Moral Equivalent of War speech

The Moral Equivalent of War speech was a televised address made by President Jimmy Carter of the United States on April 18, 1977.^[1]

The speech is remembered for his comparison of the 1970s energy crisis with the "moral equivalent of war." Carter gave ten principles for the plan but did not list specific actions. He said that the goal was to reduce dependence on oil imports and "cut in half the portion of United States oil which is imported, from a potential level of 16 million barrels to six million barrels a day."

The phrase has become so well known that it is referenced in literature.^[2][3] Carter used the phrase from the classic essay "The Moral Equivalent of War," which was derived from the speech given by the American psychologist and philosopher William James, delivered at Stanford University in 1906, and the subsequent book, published in 1910, in which "James considered one of the classic problems of politics: how to sustain political unity and civic virtue in the absence of war or a credible threat" and "sounds a rallying cry for service in the interests of the individual and the nation." Those ideas were mirrored in much of Carter's philosophy.^[4][5][6]

In the news media, and following neither congressional action nor public mobilization,^[7] Carter's "Moral Equivalent of War" speech and his energy recommendations became known by its biting acronym, MEOW.^[8]