Paul Krugman:Betraying the Planet

[cal04]

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/29/opinion/29krugman.html?_r=1

So the House passed the Waxman-Markey climate-change bill. In political terms, it was a remarkable achievement.

But 212 representatives voted no. A handful of these no votes came from representatives who considered the bill too weak, but most rejected the bill because they rejected the whole notion that we have to do something about greenhouse gases.

And as I watched the deniers make their arguments, I couldn’t help thinking that I was watching a form of treason — treason against the planet.

To fully appreciate the irresponsibility and immorality of climate-change denial, you need to know about the grim turn taken by the latest climate research.

(snip)
Do you remember the days when Bush administration officials claimed that terrorism posed an “existential threat” to America, a threat in whose face normal rules no longer applied? That was hyperbole — but the existential threat from climate change is all too real.

Yet the deniers are choosing, willfully, to ignore that threat, placing future generations of Americans in grave danger, simply because it’s in their political interest to pretend that there’s nothing to worry about. If that’s not betrayal, I don’t know what is.

[flamingdem]

1. He's got that right nt

[winyanstaz]

2. So why couldnt they fix the "too weak" part and take a little more time

and get it right for a change?

[bertman]

4. Ahhh, no political will?? How about too many lobbyist dollars arrayed against them??

Or maybe the President wasn't willing to get down and dirty for the most important issue facing the U.S. and the world??

Or same old shit??

[bertman]

5. Deleted and moved.

[4lbs]

7. This "weak" part as you call it barely passed. A bill in the House needs 218 votes, this one got

219, just one more vote than was necessary.

Do you think a stronger bill would even pass at this point in time?

Get as much as you can get passed now, then in a year, revisit with additional incremental steps. Again a year after that.

Keep nibbling away until you get the full thing in 6 years or so.

[Psychic Consortium]

3. The betrayals by America's corrupt leadership is too numerous to list.

Thank God for Obama.

[bertman]

6. Recommend. Krugman is on a roll.

[Blue_Tires]

8. k+r