Central Planning Euphemism Watch
The dictionary defines a euphemism as "a mild or indirect word or expression for one too harsh or blunt when referring to something unpleasant or embarrassing." Think, for example, how the word "spend" has been comprehensively replaced by the word "invest" when it comes to doling out taxpayer dollars to crony capitalists. In today's Washington Post, there is an article describing how the Obama administration and the Democrats are "touting" the president's record on energy. The last couple of paragraphs describe some to the disappointments that ideological environmentalists have with the president:
Obama has also set himself apart from Romney by withholding approval of the Keystone XL pipeline's northern leg from the Canadian border in Montana to Steele City, Neb. He said he will decide on the fate of the pipeline early next year, if he is reelected.
On this issue, as on others, Obama has needed to pay as much attention to Democrats' own ranks. Many environmentally oriented campaign contributors tried to make the Keystone XL pipeline a litmus test for the president. And others have been disappointed that he didn't do more to win support for a federal renewable energy standard similar to those that have been adopted by a majority of state governments. Those state standards have propelled wind and solar projects in many areas even when economic incentives were not compelling.
Never mind that every environmental assessment so far has found that the Keystone pipelne is safe enough to build, but what I found amusing was that last bit regarding a renewable fuel standard (RFS) that would require, for example, that a certain percentage of electricity be generated by sources such as wind or solar power. I was specifically charmed by the phrase…
…even when economic incentives were not compelling.
In other words, the RPSs are subsidies to the wind and solar producers of uneconomically generated electricity. However, "when economic incentives were not compelling" somehow sounds so much nicer, don't you think?