Turns out that the US Supreme Court thinks global warming is potentially harmful enough to be addressed legally by US regulatory power.
Its ruling said that the Bush administration hasn't been doing its job, on behalf of the American people, who deserve to be breathing cleaner air.
These activist judges/justices! Can't we have more corporate-friendly jurists like Annette Ziegler who understand that what's good for General Motors, or the West Bend Savings Bank, is good for the public?
Sidebar query to Ralph Nader and his supporters: With Bush's two Court appointees among the four dissenters - - just one vote short of a majority - - do you still think there were no important differences between Republicans and Democrats in the 2000 presidential election?
This is more like a trivia question, but if you want to give it serious thought, that is up to you...
ReplyDeleteWhen you actually burn Global Warming Deniers at the stake, will it be better to do it with gas, charcoal or lumber products?
Which one will provide the most efficient use of carbon?
It depends on whether you are among them.
ReplyDeleteI like to read your blog. I admire the way you take on environmental and political subjects and do real research, then, offer careful writing, no snark.
ReplyDeleteBut, I am weary of Democrats belittling voters who chose Ralph Nader, sneering at the obtuseness of people who did not agree that Al Gore's election was more important than my voting for the person I wanted to be president.
The only vote that is wasted is the one cast for someone who should not have the job.
Al Gore was the one responsible for his not winning the presidency in 2000. Al Gore, who was twice elected to the US Senate from Tennessee. Al Gore, whose father held that same seat for 18 years. Al Gore who could not carry the State of Tennessee in 2000.
Al Gore, who chose Joe Lieberman as his Vice Presidential running mate, a heartbeat from the presidency.
Al Gore who folded his tent and refused to fight for the stolen votes in Florida.
Gore is just another guy thinking about the presidency. He's no Rin Tin Tin, but I'll concede he has has a good slide show.
If Al Gore chooses to get in the Presidential race, I'm STILL gonna vote for Kucinich.
I appreciate your reading the blog, but we'll have to disagree over the impact of Nader's candidacy.
ReplyDeleteThird party candidacies surely do have effect, especially in close elections.
Gore wasn't a perfect candidate. I think he and his campaign made mistakes, but I believe without Nader in the race, Gore would have won the electoral college.
I completely agree with the Florida legal strategy criticism. But that became an issue in the wake of the three-person race.
Thanks again for leaving the comment.
This is a good example of "If only..." thinking and reasoning.
ReplyDeleteThere is a huge event (the election) with thousands of variables in thousands of venues: political positions taken and defended, money spent, compromises made, principles upheld or abandoned.
It is simply wrong to say that one event or situation can be isolated from all the others. It becomes the "if only..." variable: If only Ralph Nader hadn't run; if only he hadn't persisited to the end.... then we (the good guys)would have won. In the words of Tonto to The Lone Ranger as they were about to be overrun by Apaches.
Lone Ranger: "I don't think we can hold out, Tonto."
Tonto: "What you mean 'we,' paleface?
Those of us who are not Democrats and never have been, feel no obligation to continue to elect the least worst candidate in a one-party system.
In 1964, several months after my 21st birthday, living and going to school in Austin, Texas, I trotted down to the polling place and cast my vote for LBJ. I was barely out of the booth before I began to think I'd made a big mistake. The next four years proved me correct.
I refuse to vote for the least worst candidate.
Here's my record:
68 Dick Gregory
72 Benjamin Spock
76 Frank Zeidler
80 Dave McReynolds
84 Jack Gleason
88 Jack Gleason
92 Ron Daniels
96 Ralph
00 Ralph
04 Dennis Kucinich
And you can bet on the proposition that I'm not gonna vote for any Democrat but Dennis next year.
The only vote that's wasted is the one for somebody who shouldn't have the job.