Smartystan

President Goshen wrote on his tablet with vigorous strokes. The room wasn’t a formal office. It featured a ceiling fan and large windows. Air conditioning pumped.

“Sir, we’re going to have to go with it,” his chief aide, Maxwell Paley, fifty-one, mentioned. He would have been energy secretary, or health secretary, or any other cabinet member title but those had been phased out with the formation of the country-state. The greens had not even reared their head knowing that with every movement, they would be committing some infraction against nature.

“No, we don’t,” Geshon replied.

“Look, the people who went to the polls are going to want a president that is hard on nonrenewable––”

“What’s nonrenewable?”

“Coal, oil, natural gas….”

“They’re not only renewable but reliable and have raised the standard of living, quality of life, and longevity of life over the centuries. I’d throw in nuclear power as well.”

Paley sighed. “You’re not getting the full picture. The people that want you in office actually want solar and wind.”

“Do they? Or are the greens just looking for a way to have government and industry in bed again?”

“That could possibly be the case, sir,” Paley acknowledged.

“I want no part. The country-state was established not as a meritocracy primarily but as a moral country explicitly and in full. To try to revert to some caveman idealism about the energy sources of this place would be barbaric.”

Paley looked down and then up again. He pushed his glasses onto his nose.

“There of course are no taxes so there are no tax breaks for major companies who deal with energy. They’re getting swamped. There’s no way for them to continue with the traditional fuels as opposed to the newer, cleaner ones.”

“And what if the sun doesn’t shine or there’s no wind? What then, Maxy? I know the oil and gas will continue to flow and the nuclear stations will all be in place to generate even more power. These are the crowning achievements of mankind. Out of the muck, we came and found power sources beyond wood and dung. Some places, yet, around this world still use these elements to light and warm their homes. But why don’t the greens ever ask about the poor family in Asia who would love to have air conditioning but can’t because it requires fossil fuels?”

Paley exhaled sharply. “I don’t know, boss. We’re not in Africa. We’re talking about the people of this geographic location that voted for you for a second term. Unless you want to go down in history as the first and worst president of Smartyland, you will always be remembered for not taking this step.”

“Then I’m not taking it!”

“I understand your passion, sir, but the truth lies with the reality that these green energies, as you put it, are going to be the death knell for everyone. I want to say that there’s going to be a great amount of support. I mean new country-state, new ways of generating energy,” he said this while making a balancing motion with his hands.

“I don’t care. I’m going to always be staunch in my stance to the men and women committed to power this place. They are the brains behind the fan spinning overhead,” President Goshen pointed up and looked, smiling a bit as the light shone down on his face.

“I get that, sir, but we must always remember that point drops occur when you get into controversial territories like preserving the planet.”

“Preserving the planet?! Who the hell said anything about that? The planet’s fine, the people need help. And that help lies in the fossil fuels that have been powering America and the world for generations. It will continue to power our country-state as long as I’m in office.”

“That’s just it. Your successor will most likely reverse and change all of the policies you have in place right now. He or she or they will see to it that every one of your measures is retooled or replaced. You’ll be building a sand castle, not to have it fade away but be knocked over.”

“Is there some kind of plan where we can ensure that the ideas that I set forth in my re-election campaign remain firm? I mean I know the next guy or gal or––they’ll change things however they like.”

Paley shook his head. “Whenever the next president steps into the office, they will put more green initiatives in because of the fact that we’re committed so much to fossil fuels and not worrying about Earth.”

“They can worry about Earth. I’m concerned with human beings. Even those who didn’t vote for me again. I still have rational hope that people will see this plan and understand that the only way for us to have sustainable, reliable energy is found in the Earth.”

Maxwell Paley looked at his boss. It was a glance of admiration and knowing. Like a student to a jiu-jitsu master, he looked at him even in their moment of disagreement as the leader. “How we do this will mean a legacy for you.”

“I’m not worried about legacy, I’m concerned with diplomacy. I want to show to this nation and the nation at large, the world, that we can definitely do this in terms of creating wealth. In turn that creates health. The people who disparage and denigrate ‘dirty’ fuels never consider the amount of hours saved by using, the very fact that our tallest buildings can be powered all by these wonderful tools.”

Paley got up from his seat and leaned over to Goshen. He looked him right in the eye.

“To be truthful, I don’t care about the greens. I care about a backlash and an ugly breakdown of powers. We have to think about that.”

“No we don't. All we have to do is show to the Smarties that they’re already more intelligent and willing to go on with the idealism of this administration.” Goshen and Paley left the office.