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The Department of Energy was only created in 1977. Eliminating the department isn't the same thing as discarding its functions en masse. The more interesting d
by gwright 8y ago
The Department of Energy was only created in 1977. Eliminating the department isn't the same thing as discarding its functions en masse.
The more interesting discussion would be about the particular motivations for the creation and proposed dissolution of the department, rather than a cursory dismissal of the idea.
- mikeash 8y agoThere's only two possibilities: either a given function is discarded, or it's reassigned. Which did Rick Perry want to do? Well, given that he didn't know what those functions were, I don't see how he possibly could have had any actual plan for reassigning them. Wanting to abolish the DoE could be sensible if done with thought. But wanting to abolish it while also not having a clue about what it does is just crazypants. “In fact, after being briefed on so many of the vital functions of the Department of Energy, I regret recommending its elimination.” - Actual quote by the current head of the DoE.
- fjsolwmv 8y agoRick Perry claimed to want to abolish 3 departments, but couldn't remember which 3.
- gwright 8y agoI should have been more clear that I was responding to the statement that the idea itself was "ridiculous" and not to Rick Perry's inability to speak coherently about the idea.
- mikeash 8y agoThe statement was that “this” was ridiculous, where “this” was Perry wanting to abolish a really important agency without having a clue about what it actually does.