Carper attempts to get the Senate on the record in favor of acting on climate change
The resolution declares a sense of Congress that “climate change is real; human activity during the last century is the dominant cause of the climate crisis; and the United States and Congress should take immediate action to address the challenge of climate change.” But it’s not nearly as detailed as the 14-page resolution put out by Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass.
I don’t know enough about the legislative gamesmanship going on here to know if Carper is trying to help or hurt the cause of getting real action on climate change. But I do know that Democrats acting scared isn’t a winning strategy.
If, instead of always looking for an excuse to cower in he corner in a puddle of their own piss, all Dems in congress turned off the cable news in their offices, and shoved the Green New Deal down Mitch McConnell’s throat, it would dramatically change the dynamic.
This is good, but does anyone honestly think he actually cares about environmental issues ?
“shoved the Green New Deal down Mitch McConnell’s throat, it would dramatically change the dynamic.”
Terrific idea! Uh, how do they do that?
100% of the caucuses in both houses come out strongly in favor and dare the other side to be opposed to it on pain of electoral death.
It is amazing to me how Republicans have a well-developed game plan for this type of thing (see above) and Dems always act like newborn babies.
“Shoved it down his throat”
How stupid are you? McConnell actually wants a vote on this garbage, to show just how out of touch the Democrats are with reality. It’s normal Dems that are running scared from it. They know AOC is an idiot and this Green New Deal is a nightmare for all but the deepest blue districts.
Yes, that’s why the approval on it is around 80%. How stupid are you?
Now granted, that approval is based on people thinking we should do something about this stuff, not based on the actual proposal. But I already wrote about the actual politics of this. You should go back and read it.
In other polling news, Americans were asked for their thoughts on free ice cream. Around 80% were in favor, with the remaining 20% being primarily Democrats that were incensed that the free ice cream was not guaranteed from cradle to grave and those Bernie supporters that insisted on being paid a living wage while consuming the free ice cream.
Don’t quit the day job. Feel free to engage in a serious discussion at any time if you know how.
Next he’ll be using the “take away hamburgers” line.
Take away hamburgers? Don’t be silly.
We’ll just impose a hamburger tax of 70%.
Only on every burger after the 10th burger.
No, all of them. Bun tax, too.
Hey, taxes aren’t just for raising revenue. They’re supposed to curb bad behavior. If we tax tobacco and alcohol because of their health effects (and alcohol because of the collateral damage), it’s legit to tax saturated-fat foods, though the easiest target in that regard is sugar, which could be taxed at the bulk level, like alcohol, instead of by the soda bottle.
Yeah, I’m ready for a serious discussion with you two clowns.
So you’re allowed to crack jokes, but we aren’t? Did you check whose blog you’re on?
xyz clearly sees how well the status quo works for Republicans and wants to keep it all in place. That should be a loud and clear message for Democrats.
I love the AOC-is-an-idiot routine. Seems like it’ll really get some traction. 🙂
It’s always an advantage when your foes underestimate you. I think that goes back to Sun-Tzu.
“Now granted, that approval is based on people thinking we should do something about this stuff, not based on the actual proposal.”
Don’t you think that’s a distinction with a difference? The opponents of GND will point to its provisions and talk about cost, feasibility, etc. While the resolution refers to provisions as “goals” (meaning may not get there), the public thinks in very binary, absolute terms – ‘gonna get this done’ To them it’s not a goal. Rather it’s a promise. The same type of promise they accept at face value, like “Affordable” Health Care and Build the wall with Mexico paying for it.
(2) the goals described in subparagraphs (A) through (E) of paragraph (1) (referred to in this resolution as the “Green New Deal goals”) should be accomplished through a 10-year national mobilization (referred to in this resolution as the “Green New Deal mobilization”) that will require the following goals and projects—
…
“(2) the goals described in subparagraphs (A) through (E) of paragraph (1) (referred to in this resolution as the “Green New Deal goals”) should be accomplished through a 10-year national mobilization (referred to in this resolution as the “Green New Deal mobilization”) that will require the following goals and projects—
…
(C) meeting 100 percent of the power demand in the United States through clean, renewable, and zero-emission energy sources”
It is impossible to meet 100 percent of the power demand in 10 years (by 2030). Yet, that’s what the resolution is selling. Sure it’s aspirational an all, but that’s far beyond people thinking “we should do something.”
Maybe you guys are more in tune with public thinking than I will ever be, but when you tell me you are going to do this in 10 years, I’m thinking BS. Stuff like that taints the entire the program and does nothing but provide ammunition for the opposition. And if it did go through, after 10 years, people will have this pretty sour taste in their mouth because the reality won’t equal the promise. I would much rather under promise and over deliver than vice versa. But then, I’m a different folk.
Please read my earlier take on this. The point of the GND was to force its goals onto the agenda, nothing more. Don’t waste your time parsing its particulars, because they aren’t the point.
Amid all the talk of what we can’t do, we’ll eventually get around to talking about what we can. And we’re no longer pretending climate change doesn’t exist.
If you don’t see those as positive steps, then you are indeed “different folk.”
BTW, did you see the NYTimes travel section yesterday? Splashy article entitled “The Outlanders of Mérida,” about all the cool folks moving there. So there goes the neighborhood.
I did see that piece in the NYT. If they are going to Merida for the culture, food, people, yada yada and intend to assimilate fine, but if they want what they got now only cheaper, they should stay the hell away. Still being a realist, I know once a place gets discovered, Ugly Americans will soon follow to trash it up. I wish the NYT would stick to things like what shows are on Broadway instead of pointing out places where Americans haven’t f***** it up yet.
I used to go to Playa until it got discovered. Then I went to Tulum until it got discovered. Now I go to an island in the Bahamas where my late, great father-in-law bought land back in the ’50s — totally inaccessible, undevelopable land that he nevertheless paid tax on for all those years. The only people who go there on purpose are bonefish anglers. (I stay in a rented place; his little patch of scrub-covered, hurricane-shore paradise can be reached only by kayak.) There is absolutely nothing to do, and everything is island-expensive, so I don’t think it will be overrun in my lifetime.
I was in Tulum in Jan. Boho chic overload and ruinous to the environment. I’ll never go back. Unfortunately, the Bahamas are having issues as well these days, but not on the little islands where you go I’m guessing.
“the public thinks in very binary, absolute terms – ‘gonna get this done’ To them it’s not a goal. Rather it’s a promise. The same type of promise they accept at face value, like “Affordable” Health Care and Build the wall with Mexico paying for it.”
In general, I agree. But I don’t think all that many regular people take these things as actual promises. Weak-minded fools, otoh…
And I get your point about getting it on the agenda, I just think we ought to not offer moon shots. There has to be a some happy medium between the dream and the probable.
I also agree that regular people don’t take these things as promises per se, but I do feel like it gives the right wing opportunities to put up strawmen that ties in with their messaging. And as you noted, about weak minded fools, the wall was never a rallying cry until Trump. Now people want an actual wall that serves no functional purpose!
Sometimes I wonder whether Americans have also been this easily led or is just in the last quarter century.
Reminds me of a paper I wrote in college about the “Dumbing Down of America,” asserting that mandatory seat belt use has increased the survival rate of the “weak minded” permitting them to reproduce, result in more weak minds. The smart people wore their seat belts without being told to. Prof wasn’t happy about my assertion, but I got a good grade because made the case with data.
You realize, don’t you, that your paper was turned into “Idiocracy”?
Senator Carper’s resolution was an attempt to give the Democrats something they could vote on without it actually doing anything. It doesn’t call for increased carbon taxes, really doesn’t impose any burdens on the public at all.
In very liberal Washington state, totally dominated by the Democrats, the Governor tried to get carbon taxes imposed to combat climate change, and the voters rejected it at the polls. If it can’t pass on the left coast, how do you ever think it could pass in Nebraska? Fighting climate change is something a lot of people want, just as long as it doesn’t take money out of their wallets.
The Maine state legislature just withdrew legislation similar to what Washington voters rejected, because they know that Mainiacs don’t want to see gasoline taxes increased by 40¢ a gallon.
Brawndo’s got what plants crave.
LOl. nailed it.
Brawndo’s got electrolytes. And that’s what plants crave. They crave electrolytes. Which is what Brawndo has. And that’s why plants crave Brawndo. Not water, like from the toilet.
Brawndo. The Thirst Mutilator.
“With no natural predators to thin the herd, {evolution} began to simply reward those who reproduced the most and left the intelligent to become an endangered species.”
https://youtu.be/GFD2ggNxR1g
I think we are evolving ourselves into extinction. Organizations like the NRA are very helpful in that regard.