I am an analyst by inner sense of self, education and career. When I look at any issue, especially economic and political issues, I like to analyze the subject from all angles to decide what I think should be done.
So yesterday, while I enjoyed a Lobster Roll and beer for a holiday lunch in Manhattan after doing some shopping, I drifted into a contemplation of the state of the world. I was in such deep thought, that the server asked me if I was OK.
What captivated my brain was the fact that 195 nations signed the Paris Global Warming Agreement. 195 nations are concerned about this phenomenon, and have a substantial agreement on the science linking CO2 to global warming. This is not surprising as the English scientist, John Tyndall, discovered in 1859 that CO2 in the atmosphere is the reason the earth can maintain an atmosphere by trapping infrared light and maintaining the temperature that allows life to exist on earth. Scientists all over the world ever since have been verifying that basic fact of life and never disproving it.
Yet, hardcore Republicans call this junk science. If this was junk science, would China agree with it? Would India agree with it? Would Bangladesh, Brazil, Iran, Russia, Germany and the rest of the 195 countries agree with it? Wouldn't a large group of scientists somewhere in this world be broadcasting far and wide the error of this science?
Instead, in Donald Trump fashion, the hard core conservative wing of the GOP calls it junk science, slandering this 155 year old scientific discovery to preserve what? The right to burn any fossil fuel without paying for the social costs in the future. Creating economic opportunity from owning land at higher elevations. (For the record, while I am 42' above sea level, all the economic value from my home relies on economic activity at lower elevations).
While a century ago people did not think about what they were doing to future generations, they just wanted to survive, shouldn't our wealth and education give us a greater purpose in preserving this earth for future generations? Isn't that the purpose of living?
Why does the political party of the religious not think this way? I thought religion was supposed to make people reflective.
Instead, they want to do nothing about global warming, they want to send troops into situations that will only inspire thousands of have nots in the Islamic World to join Jihad so they can meet their virgins in heaven and take some of our troops with them. I don't understand why so many jihadists, who are mainly young men with their life in front of them, want to commit suicide and kill Americans or other Muslims.
I think the language of Wahhabism is a primary cause. I think RedStateVT is correct that violent video games, movies and words have motivational consequences that are a danger to society. And I think that politicians who speak in violent disrespectful terms of their opponents run the risk of inspiring inappropriate and illegal behavior. Yet, conservative talk radio is a leading source of violent political language in this country. But changing that in the U.S. requires a Constitutional Amendment and that isn't going to happen.
And the result of that is Donald Trump and Ted Cruz are rallying the KKK/John Birch successors as their supporters. This is similar to Prohibition when the country was divided in an similar fashion to the way it is today. It took a depression and a world war to created liberals and conservatives in both parties, but that only lasted about 50 years. Now while the Democrats still have liberals and conservatives, the GOP has only conservative purists and they are generally way over the deep end on many issues from my perspective.
I wish I knew some truly independent voters so I could understand what they are thinking, but I don't. I have some conservative friends and then a bunch of friends who see the world the way I do.
In 10 months, and two weeks, this will be over, and I can only hope that the Democrats win a monster victory to put an end to this insanity caused by a lack of reflection. The alternative is too horrible to contemplate.
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