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America Is in Denial
71–80 of 84 posts
Re: America Is in Denial
#72Earlier quoted context omitted.
you can downvote me but it's science. https://www.climate.gov/news-features/climate-qa/whats-hotte...
If the scariest thing in that graph of the earth's estimated global temperature over its lifetime isn't the near vertical upward line at the end it just means you don't believe humanity's existence is particularly significant (which is not an unreasonable conclusion depending on your perspective). The planet and life in general will thrive no matter what we do. I'd just rather we actually give ourselves a shot of bei…
Humans are going to be fine too even if the sea levels rise. Humans adapt that's our biggest strength.
Re: America Is in Denial
#73Earlier quoted context omitted.
> Yet again blaming individuals' choices when large corporations are by far the largest global polluters. Corporations don’t exist. There are only individual people.
That argument would work much better if corporations weren't explicitly designated legal persons for various purposes related to contracts and liability.
Don’t you think that law is a bit too convenient? Instead of individuals maintaining liability for their actions, now there is some legal entity to blame. It doesn’t matter what the law says. All of these amoral decisions are made by people.
Re: America Is in Denial
#74Earlier quoted context omitted.
If the scariest thing in that graph of the earth's estimated global temperature over its lifetime isn't the near vertical upward line at the end it just means you don't believe humanity's existence is particularly significant (which is not an unreasonable conclusion depending on your perspective). The planet and life in general will thrive no matter what we do. I'd just rather we actually give ourselves a shot of bei…
Humans are going to be fine too even if the sea levels rise. Humans adapt that's our biggest strength.
Sea level rises aren't our biggest problem. I'm willing to be a very significant percentage of humanity are not going to be "fine" at all, barring some miraculous changes in our behavior and/or technology.
Would you have claimed humans have coped "fine" with covid? I wouldn't, and I reckon that'll be statistical noise compared to the likely disruptions in the next 50-100 years.
Re: America Is in Denial
#75> Even as we watch the reservoirs and lakes of the West go dry, we keep watering our lawns, soaking our golf courses, and growing water-thirsty crops. Residential water use has plummeted in the west. Some areas, like vegas, use less water than the 70s, not accounting for population changes. Arizona is the second best residential water manager in the world behind Israel. Agriculture uses the lion's share of water and…
> > As the ice caps melt and record temperatures make the evening news, we figure that buying a Prius and recycling the boxes from our daily Amazon deliveries will suffice. > Yet again blaming individuals' choices when large corporations are by far the largest global polluters That's not how I read this at all. Rather it's attacking the idea that a few individuals doing the "right thing" can make a difference, when r…
Indirectly, corporations are doing what is being dictated by the individuals. They produce what we are willing to buy. If we only buy the cheapest stuff, ignore how it is made and its impact on the environment that is what corporation will make. Unless we vote for governments that will make laws that will force these corporations to not offer environmental unfriendly products.
In the end there's more responsibility to the individual that we are willing to admit.
Re: America Is in Denial
#76Earlier quoted context omitted.
Humans are going to be fine too even if the sea levels rise. Humans adapt that's our biggest strength.
Sea level rises aren't our biggest problem. I'm willing to be a very significant percentage of humanity are not going to be "fine" at all, barring some miraculous changes in our behavior and/or technology. Would you have claimed humans have coped "fine" with covid? I wouldn't, and I reckon that'll be statistical noise compared to the likely disruptions in the next 50-100 years.
> Would you have claimed humans have coped "fine" with covid?
I hear you. Are you still wearing a mask to protect other people? COVID is still out there. We have to protect people from COVID so please wear a mask and only go outside if necessary. This is still a pandemic.
Re: America Is in Denial
#77Earlier quoted context omitted.
Do their voting records reveal them to be anything other than mainstream Republicans? I'll admit that Romney's votes to impeach the man whose endorsement he sought in 2012 were unusually bold,but I can't think of any effect he's had on his party. Quite the opposite actually - at one point Romney claimed he was pro choice, but he's clearly fallen in line. His evolution towards mainstream Republicanism also put him in…
You said it yourself - he was the only republican senator who voted for impeachment. When he voted against the party - you say he had no effect on his party. When he votes with the party - you say he has fallen in line. What exactly is he supposed to do? No one person has the power to change the party. I just appreciate someone, an individual, doing a good thing when they do it. This post is a good thing. The least I…
What exactly is he supposed to do?
Join the other party. They may be unpalatable to him, but his own party has become despicable. He would be considerably more influential with the other party: he could make substantial policy demands in exchange for his support.
Re: America Is in Denial
#78Earlier quoted context omitted.
You said it yourself - he was the only republican senator who voted for impeachment. When he voted against the party - you say he had no effect on his party. When he votes with the party - you say he has fallen in line. What exactly is he supposed to do? No one person has the power to change the party. I just appreciate someone, an individual, doing a good thing when they do it. This post is a good thing. The least I…
What exactly is he supposed to do? Join the other party. They may be unpalatable to him, but his own party has become despicable. He would be considerably more influential with the other party: he could make substantial policy demands in exchange for his support.
That presumes that, after Trump, the Republican party is not salvageable. Romney is trying to salvage his party instead of running away. Even if you think the odds are low, it's worth the attempt (we really need the Republican Party to come back from the insanity of Trump).
> He would be considerably more influential with the other party
Would he? Or would he just be a figurehead, or a war trophy?
> he could make substantial policy demands in exchange for his support.
He can now. In a 50/50 Senate, for him to support a Democratic bill will ensure passage (unless a Democrat defects). He can extract concessions for that.
Re: America Is in Denial
#79Earlier quoted context omitted.
What exactly is he supposed to do? Join the other party. They may be unpalatable to him, but his own party has become despicable. He would be considerably more influential with the other party: he could make substantial policy demands in exchange for his support.
That presumes that, after Trump, the Republican party is not salvageable. Romney is trying to salvage his party instead of running away. Even if you think the odds are low, it's worth the attempt (we really need the Republican Party to come back from the insanity of Trump). > He would be considerably more influential with the other party Would he? Or would he just be a figurehead, or a war trophy? > he could make sub…
When it's ready to be salvaged, he can go back. Meantime, as long as they win elections, they won't see any reason to be salvaged.
This may come down to him in a few months. There is a decent chance that the November elections will be 51 Republicans to 49 Democrats. Romney will have his choice of putting Mitch McConnell in charge, or jumping parties (cf Arlen Specter).
I would put it to him that, even if he could rein in the worst abuses, it will nonetheless bolster the party's self-image as successful in elections. That will be seen at every level as affirming all of their policies.
The problem, I believe, is that it's not about the "insanity of Trump". Trump took advantage of a party that had become insane, taking advantage of fervently held opinions and a number of thumbs on the electoral scale in their favor.
It seems to me that his best hope for fixing things would be to cause them to lose elections until they beg him to return and help fix things. I, as a Democrat, would not feel the least hard feelings were he to jump ship back. And that's not just short-term-thinking of being happy to win a few elections, but the much longer-term hope of no longer having to choose between "the delusional party" and the "at least we're not the delusional party" party. And worse, the fact that this decision appears to be a toss-up at best.
Re: America Is in Denial
#80Earlier quoted context omitted.
Sea level rises aren't our biggest problem. I'm willing to be a very significant percentage of humanity are not going to be "fine" at all, barring some miraculous changes in our behavior and/or technology. Would you have claimed humans have coped "fine" with covid? I wouldn't, and I reckon that'll be statistical noise compared to the likely disruptions in the next 50-100 years.
> Would you have claimed humans have coped "fine" with covid? I hear you. Are you still wearing a mask to protect other people? COVID is still out there. We have to protect people from COVID so please wear a mask and only go outside if necessary. This is still a pandemic.
Yes, as circumstances dictate, despite it causing my glasses to fog up, which is not a minor inconvenience. What's your point though?