It's All About "Industrial Transformation"

Everyone has been trying to figure out how all the pieces of legislation and action taken by the Obama Administration fit together. While doing some research tonight, I came across an article from January 2006 that clears away most of the fog and literally scares the hell out of me.

Remember the Apollo Alliance? Yes the group that Harry Reid credited with helping to develop the stimulus bill. According to the article “Apollo Now”, the stimulus bill has been in the works since January 2006. Using the levee failure as a metaphor for all that was “failing” in America; the Apollo Alliance unveiled a plan to “move the country in a new direction – to inspire a generational shift in thinking that could launch a new era of fundamental reforms.” Sounds a lot like Obama’s “remaking America idea”, huh?

It gets worse. The article states that in order to transform the American industrial system and mass consumption economy, the “collision between industrial society and nature” must be eliminated. How do they plan on eliminating this blockage? By reinventing the processes of production and redesigning virtually every product. It’s called “Industrial Transformation”. All this global warming, green jobs, renewable energy hoopla is nothing more than a smokescreen for the progressives. This is the one way they can take over the Industrial sector of the USA and claim it was to “save the planet”.

How does the Apollo Alliance plan on getting the country to make this shift without kicking and screaming? By “fusing the ecological imperative with economic outcomes” – hence the Stimulus Bill.

Remember how we were all perplexed about all of the “green initiatives” in the Stimulus Bill? How we scratched our heads at the focus on infrastructure and alternative modes of transportation, like high speed rail? Look no further than this article…

“…the Apollo proposal calls for a ten year, $300 billion investment agenda – federal financing to foster development of alternative fuels, innovative eco firms and energy-conserving reforms in housing, green building codes, transportation and other realms. These investments, analysts estimate, would generate 3.3 million new jobs”

I imagine it is just a coincidence that the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act promised to “save or create 3.5 million jobs”. And it certainly doesn’t mean anything when the ARRA put forward a huge chunk ($41,400,000,000) towards “energy”.

There were other ideas thrown into the mix including modernizing the electrical grid, high-efficiency vehicles, rapid transit and regional rail networks. You get the picture. But there was one other little piece of the plan that made goose bumps pop up on my arms – “the investments would be accompanied by STRONGER REGULATORY PROTECTIONS to make sure the subsidies produce real results.” Can anyone say Cass Sunstein???

The Apollo Alliance envisions the US adopting a “take back” policy on the order of the EU’s policy initiative. European auto manufacturers would be required to “take back” their old vehicles and recover 85% of the content, reformulating the materials for use in new cars and other products. This is where the takeover of the automobile industry fits into the puzzle. By owning the companies, the government can ensure that the “take back” policy is enforced. Could it be that “Cash for Clunkers” was a precursor to our own “take back” policy?

And how about all those campaigns against “big corporations” to adopt higher ecological standards in their products and business? A baby step toward “industrial transformation”.

How can this transformation take hold especially with the Unions? Oh have no fear; the Apollo Alliance has already covered that. This plan “removed the wedge between environmentalists and labor unions by focusing on the job-creating aspects of a clean-energy investment policy.” Remember – it’s all in the words. Plus it doesn’t hurt that several Union leaders serve on the board of the Apollo Alliance.

Head spinning yet? Read the whole article for yourself. It will be like a punch in the gut. The good news is that we now see the bigger picture – maybe not the whole picture but a lot less fog than earlier.

At least we can thank Van Jones for bringing the Apollo Alliance to the front of our radar. And the Tides Foundation for saving this important little article on their website.