[Cross-posted at The Left Coaster.]
Another day, another alleged conservative writer attacking Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez at the Washington Post and the Green New Deal. Wednesday it was Megan McArdle, today it’s Marc Thiessen writing an ugly splat of defiance, ignorance and contempt that again merits a response.
Before beginning its imperative to firmly keep in mind Thiessen and his conservative tribe have done nothing, proposed nothing at all to combat climate change. One can have a base respect for the conservative pillar of maintaining the status quo, but Thiessen and the mental clowns he hangs with have ridiculed science, knowledge and reason in a pathetic, limp attempt at denial of the obvious to do so.
Conservatives like Thiessen act as if the Enlightenment never happened, that humans like Curie, Fermi, Tesla and Oppenheimer never existed, that reason and truth, why, merely a mere margarine for the human existence and soul. The harm to the truth, our people and planet has been immeasurable, perhaps irreparable, and mental climate change clowns like Thiessen are mere carnival barkers of psychotic damage on the subject, it’s a pathetic sight.
Another ridiculous omission in Thiessen’s attack is the vast economic and cost benefits to renewable power, conservatives always trot out the implementation costs while somehow leaving out the long-range cost savings. Wind, sun and moving water are free, my God, why isn’t this seen? At a point the installation pays for itself and thereafter power has a tiny, tiny maintenance cost, amazing amounts of money can be saved!
I thought conservatives embraced capitalism, were cognizant of costs in an empirical sense. Thiessen rants on and on and about how renewables can’t be paid for while leaving out the little fact renewables pay for themselves and then some, plus that little fact of saving the atmosphere. I guess Thiessen didn’t take accounting in college, or is unaware of the discipline.
Just like McArdle this god of science and capitalism Thiessen instantly pounced on the workup mistakes of AOC’s staff before the final draft was codified. AOC is a blazing freshman attempting huge complex solutions, it’s absurd to think she or her staff won’t make minor mistakes. As stated Wednesday, she finally said the submitted version was the only version to go by and spoke the truth.
Thiessen and conservatives happily tolerated Bush vs Gore, and then criminalized Hillary Clinton while electing a Russian asset as President--who very well may destroy our democracy and country--yet when AOC’s staff makes workup mistakes all of her authenticity and mission are destroyed. Your credibility on measuring the scope of human error is so vast and deep, Mr. Thiessen, yes, yes indeed.
Equally asinine is Theissen’s bleating AOC’s numbers don’t add up and can’t be paid for by taxing the rich. Conservatives and Republicans have constantly submitted defense budgets and tax cuts that can’t be paid for and have blown up the budget.
Like a pulsar detected by the Hubble telescope, there is a tiny flashing element of truth in the mental mess Thiessen wrote, it very well is likely tax hikes on the rich can’t pay for all of the Green New Deal, no matter the final numbers. Two factors can greatly ameliorate this problem.
First, factor in the long-range savings of renewables, and second take a good long look at the amazing fortune spent every year on Defense on a scale of vast stupidity and waste. For a small start the Navy gets six aircraft carriers, no more, and flip that spending to the Green New Deal. Repeat that process across all branches until $200 billion is switched to the New Green Deal annually.
Taxes on the rich are going up and Defense spending cut by $200 billion, one can certainly see the conservative horror at the scenario. Plus the little fact the vastly powerful petrochemical industry will be completely upended and reduced by 60%, and all the US electricity systems somehow converted to non-profitable renewables.
Vast radical change is coming and is totally required, many are completely pessimistic the United States can accomplish a switch to renewables, for the powers of the status quo are too strong and their yapping enablers like Thiessen too many.
AOC, however, has chosen a path of bravery and truth for solutions that have to work for our planet and people to survive. McArdle and Thiessen blithely inherited a functional, life-giving atmosphere and apparently have no problem ruining it for future human life and dreams. Neither does the Washington Post, it seems. That liberal media.