Scarabus

I’ve just uploaded to YouTube a video I made. Hastily done, I admit, but it does show a montage of useful images. Mountaintop removal is an issue we just have to deal with.

The issue is complicated, obviously. If we don’t stop global warming, then millions and millions of people will die of natural consequences. In addition countless more people will die from the wars and population displacement to follow. There is no meaningful scientific debate about the crucial role of human activity in global warming. Or about the fact that one of the worst contributors is coal. (The term “clean coal” is Orwellian newspeak. Coal is dirty.) Among honest, independent scientists these realities are a given.

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Aside: Rep. Paul Broun stood on the floor of the House last Friday and asserted that the claim of human agency in global warming is “one of the greatest hoaxes perpetrated out of the scientific community.” (Ironically, he represents the district in Georgia that includes the city of Athens, where the University of Georgia is located. Oy! Where does one start?)

The most charitable thing one can say about loonies like Broun and those who cheered for him on Friday is that they are in deep denial. Remind me of the Black Knight in Monty Python’s Holy Grail:

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Regardless of what Rep. Broun wants, the destruction of our planet cannot be ignored. But one must think locally as well as globally. What about the American people? Can’t ignore them any more than one can the rest of humanity. They (we!) need electricity. But they don’t need the immediate effects of pollution and destruction of their environment, let alone the unimaginable catastrophe to come.

What about the citizens of West Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, and other affected states? They need jobs as well as everything else I’ve listed.

What about the barons of energy? And their stockholders (who might include anyone who doesn’t insist on having a “green” retirement fund)? And the Wall Street investment bankers? I’ll shed no tears for multi-million dollar bonus babies … or Wall Street bankers. Regular folks whose retirement funds include stock in predatory, conscienceless Big Energy firms. Yes, compassion for them. Contempt or compassion, though, we can’t ignore the stake all of these persons have in the future of energy.

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In the movie My Blue Heaven the character “Vinnie,” played by Steve Martin, confronts his partners in crime after they discover that the truck they have just hijacked is carrying, not electronics, but empty 5 gallon plastic bottles.

Faced with insurrection, Vinnie says, “Hey! Where you see a problem, I see an opportunity!”

If this energy coin’s obverse represents a problem, its reverse represents an opportunity: investment in green energy. Such investment saves the planet. Saves the jobs. Enhances our national security. Saves the investment funds of ordinary Americans.

BP has been running a television ad recently, and they’ve been running similar print ads for quite some time. These ads are very, very sneaky and sleazy! Essentially they say that while those controlling the firm’s practices really and truly believe we need alternative energy (cross their heart), and are investing in research for such energy, they “regretfully” acknowledge their version of reality: They sorrowfully admit that the U.S. must pay extortion and/or practice aggression against nations having oil. The U.S. must “drill, baby, drill,” ignoring the planet and the quality of life of the American public. Very sad, but that’s business.

I think I’d better stop.

Anyone—right, left, or Talfamidorian—will anticipate that Markos Moulitsas (”Kos”) gets a lot of wingnut hate mail. Goes with the territory. He’s even been singled out for apoplectic verbal assault by Billious Bill O’Reilly. Now that’s a badge of honor!

Still, as Markos acknowledges, it does get tiresome eventually. The saving grace is humor…unintentional humor, that is. As in the widely known image of the dude holding a sign accusing Iraq war opponents of being morons. His sign spells it “morans.” Spells it correctly? Boring. Misspells it? Funny.

Now here’s the cool part. Today Markos posted a letter. It’s either a cleverly written parody, or a supreme example of the “Moran” phenomenon (more recently the “Conferenece” phenomenon). Either way it’s very funny. And after reading it, one gets to vote on a favorite part!

Here’s a sample. But you gotta check it out:

dear socialist fuckstick,

i am well awear of the fact that liberals are immune to logic and reason, but allow me to try to prove to you that you are communist scum thrugh something called the scientific method:

1 a) FACT: you suck obamas cock every chance youget. you defend everythign he does and says and you are nothing more than an apologist. this makes you complicit in obamas actions.

1 b) FACT: obama is a well known socialist. this is evident his policies and his love of SELFDESCRIBED COMMUNISTS LIKE BILL AYERS!!!! so dont thinkthat he can hide his true nature for much longer. he will eventully be exposed and impeached. SOCIALISM CANNOT WORK OR RUSSIA WOULD STILL EXIST AND THEY WOULD NEVER HAVE LOST THE COLD WAR TO REAGAN!!! retard.

1 c) you are thusly a pro forma socialist; whether you like it or not. logic dictates this.

The climate bill passed in the House. But not until John Boehner did his melodrama thing–for an hour! This was the “righteous indignation” schtick rather than the “I’m so sensitive I get teary-eyed” schtick. Remember when he held up the stimulus bill and then dropped it on the floor?

And remember how passionate he got in saying Congress hadn’t been given sufficient time to read the Patriot Act?

Oh, wait! He had no problem whatsoever with that bill, did he. His is the party, not just of NO, but also of melodramatic, hypocritical double standards.

From Fahrenheit 9/11 trailer, re the Patriot Act

[Double-click to play.]

Senator Graham was present at the victory celebration with rainbow grin out in the open at full glow. His pal Sen. McCain had promised to be there, but he ditched with a deceitful explanation. He said afterward that he had wanted to prove he could show just as much arrogant contempt for Iran’s President Ahmadinejad as he had for America’s talk show host David Letterman.

(Reports that Sen. McCain spent the time with a voice coach, rehearsing for a commercial release of his signature song, “Bomb, Bomb, Bomb Iran,” remain unconfirmed. It’s said that Liz Cheney is pushing Sen. McCain to go ahead with the recording project, promising that her dad will show him how to trick the press into promoting it. It’s also said that his own daughter, Meghan, has been urging he shelve the project, noting that recent video and YouTube coverage might lead Americans to suspect that Iranians are actually real people, just like themselves.

None of this is on my own authority, mind you!! It’s all sourced to the same insiders on whom Fox News [sic on "News"] depends when its “pundits” and newsreaders [again, sic on "news"] announce that “some say” or “people are saying.” Would they be pulling lies out of their asses and attributing them to unnamed sources? Of course not! Alluding to the character Mark Anthony in Shakespeare’s play, they are honorable men and women. I too am an honorable man. You can trust what I write here, in this particular post, just as much as you can trust what you hear on Fox News. Same with what you see.)

Banner from outside a session on making English the official language of the U.S.

Any organization that gets this many hate-talkers this riled up just has to be doing something right! This compilation is a hoot!