America's Neros: Money Can Surely Buy You Political Love

Remember the story about Nero fiddling while Rome burned? Tragically, we now have our own versions of Nero’s fiddling (or worse) while our world’s climate degrades as a result of mankind’s pollution. Our Neros are political ‘Deniers’ of climate change. They are the ones we've elected, who choose to disregard over 95% of expert scientific opinion to tout the dissenting 5%. And many, if not all of those 5% are under the financial influence of big energy corporations or others who stand to lose if remedial legislation is enacted. There’s little hope of that now with control of the House of Representatives passing to the deniers.

Such is the power of money in politics. Now there are essentially no limits on political campaign money, the people, the man in the street so to speak, have been disenfranchised and are now at the mercy of well-heeled corporations. Under the recent ruling from the right-wing controlled Supreme Court, corporations may now use their virtually unlimited funds to buy any legislator - and legislation - they choose. And, they have done just that.

This is a breakdown by industry of the ratio of contributions during the 2010 election:

Energy companies: 2 to 1 to Republicans over Democrats;

Agriculture Industries: 2 to 1 to Republicans over Democrats;

Health Care Industries: 4 to 3 to Republicans over Democrats

And here are some remarks and details about the incoming people who will be in control of the House of Representatives:

John Boehner, (Ohio), Incoming House Majority leader: Beohner says, ‘The idea that carbon dioxide is a carcinogen, that is harmful to our environment, is almost comical’; Biggest campaign donors are: Drug and cigarette makers, banks, health insurers, oil companies, military contractors. (Boehner once handed out lobbyist checks from cigarette makers to other representatives on the house floor)

Darrel Issa, (California), Incoming Chair of the House Oversight Committee: Issa says he won’t use his new clout to ‘have corporate America live in fear’. Instead, Issa says his first moves will be to investigate the very climate researchers and scientists who are ringing the alarm bell loud and clear.

Issa’s top contributors: Pharmaceuticals/Health Products

John Shimkus, (Illinois), one of four running for chair of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce: Shimkus quotes Genesis 8:22 from the Christian bible: “As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease.” and says, “I believe in the infallible word of God, and that’s the way it’s going to be for His creation;

Shimkus’ top contributors: Health Professionals, Pharmaceuticals& Drugs; Health products, Electric Utilities, Oil & Gas

Joe Barton, (Texas), is also running for the same chair: Barton says, “When it’s hot, we get shade. When it’s cold, we find a warm place to stay.” Barton is the same guy who demanded Obama apologize to BP for demanding they take more effective action during their gulf oil spill;

Barton’s top contributors: Electric Utilities, Oil & Gas, Pharmaceuticals & Health Products, Health professionals, Mining.

And, even before the recent election congressional Republicans schemed to eliminate the House Select Committee on Energy Independence.

Who says money can’t buy you love? (Or, at least favorable legislation). We should never forget Nero ultimately had his own mother (and step-brother) murdered back then in ancient Rome either.

Sources: Follow The Money

              Open Secrets

The Fair and Balanced Truth According to Fox News

“Global warming?” sputtered *Rufus T. Hamhooker of Tuscaloosa, Alabama. “Climate Change?  Absolutely ludicrous! Those damned scientists are just trying to blame it on people and human activities. It's a Communist plot by liberals  to get more money.”

Hamhooker referred to articles in Fox News which question Climate Change,  due to human activity.  The Fox article quotes two scientists who they say, cast doubts on the question. But, one of them, John Christy, professor of atmospheric science at the University of Alabama in Huntsville.  Professor Christy holds a Master of Divinity degree (1978) from Golden Gate Baptist Seminary, and is Alabama’s state climatologist.  As a former lead author for IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change), what he actually said was:

 "It is scientifically inconceivable that after changing forests into cities, turning millions of acres into irrigated farmland, putting massive quantities of soot and dust into the air, and putting extra greenhouse gases into the air, that the natural course of climate has not changed in some way."

The second ‘expert’ Fox quotes is Ross McKitrick is a senior fellow at the Fraser Institute, a Canadian ‘Free Market’ think tank, and a 'completely uninterested entity'. McKitrick is also part of The Interfaith Stewardship Alliance is a coalition of religious leaders, clergy, theologians, scientists, academics, and other policy experts committed to bringing a proper and balanced Biblical view of stewardship to the critical issues of environment and development. He is co-author of  “A Call to Truth, Prudence, and Protection of the Poor, An Evangelical Response to Global Warming”

The sub-headline for the Fox article reads: “The embattled ex-head of the research center at the heart of the Climate-gate scandal dropped a bombshell over the weekend, admitting in an interview with the BBC that there has been no global warming over the past 15 years.”

However, the BBC article which Fox cites for it’s source quotes Phil Jones, who is the ‘embattled ex-head of the research center at the heart of the Climate-gate scandal’ as actually saying pretty near the complete opposite: “I'm 100% confident that the climate has warmed. As to the second question, I would go along with IPCC."

Hamhooker went on, convinced by the Fox News story, “Obama says he wants to leave God out of it and leave it up to science. But God is the first and most important and only true scientist.  Why is Obama against God and the only true science?  I’ll put my faith in Sarah Palin any day.  Sarah thinks it’s just normal weather patterns, and Sarah Palin prays to God every day about everything so she’s in a position to know.”

** “This planet is God’s. He created it and sustains it according to His perfect will.  For man to think he can alter what God controls, is beyond arrogant. Try blasphemous. The resources on/in this planet were expressly given to man for his use. I'm aghast that this obvious attempt to use atmospherics for the purpose of controlling the freedom of individuals has gone on so long. Shameful.”

“I trust Fox News.” Hamhooker continued. “They’re fair and balanced and present the truth. If they don’t think it’s truthful of necessary to print things that disagree with the article, then neither do I. I’m like most other conservatives. I’ll believe exactly what I want to believe, and what I’m told to believe by the ones I trust.”

* Rufus Hamhooker is a fictional character for the purpose of this story
** Verbatim quotes from comments to Fox News article

Irony Versus The Art of Disinformation

(Click on photo to enlarge)

The caption beneath the picture of the glacier reads:

"TAKU GLACIER, ALASKA, IS A RIVER OF ICE STRETCHING 270 SQUARE MILES, YET THE PETROLEUM ENERGY HUMBLE SUPPLES AMERICA COULD MELT IT AT THE RATE OF 7 MILLIONS TONS A DAY!"

Perhaps a more prophetic ad was never run in history:   In 1962 Humble Oil ran a two-page ad spread in Life Magazine.  Humble merged with Standard Oil to become the oil industry giant EXXON, now EXXON-MOBIL.  Blogger David Roberts places this one in the running for "All Time Millenial Award for Maximum Irony".   I totally agree!

The ad itself reads as follows:

"EACH DAY HUMBLE SUPPLIES ENOUGH ENERGY TO MELT 7 MILLION TONS OF GLACIER!


This giant glacier has remained unmelted for centuries.  yet, the petroleum energy Humble supplies -  if converted into heat - could melt it at the rate of 80 tons each second!  To meet the nation's growing needs for energy, Humble has applied science to nature's resources to become America's Leading Energy Company.  Working wonders with oil through research, Humble provides energy in many forms - to help heat our homes, power our transportation, and to furnish industry with a great variety of versatile chemicals.  Stop at a Humble station for new Enco Extra gasoline, and see why the "Happy Motoring" Sign is the Worlds First Choice!"

The supreme irony is that EXXON-MOBIL is the same company which spent millions to disparage the idea of mankind cause climate change.  Using proven tobacco industry tactics, EXXON financed (even founded!) 'think tanks' with many millions of dollars to dispute scientific findings and muddy the waters over this issue.  The right-wing big business lobby is still at it today, using any means fair or foul to cast doubt over an issue upon which about 95% of all scientists agree.

Hackers recently got into computers at a legitimate climate change research center.   Emails and other documents stolen from there were then published  - in Russia of all places.  The attempt is to show a 'coverup' by scientists who agree on human influenced climate change - a huge majority of all scientists - and further muddy the waters.

The timing of this release of course,  has no relevance to the upcoming United Nations Climate Change Conference scheduled to begin December 7, 2009.  Yeah right.  Just like the timings of the current releases of new recommendations for the frequency for pap smears or breast cancer exams has no relevance to the national health care debate or the passing of the National Health Act.

Can we, the public, ever learn to effectively counter all the billions of 'influence dollars' spent by corporate vested interests?  Not bloody likely given recent history!