined in our state.
“One of the primary lead features of every totalitarian system includes efforts to privatize the public trust resources,” Kennedy said.
Sounds like a snake with two tongs. His statement is false: Private ownership is the opposite of totalitarian systems. It is the basis of free markets. When the government owns everything, that is totalitarian (communism, fascism, or whatever you want to call it). Under Americanism, people are allowed to use the resources as they see fit. If they get out of line with respect for the common good, or offend their neighbor, THEN it is the job of a responsible government to intervene. It is not the job of a government who is in service to the people to OWN EVERYTHING.
Hear, hear!
The communications “grid” was built by AT&T several decades before the 1990’s. And it isn’t free. This guy needs to his facts straight, in my opinion.
What I heard in regard to the analogy of the telecommunications grid, was that he was referring to the elimination of toll calls from town to town and long distance and international calling charges. I did not hear him indicate that the build out of the grid was free.
A False Dichotomy redux:
“I did not hear him indicate that the build out of the grid was free.”
How then is the communication grid to be financed if toll calls are eliminated?
Government subsidies, perhaps? Financed by all taxpayers? And what about those who don’t pay taxes? Who makes the deal?