Friday, November 18, 2022

The Republican Commitment to America

The Republicans are planning to exercise power in the House starting next January. Kevin McCarthy is likely going to be the next House Speaker. In advance of his new power and extremism, he released a short thing called The Republican Commitment to America. Four areas of focus are the economy, national security, freedom, and government accountability. There’s almost no detail in the commitment. That leaves McCarthy and House Republicans almost unlimited freedom to do whatever they want without the public knowing what is on their minds. 

Most of the commitment, deceptive propaganda actually (it feels mostly like empty promises), is contained in this one-page summary:


The commitment does not mention climate change. The generic fluff in the section on the economy mentions energy. The closest thing there is to hinting at how radical right House Republicans will deal climate change is this bit of deceptive fluff:

Make America Energy Independent and 
Reduce Gas Prices


Not long ago, America was the largest energy producer in the world and gas was affordable. The Biden Administration then halted energy projects, shut down pipeline construction, and took every step to discourage the production of American energy resources. Americans shouldn’t have to choose between driving to work and putting food on the table.

At this point, one should understand that the Biden administration supported boosting clean energy, mainly solar and wind. So it is a flat out Republican Party lie to say that Biden took every step to discourage the production of American energy resources. Once again, we see the contempt that radical right Republicans have for fact, truth and sound reasoning whenever any of it is inconvenient. 

In addition, the Republicans pose a false dilemma here. Americans do not have to choose between driving to work and putting food on the table. They have to decide whether to take climate change seriously or ignore it as the Republicans are clearly arguing. Taking it seriously does not mean not being able to drive to work. That lie is pure propaganda.

As pointed out here before, Republicans in power, profit motive-driven businesses and external factors are at least as responsible for inflation as the Democrats. So blaming just Biden and the Democrats is another lie embedded in this piece of deceptive propaganda. 

The main point of this post is to make clear that the Republican Party and its main donors have no intention of trying to deal honestly or seriously with climate change. They are loathe to even acknowledge it exists at all. America and the world will have to save themselves despite ferocious, divisive Republican Party opposition, lies, slanders and crackpottery.

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