It's a sad day when the story about how Houston drowned is old news only a few days after the city's demise. Irma has flattened swaths of the Caribbean and is en route to Florida, which by the way is barely the same size of the hurricane itself. Given these events, you might have noticed Jose hitting its stride. There is yet another massive storm waiting in the wings after that. Hold tight and wait for winter. Maybe there will be something left of the region come Christmas.
It is worth asking the question of what this will do to the status of climate change denial. Well, before that we should ask... what climate change denial? Contrary to many reports, it seems that Americans overwhelmingly accept the reality of climate change. Even 70% or so think that curbing carbon emissions are a good idea. Yes, I know the numbers are higher in other parts of the world, but this is a lot better than the popular opinion of Americans as nothing but a bunch of anti-science nitwits who will mock all those Ivory Tower experts, even while eels and sharks are moving into their homes.
The real question is, what the hell's wrong with Congress? Note that I'm not asking what the hell is wrong with Trump. That is a different question. I tend to think that whenever Trump agrees with other politicians on anything, it is largely for different reasons than they have. It's pretty much a cliche by now to point out that this dipshit lives in a reality of his own creation. There's no accounting for terminal mental illness, so let's move on. What's the deal with the rest of that god forsaken party, not to mention many Republicans?
The strange thing is, I don't think it's the interests of big business. Republicans often market themselves as the pro-business party, and yet they are discovering ever increasing amount of daylight between themselves and business leaders on this issue. Climate change is not exactly pro-business. And after all the rain has stopped falling for 2017 and it is time to start spending the hundreds of billions of dollars it will take to rebuild what was lost, it stands to reason that every property insurance company in the nation will be lobbying anyone who will listen to stop the nonsense. Warren Buffet will be pissed, and I'm not sure that's something we want. I'm pretty sure he's built a flying Iron Man suit.
Will it make a difference? If not, whiskey tango foxtrot? Should the Republican party double down on their antipathy for the most evidence backed claim since evolution, it will be the biggest sign yet that their stated principals are nothing but smoke. It will make plain that ideology is all that matters. Being pro-business works if Exxon and Merck are paying the bills, but if that money pipe clogs well then fuck those elitist overlords. Let's not forget that they like immigration too. Something about Einstein and one of the founders of Google coming from other countries. I don't get it either; whatever. I'm pretty sure that can't be true.
Listen, I think the point of this entire post is to point out that there is a hardened lump in American politics that is nothing but pure rage. There have always been such elements, but even as a living breathing liberal dork I can admit that it is possible to defend conservative motives with facts and logic. Sometimes they have a point. Yeah, really. I'm actually kind of obsessed with Nixon, whom I think of as more of a seriously flawed Shakespearean character than a comic book bad guy. Whatever his ideology, he and many Republicans prior to the 21st century (e.g. John McCain), had and have shown a capacity to understand and except hard reality. Toughness after all is also supposed to be a part of their ethos.
I think those sorts are going to have to find a home in another party, because they seem unable to overcome the forces of their co-religionists who think they are living in some sort of video game where you get points by beating up Mexicans who, by the way, aren't Mexicans anyway. And do you know who else can get on the bus? Any so-called experts with any of those nancy pants letters after their names. Bye Felicia. Let's hope the sensible wing of both parties pull the rip cord before the rest of us have to learn how to breathe water. Should that happen, a fair world would inundate only the places where the perps live, which thankfully would be full only of white people after the rest were sent packing to more realistic places.
