Here is what happens when you don't have an EPA. From the Economist: Beijing's air has a toxicity that 40x what is safe. 10% of China's farmland is poisoned with chemicals and heavy metals. 50% of China's urban water supply are unfit even to wash in, let alone drink. In the northern half of the country, air pollution takes 5.5 years off the average life.
US companies compete with Chinese companies, why wouldn't US companies pollute the same way Chinese ones do it there were no EPA. They would and that is why the Tea Party's antipathy toward the EPA makes no sense to me.
From Thomas Friedman this morning:
Link to Friedman on why the US is correct to stop trying with Putin
“Putin prefers to rely instead on less educated, xenophobic rural populations, who buy into his anti-American, anti-gay trope."
If you take out a few words, it might sound like a US major political party dominate by a certain bunch of rural representatives.
... prefers to rely instead on less educated, xenophobic rural populations, who buy into his anti-immigrant, anti-gay, anti-.....
The similarities in strategy and feeding off of ignorance are amazing.
Next: Anti-trust people in Washington and GOP Attorney Generals in Texas, Arizona, Tennessee and a few other states fight US Air-American Air merger:
Who knew the one thing that could unite GOP and Democratic politicians was higher airfares? Obviously the airlines cannot afford Citizens United payments to politicians because most are barely profitable after passing through bankruptcy. The Federal Anti-trust people say the mergers to date are sufficient to raise fares to profitable levels and this is one merger too far in that regard. Well, if that were true, would American Airlines be emerging from bankruptcy as part of this deal? They cited high airfares between Houston and NY, but last time I looked that was a Continental Airlines router (now United) and not an American or US Air route. Why would the GOP attorney Generals be against this merger? Aren't they in favor of a free market? This stinks to high heaven and I don't understand anyone's motivation here. Fortunately, for US Air, this will be run through a court. Unfortunately for American Air customers, the court will likely let it go through and the people who ruined Piedmont Airlines by buying it will get to ruin American Air. I hate US Air, which is why US Air has been known as Agony Air, Useless Air and any number of other names summarizing US Air's mistreatment of its customers. That would be a good reason to oppose the merger, but fear of higher airfares when the industry barely makes money. is not a valid reason.
No comments:
Post a Comment