You know, I have a lot to be thankful for, but this evening, I think I am most thankful that the anti-rational zealots running the Republican Party weren’t in power when scientists discovered that diseases could be controlled by the judicious use of vaccines or that water could contain deadly microbes and needed to be treated, or asbestos was dangerous for human…oh, wait, they still don’t believe that, do they?
Today’s report in the Missoulian about the Republican response to Climate Change is the kind of embarrassment that the Republican Party keeps bringing to the state. Senator Dan McGee, an internationally renowned rhetorician and climate scientist, best explained the GOP position, illustrated by poking his head in the ground, crying “It’s not warm! It’s not warm!” as he made his remarks:
“This is all flawed and it’s based on flawed everything,” said Sen. Dan McGee, R-Laurel, of the science explaining global climate change. “This is a lie. Call it what it is.”
It’s ALL FLAWED, don’t you people understand?
I have to give McKee credit. She didn’t do what the media has largely done in this discussion, and pretend like these arguments are actually based in some science. Outside of a few crackpot meteorologists (one of whom was dug up for the meeting) and studies funded by Exxon, there is no debate about human impact on warming. Even if there were, are a bunch of Montana Republicans, many of whom probably believe the Earth is 6,000 years old, the ones to carry on the debate?
Of course, if you’re reading this, you probably know this. You paid attention in high school science, rather than taking notes about your teacher’s references to godless evolution. I guess it only stands to reason. Having failed civics and basic econ, how can we expect our Republican “leadership” to have passed science?
Article by Don Pogreba
Don has written 1332 posts for us. He is an English and debate teacher in Helena, MT. When not writing here or working on debate handbooks, he is writing about educational issues at Prairie Pedagogue.
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Humph. Someone has to force me to read this post. It’s too big and boring. Brevity is the sister of talent, remember that.
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