Climate change is the only place a person needs to look to see that there is pretty much no hope for the Republican Party.
It offers us the most representative microcosm of our completely broken democratic process. It is a problem to which there is a logical solution supported by an almost unanimous consensus of the most intelligent experts in the world. Those experts rely on predictable, empirical science. Yet somehow, even when faced with the mountain of data that clearly lays out the problem and course of action, people think they are entitled to their “beliefs.” For this reason alone, we will all suffer the consequences of their ignorance.
Though we love to think that everyone is entitled to their own opinion, at a certain point this becomes insanity. In regard to things like climate change, it becomes suicide to be tolerant of opposing beliefs for the simple fact that this is a thing that imperils the entire planet. It’s like we’re in a car heading off of a cliff, but instead of debating how we solve the problem of dying in a fiery crash ?asking each other meaningful questions like do we slam on the brakes, will there be time to stop, should we just jump out and tuck and roll? we argue?whether or not we are even in a moving vehicle. Now, some Republicans won’t even allow conversation about the vehicle itself.
The real tragedy in all of this is that the same folks who are arguing against mountains of scientific data also want their opinion heard on issues like gun control, income inequality, voting rights, and sending our troops to war. It begs the question that if they could be so obtuse, so devastatingly wrong, about something so blatantly obvious and scientifically verifiable, why should we listen to them when it comes to other matters of public policy? If these people would put profits before the environment,?how can they be trusted to make any other important decisions?
Many years from now, when the sea levels have risen and the predictions of climate scientists have all come true, the sick irony will be that these people who ignored the warnings will not admit to their wrongness. Also, they will not apologize for their complete, abject stupidity. They will instead pat themselves on the back for ensuring everyone had guns to fight off the refugees from countries who couldn’t survive the disastrous effects of climate inaction; the thousands of people from third world regions now submerged beneath 10 feet of water or swept away in the most recent super-typhoon, who have arrived on our doorstep searching for food, shelter or fresh drinking water.
