Those Who Stick Their Heads in the Sand Need a Kick in The Ass

It's becoming more evident that the Bush administration is pursuing policies that are extreme and ill-thought out. I don't know if it's because the lunatic fringe is not marginal any more; it has a strong voice in the current administration. I mean, if they believe that Armageddon is just around the corner, then why bother with the environment for example. Of course, you have those who mostly care about money and power, and not much else. Fortunately for both groups, president Bush and the Republican-controlled Congress are more than happy to oblige: screw the environment, the end of times is near, and, if this fails or delays, at least the elites will have enough money to bide time in opulent luxury.
The far right and the neo-cons seem almost single-minded about their goals. The Downing Street Memo showed the conspiracy to get our country into a messy & costly war regardless of the evidence. Bush and his clique still refuse to give us a straight answer. Not only they lied, but they continue to disrespect the public's right to know, as if the facts don't matter. And, if the facts get in the way, or don't agree with doctrine, then the facts are pushed aside. It would be funny, if the situation weren't so serious, to observe the puppetry and frequent renditions of Rain Man by the likes of Bush, Rummie, Condi, and the other far right talking heads.

There is considerable scientific evidence so show that there is a connection between burning fossil fuels and climate change. Guess who opposes these findings? And, guess who's changing the reports to hide the evidence? Earlier this month a White House official, Philip Cooney, altered government documents to downplay the damage to the environment. He's the same person who, while working for the oil industry, led the fight against limits on air pollutants. So, you make big money from the oil companies, you buy access to the US government, better yet, you join the government for a while to pass laws and set the agenda, and then you go back to a bigger paycheck. True to form, Mr. Cooney was just hired by Exxon for a job well done.

Now, the US government is secretly working to undermine the British and the rest of the world's efforts to help the environment. The Observer published an article showing that the Bush administration doesn't like the science of climate change and opposes the UN commitment to stabilize greenhouse emissions. The documents obtained by The Observer show that Washington officials:
* Removed all reference to the fact that climate change is a 'serious threat to human health and to ecosystems';
* Deleted any suggestion that global warming has already started;
* Expunged any suggestion that human activity was to blame for climate change. Among the sentences removed was the following: "Unless urgent action is taken, there will be a growing risk of adverse effects on economic development, human health and the natural environment, and of irreversible long-term changes to our climate and oceans."

There is no doubt that America under the current leadership has embarked on a course back to the Dark Ages, where superstition is preferred to the scientific method, where plutocracy triumphs over the public good, and where social Darwinism prevails. But, by sticking one's head into the sand also exposes one's behind. I hope the inevitable kick in the rear comes sooner than later, and that it's the boot of the American public that lands on the collective asses of those in power today. If we delay, I'm afraid, we're all going to feel the pain of our inaction and poor choices in government. And, the pain will remain with our children and many generations to come.