Being a fan of public transportation seems to go hand-in-hand with climate activism. Two of the top activists have recently commented on how much they like it. Being curious as to whether this is lip service to a cause or not, I ask simple questions.
Oblivious to these concepts of public transportation, Bill Nye “the Science guy” demonstrates (in his very first Instagram picture) Peter Gleick’s worst nightmare – private upscale transportation AND bottled water.
Chortle!
As my mother used to say, ” Do as I say. Not as I do, ” She was a hypocrite and so are they. Just on a Grander Scale!
Flying counts as public transportation in my eyes as long as you don’t use a private jet. That’s why the Europeans are calling their passenger aircraft Air”bus”.
Yeah, great UKPT.
£4000 to get to London and back. On a train where the passengers need to crowd together to stay warm. That’s when the thing actually runs and doesn’t break down a mile from a station.
When “debating” warmists, I usually mention that 1) I don’t own a car and, 2) I take public transit to work every day. Doesn’t really shut them up, but it does deflect things for a bit. Particularly those who 3) do own a car and, 4) don’t take public transit every day. It is rather fun, though, when our “green” politicians get out of their chauffeur-driven limos for photo-ops on public transit. They aren’t convincing most of us, and if such a shallow effort DOES convince the rest, doesn’t say much about them.
Both of these have probable racked up far more air-miles flying around the world to attend ‘green events ‘ in a year than most people do in a decade.
Of course its ‘different’ when they do it , that is the key thing to remember !
Are those comments to the right of Bill Nye for real? God complex?
I just can’t wait to see photos of the new pope taking the bus to Mexico…
It was 1917. The Communist Party speaker had just finished a speech to the factory workers and was getting into his car for the next appointment when one of the factory hands shouted:
“Why should we support your party? You promise to share everything equally, but we see you getting into a limousine just like the factory bosses!”
The party official put his head out of the window and replied:
” But, Comrade, when the Party is in power, EVERYBODY will have a limousine…!”
Wonder what he did with the bottle after?
I’m pretty sure Al Gore takes the bus, or he bought a bus or a bus company or something…
Commercial airlines are public transport. I’m not aware of the around the world bus service. Can you elaborate? (Wouldn’t it sink in the Atlantic?)
I might like public transportation if it worked worth a darn (used to use it to get to my college classes back in the day; the cr@p I had to go through to make sure I compensated for the MTA’s whim-of-the-day and make it to class on time often bordered on the surreal). And if a cheap bus came up the dirt road in the woods where I live, and actually took me where I need to go. And back. When I need to go there. And if it didn’t run almost empty wasting more energy per passenger mile than my 17 year old Ranger pickup.
Years ago, here in Milwaukee, there was a public hearing on Lite Rail and so I attended. I drove my car, but there was a bus stop right in front of where the meeting was held. I got there very early and sat outside and observed the bus stop up until the meeting started. Of the several hundred that came to the meeting, exactly one person took the bus. During the meeting the applause for speakers in favor of Lite Rail was overwhelming.
I’m glad public transport works for your life, but quite frankly, I don’t want to live within a few miles from where I work as quite frankly I like my farm and don’t like the neighborhoods close to work. The buses in much of the country (US) are filled with folks I would not normally trust in a confined space (though there are many nice people as well). When I visit a city such as Washington DC, I plan my routes around Metro stations with parking, then take the train to the attractions, only driving from wherever I am staying to the Metro. It takes most of the stress out of the visit. If I worked in DC I would probably commute the same way. For most of the US, it simply isn’t practical to put public transit in place, too much distance with destinations too spread out.
I can’t imagine a world where everyone lived as cheek to jowl as in the Utopians’ city plans. Transit would make sense in such a terribly dense (>100,000 people/km^2) place, but I am afraid the social stress caused in such a dense population would be too much.
Notice all the favor-currying sycophancy in the replies to Nye. Glurge. He’s GREAT!. And Martin, airlines are NOT public transport. So can the equivocation.
Martin
Commercial airlines are public transport.
I don’t think we Brits would be any worse off if the forger Gleick had stayed at home.
Environmentalists tweeting sob stories:
A Bleat Tweet
Leave the Pope out of it. He apparently did public transit for the same reason he rode a bike, because he thought taxis or limos were an imprudent use of the Church’s collection plate money and should be reserved for somebody who wasn’t spry enough to manage the bus.
On taking a bus ’round the world, I look forward to the greens supporting the Bering strait crossing so that you actually could take a train from the americas to eurasia.
You might regard flying as public transport, but it does take 20 tonnes of ‘diesel’** to fly 180 passengers from the UK to Greece and back. That is probably not so different to having four coaches do the same journey, but it is a lot of fuel.
The point it, in order to have the life-style and standard of living we have grown used to, we need vast amounts of cheap energy. Going back to the Middle Ages with wind and solar power are just not going to cut it. We meed Thorium power, and we need it now (and that might leave some old-fashioned fossil fuels for aviation).
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** Same fuel, just more refined. The Isle of Man used to use aviation fuel for diesel cars, because they only had one holding tank for both.
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Having suffered the vicissitudes of public transport in Zurich, Copenhagen, Munich, Berlin, Paris, London, Stockholm, Geneva, as well as Los Angeles, I’m willing to say Public Transportation generally s*cks. The only thing that gets better is your ability to wait patiently for the delayed transport mechanism.
I didn’t see Gleick on any of my buses in the UK.
And yes – I do work on them.
Owen in GA says:
March 14, 2013 at 10:42 am
Well Owen, I’m from Northern Ontario, and our “public transit” there consists probably what is in your neck of the woods as well: school buses and Greyhound if you want to go from town to town. Everyone else drives.
That I currently live in a city and intentionally bought a house near the subway (sorry, don’t do buses, light rail, trams or street cars) was a short-range plan to get enough money to retire to the country-side again. I love the life in where I grew up, but, frankly, I don’t have the temperament to live like most of my family does, who are one or two bad months away from losing that lovely home. Bless the people who are strong enough to live that life, though (if you ate today, thank a farmer. And the trucker who brought that food to your city…).
I only mentioned this fact as the image of someone who questions the “established” AGW is one of a brutish, Hummer-driving thug. That I have a lower “carbon footprint” than many warmists doesn’t shut them up, but its fun to play with their hypocrisy sometimes.
Stonyground says:
I see the difference between travelling by car and travelling by bus as being similar to the difference between living in a house and living in a homeless shelter.
I don’t buy it that buses are more environmentally friendly than cars either. Yes a bus carries more passengers but this is offset by several other factors. It is a much larger and heavier vehicle with consequently far higher fuel consumption and emissions. It does a lot of stopping, starting and idling to let passengers on and off. It has do do long detours so that getting from A to B actually involves riding double the distance that you would cover in your car if you were doing the same journey.
Most likely Gleick, McKibben et al accrue frequent flyer miles for personal use. Would be interesting to know how they use them.
With regard to the bottled water, I like to point out the irony that, in the US at least, bottled water only became popular after environmentalists raised a big stink about (trace) contaminants in tap water.
Now that I think about it, use of tap water can be analogized to taking mass transit, and bottled water to private cars…
clipe says:
March 14, 2013 at 11:57 am
Most likely Gleick, McKibben et al accrue frequent flyer miles for personal use. Would be interesting to know how they use them.
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They’ll go to vacation in “green island”. LOL
Only Al Gore is wealthy enough to fly with private jet, to speak climate change all over the world. Laughing at stupid people whom put all their money to his pokets.
Instead of flying around to these environmental confabs, why don’t these scientists and political activists use Skype or some kind of video teleconferencing?
ralfellis says:
March 14, 2013 at 11:11 am
“You might regard flying as public transport, but it does take 20 tonnes of ‘diesel’** to fly 180 passengers from the UK to Greece and back. That is probably not so different to having four coaches do the same journey, but it is a lot of fuel.”
*I* don’t mind how anyone who buys a barrel of oil decides to use it as long as it’s not a petrol bomb on my house.
I remember, back in high school, walking through Univ. of Ill. campus to wait for the bus to take us back to the train station. Naturally, during winter, the wind had to blow in exactly the same direction the damn bus was coming from. We’d stand behind one of the posts holding that school up and take turns popping our heads out from behind that shelter (a somewhat luxurious term) and straight into the icy blast to check for the damn bus. Needless to say, they were infrequent. And, also needless to say, when we got to be juniors and seniors, and a very few of us acquired cars, well, those guys became gods, and had the most friends.
You’ll pry my cold, dead hands off of that steering wheel.
I get so sick of hearing how wonderful the public transportation is in the UK. They have built railways, have lots of buses, even a chunnel! Not much to brag about when your entire country fits neatly into the state of Oregon……
Just a few days ago our regional transit system came out with the banner head line:
Rider ship is up 25% and we have now reached for the first time ever (over 40 YEARS of service)
over 30% off our cost of operation (it was a magical33%). Enough said, this madness has to stop!
Public transport has not worked ANYWHERE!
I remember that not one of them worked to remove the contaminants in the water that the public drank. Let the peons in the California fields drink the contaminated stuff; our gullets will remain pure.
I live in a place called Newcastle , 150km from Sydney. I can drive to Sydney, takes about 1.5 hours.. or I can catch the train.. which takes.. wait for it.. 2hr 30 if you get the so-called express service. But generally I do actually catch the train, because its a nice scenic trip.
Local.. I always use the van.
Olavi says:
March 14, 2013 at 12:49 pm
clipe says:
March 14, 2013 at 11:57 am
Most likely Gleick, McKibben et al accrue frequent flyer miles for personal use. Would be interesting to know how they use them.
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They’ll go to vacation in “green island”. LOL
And do mileage runs on someone else’s dime. Me and you no doubt.
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/mileage-run-discussion-627/
The transnational water companies pushed the bottled water business big time (after buying the water rights in major American cities). Veolia, Thames, Nestle, and Coke, etc, bought up the water rights of small towns over significant aquifers and groundwater sources and drained them to sell that water out-of-state and overseas. A couple of communities fought back.
Hear a squeak out of a supposed environmentalist? Did any of these supposed stewards of the land object?
NOAA reported last September that their GRACE satellites showed the drought in the US was caused in the groundwater supplies, or as they put it, in the water supplies for farming and drinking.
So I am going to save that pic of Bill Nye and his selfish water comment. Another Bill Nye moment was when he was on Larry King about five years ago with Richard Lindzen. Nye was claiming that fresh water from melting ice caps would upset the “salt-heat driven ocean currents” and shut down the Gulf Stream. Mind-boggling.
We could always take a Carnaval Cruise. Would that be public transportation? There’ s a Carnaval ‘Dream’ Ship (nightmare) right now broken down in St. Martin.
That wasn’t Bill Nye. That was a reborn Peter Cushing from his Hammer Films vampire days. Once bitten, twice Nye.
Anthony is on a roll, I think I’ll stay out of his way 🙂
I lived in Europe and loved the trains, undergounds and bus, but really this is a huge country and to compare the systems is apples to oranges.
Dodgy Geezer says: March 14, 2013 at 10:06 am
. . . The party official put his head out of the window and replied:
” But, Comrade, when the Party is in power, EVERYBODY will have a limousine…!”
Must be true. Even his chauffeur had one.
ralfellis says: arch 14, 2013 at 11:11 am
You might regard flying as public transport, but it does take 20 tonnes of ‘diesel’** to fly 180 passengers from the UK to Greece and back. That is probably not so different to having four coaches do the same journey, but it is a lot of fuel.
Jets burn a kerosene relative, not diesel, which would gel up at altitude temperatures.
I calculated fuel economy for our flights out of Houston to London and Paris a couple years back. Unless you’re always driving around with at least one passenger, you’re not beating a modern jet. And we’re doing it at 500 mph.
Pat was explaining to Mike the wonders of Communism.
“When we’re all communists we will be sharing our tractors”
“That’s good, I’d like that.” says Mike
“When we’re all communist we’ll share our horses.”
“That’s good. I’d like that” says Mike
“When we’re all communist we’ll share our pigs.”
“I wouldn’t like that.” says Mike.
“Why not?” says Pat.
“i’ve got a pig.”
People lamenting the current state of public transportation could bolster their case by presenting a business plan that migrates from the status quo to what they dream about. It must include a schedule, all costs and where the money will come from. That would be hard work and require more than 140 characters.
Mike McMillan wrote about jet transport fuel efficiency.
Wikipedia says that a 747-400 achieves 91 available seat miles per gallon and the A380 gets 78. Both are better than a Prius.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fuel_efficiency_in_transportation#Aircraft
Boeing claims that the 787 Dreamliner is 20% more efficient than similar aircraft.
And before anyone gets excited about airplanes flying with empty seats taking down the average, flying half empty, both do better than most cars on the road today and they do it faster.
Speed,
They should also be prohibited from using tax dollars for funding.
“Now that I’ve tried it, I don’t think I could live without it.”
A little vague in the wording, which “it” was Bill referring to that he could not “live” without? the appearance on morning television programs, the limo service, or the bottled water??
W^3
Mike McMillan says;
“Must be true. Even his chauffeur had one.”
Good one Mike
Ralfelis, it would take a lot of 20 tons to do that in 4 coaches, and would make more pollution and particulates and you have to add lubrication to kerosine to run a diesel or you kill it! and the specific heat is different! it might take a bit longer too!
The buses in our city of 120,000 are packed in the early morning and evening, but run the streets empty most of the day. It’s very inefficient running a transit system that must be available to “the commons” whenever they want to move.
In answer to the question posed, traveled the whole country by bus in November and December on our “do the math” tour. Biodiesel most of the way. Enjoyed it!
The combination of trams and trains for getting around Melbourne are simply fantastically convenient.
Geez nice Job Bill as an activist. Most of us that work every day ( have not taken a day off, including Sundays at Weatherbell.com, since starting here, as its work to build a company from ground up when there is competition, including from a source that is tax payer funded) just dont have time to hop on the nearest bus. But If I ever see the light of AGW and become an climate activist, then we can sit on the same bus together and happily travel the world, doing the math.. like co2 1/400th of GHG and man according to DOE only responsible for 3-5%. Oceans with a thousand times the heat capacity of air. That wonderful 33c GHG blanket that co2 contributes, depending on who you talk to, .4-.7C. lets see I wonder what that would be if our 5% didnt get in there. Such fun doing the math. Only the trip wouldnt last so long, now would it, if we actually did that math. Enjoy the rest of your Frigid March up there and get used to later Springs, as in the 1950s when the PDO went cold while the AMO was warm, most of them the next 5-10 years will be cold now. . Like I told Euro clients when the cold starting coming 5 years ago, and is getting nastier every winter, they better get used to it too. It called cyclical climate theory, been around for many years until the enlightened decided to do their own only our answer counts math. Here is a visual for your next bus ride
http://wattsupwiththat.files.wordpress.com/2012/08/1-s2-0-s0921818112001658-gr11.jpg
discuss amongst yourselves
So Bill, biodiesel as currently produced diverts food oils and grains that could be used to feed hungry people (or animals). How do you feel about that, sad maybe?
Just did the calculation. To travel from my house to my parents, 285 miles away by car takes about 5.5 hours non rush hour. The same trip by air is: Car to the airport 0.5 hours, Check in and security 1.5 hours, Flight time with layover in Seattle 2.25 hours, Car from the airport to the folks house 0.75 hours (someone has to come pick me up too), total my time 5.0 hours. Cost one way $225.00 to the airline plus fuel and parking for the car. Driving my 12 year old mini SUV at 25 mpg cost for fuel $45 and I can go when I want. And the fixed costs for the car are the same whether I drive it or it sets at the airport. I know how I am going.
Now that it has become crystal clear that the “carbon” false alarm has directly resulted in numerous unnecessary deaths, and a lowering of the standard of living among those who can least afford it. I really wonder about the climate alarm advocacy of the McKibben’s and Gleick’s of this world. They make 1930’s Eugenicists look like altar boys.
Could they be any more despicable? They live high on the hog themselves, while promoting policies that bring death and destruction down on those who can least defend themselves. Satan has a couple of his best acolytes in those two.
Mr. McKibben, glad to see you participate. I trust you know you are always welcome, even if we disagree on most things, but it is good to see you willing to walk the talk. I trust you see that most people are more worried about their daily bread than those of us who can choose public transportation over our own cars. Most need meat, and will do most anything to get it and feed their children.
“AndyG55 says:
March 14, 2013 at 1:37 pm”
One thing that has not been mentioned about PT, subsidies. In Sydney, Australia, PT is subsidised to the tune of ~75% by the taxpayer. Overall speed limits are an issue here IMO, simply takes too long to get anywhere by PT, especially if you want to travel cross-suburb. I liked the trams in Melbourne, but they were usually having to share a road which was, in peak hours, congested with cars. The best PT system I have used was in Hong Kong, single ticketing (Octopus) across the board, ferry, bus and train.
Either way, I rarely see “environmentaists” use PT as much as they say we should.
My city (Brisbane, Australia) has a *reasonable* public transit system, at least for me.
It is significantly more expensive than average, when compared with similar transit schemes worldwide – somewhere near twice the cost, or more, IIRC.
However, it is good enough for me, for a single journey, to use the bus system rather than take my beloved gas-guzzling 4WDs into the traffic into the city centre, and then pay top dollar for parking (my worst to date was AUD $46 for 2 freaking hours!), and it drops me off within 800m of my residence. Yes, the parking is tax deductible, but I still pay over 50% of the vig.
Thankfully, I don’t work in the CBD, and I don’t need to do this very often. Plus, if I wanted to go somewhere with the family, it is far, far cheaper to use the car (even with the parking!).
The whole problem with public transit is that it is *starfish* shaped – all routes lead to the CBD, or defined transit centres. In a city/conurbation approaching 2 million, not everyone wants to travel to the CBD, and unfortunately, there is not much linking the feet of the starfish to each other.
Therefore, the battlers have no choice but to drive from their ex-burb (maybe 40km out) to their workplace in another ex-burb (also 40km out, but on a different foot of the starfish), rather than going via public transit into the CBD, then out again (for a 3 hour commute as opposed to a 45 min via car commute).
Until public transit can mitigate this social requirement, it will continually fail.
Kaboom says:
March 14, 2013 at 10:28 pm
…
The whole problem with public transit is that it is *starfish* shaped …
And only a small proportion of commuting journeys are to or from the CBD in most large cities. IIRC, the figure for Sydney is 13 per cent.
AndyG55 says:
March 14, 2013 at 1:37 pm
I live in a place called Newcastle , 150km from Sydney……
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Funnily enough so do I and PT here is abysmal. 90 mins between buses during the day and even peak time it is a 40 min wait at my place. Considering peak time only lasts for 90 mins than that is two buses.
In Sydney, if you live on the train lines, public transport is the way to go. I use to live in the Blue Mountains and work at Parramatta. It was a 90 min trip door to door but it was much better than sitting in the car park called the M4 freeway. LOL I also lived on the northern beaches and the bus service was pretty good and for something different you can take the ferry service.
A slight variation on the Communist official story:
Communist Official: When you get your freedom everyone will have a car and smoke cigars
Worker: But I can’t drive and don’t like smoking
Communist Official: When you get your freedom you will do what your bloody well told!
Kaboom says:
March 14, 2013 at 10:28 pm
…
“The whole problem with public transit is that it is *starfish* shaped …”
Same problem in my metro area. The pols have been pushing light rail for 40 years and thank goodness, the taxpayers won’t bite. The plan is always from the suburbs to the center of town and never from suburb to suburb. Millions have been wasted on studies, so the pols at least have been able to reward some consultants/campaign contributors.
It’s a never-ending cycle; pols propose starfish-type light rail, pay consulting firm a million bucks or so (reward buddies) for a study/design which always underestimates cost and overestimates revenue, put it on a ballot, get rejected by the voters (who live in one suburb and commute to another for work). Rinse and repeat about every 3-4 years.
Just my opinion, but I don’t think the voters are rejecting the taxes as too high or the idea of public transport or even necessarily recognizing a boondoggle when they see one. The proposals just don’t go where people want to go so they say, “Screw it. I’m not voting for that.”
The pols could probably get the boondoggle to work if they proposed light rail in 3 or 4 or 5 concentric rings around the starfish, coupled with small circulating buses around the transit intersections – and that system might just work – but I’m guessing that even the always-underestimated price tag would be so large that such a proposal would still fail with the voters.
Thanks for pointing out the *starfish*, Kaboom. If you don’t mind, I’ll use that imagery the next time the pols push for light rail, and I assure you there will be a next time. Come to think of it, we’re about due for another try.
seth says: March 14, 2013 at 12:56 pm
I get so sick of hearing how wonderful the public transportation is in the UK. Not much to brag about when your entire country fits neatly into the state of Oregon……
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Yes, but that brings with it some even greater problems. The Uk is just aboutbthebmost crowded nation in Europe, and so our costs for buying land for major infrastructure projects is some two orders of magnitude greater than for the USA. Plus the ‘environmental’ problems of noise and finding a lesser-spotted-crested-newt in the way are almost insurmountable.
It took us 15 years to build Terminal 5 at Heathrow, because of this nonsense. Any more of this, and the nation may as well give up and relocate to the USA. Last one out, please turn the lights off.
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Mike McMillan says: March 14, 2013 at 3:53 pm.
Jets burn a kerosene relative, not diesel, which would gel up at altitude temperatures.
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Jets will run quite happily on diesel, and petrol too, as they inadvertently proved in Oz one day. Yes, there are minor differences in waxing temperatures and lubricarion of seals, but these problems can be overcome.
The Bae 146 engines, for instance, were derived from the Abrambs Tank engines. And the Abrams jet engine was specifically designed to run on any flamable liquid you could lay your hands on. So yes, you could bung diesel in a jet and run it quite happily, with one eye on the fuel-temp guage.
.
For some frugality is not a choice it is the reality of their lives.
It is always easier (and sooo self-righteous) to take the bus instead of the car when on those days when the rain is coming down like stair rods, or the bus is at an inconvenient time, the car is available.
Those for whom frugality is enforced by life’s circumstances, see no virtue in it and strive to escape it.
Those pious souls who like to wear their virtue on their sleeves, should be made to live a frugal life, with no handy options on those occasions frugality does not suit, for about 5 years, then we can see how they feel about it.
Try a few years in Africa living on an exclusive diet of maize meal and see how appealing vegetarianism is.
As a young adult I had to use the CTA (Chicago Transit Authority) out of nescessity not as a ‘fun or green’ social experiment. During this time I pledged to myself to always own good car(s). If you want a little taste of misery stand on a basically open concrete “L” train platform in sub-zero weather for +20 minutes looking out for the “A” or “B” train as cars whiz buy down the Congress expressway. Then get on the train with wet floors that’s slightly warmer. Actually Gleik is right public transportation does s*ck (period)
I don’t see anybody campaigning for rechargeable electric airliners. I also don’t see the global warmists making appearances at any international conferences by videophone.
Of course you would. Because you think categorically (Fossil Fuel: Bad, CO2: bad, Biodiesel: Good) and don’t bother with the underlying math.
The full report is report is published in Natural Resources Research (Vol. 14:1, 65-76)
He’s pouring himself a glass of condensate of one of the worst greenhouse gases know to man. What a climate-hating bastard!
bill mckibben says:
March 14, 2013 at 7:14 pm
In answer to the question posed, traveled the whole country by bus in November and December on our “do the math” tour. Biodiesel most of the way. Enjoyed it!
Reminds me of an old joke:
“Rich kid writes to his parents: dear mom and dad, I really like to move around the city by bus, like everybody else.
Answer: Ok, we are sending you a bus with the driver. Be like everybody else”
Never thought someone would actually do something like that for real. Just wow.
CaligulaJones
When “debating” warmists, I usually mention that 1) I don’t own a car and, 2) I take public transit to work every day. Doesn’t really shut them up, but it does deflect things for a bit.
Now that is funny – in reality I don’t drive and do take public transport (much quicker in my region) but tell them (Eco-Loons) that I do drive a BFO gas guzzler and park it in ‘disabled only’ parking spaces. Anything to wind the sanctimonious b******s up.
policycritic says:
In that video you posted there was something I haden’t noticed before.
Bill Nye: blablabla ..humans, extra ones. That the speed the world is getting warmer..
WOW!
It was nice of Mr. McKibben to reply. I suppose he may want to stay in our good graces, in case the crowd he hangs out with goes down in flames.
However I would like to remind the young upstart, (we are from the same area and same privileged background, but I am older and took the “road less traveled,”) that the bus he traveled in wasn’t exactly a Greyhound. Like many rich people, his concept of poverty is sheer theory. He needs to be really poor, and travel from Boston to Miami in a Greyhound bus, cheek to jowl with fellow Americans, before he so blithely sets himself up as an authority on traveling by bus.
Mckibben’s crowd has this theoretical idea of the poor, whom they refer to as “the masses.” The poor are not actual people and the actual salt of the earth, but rather a “concept.” McKibben’s pals are always doing things that hurt the poor, and reduce the freedom and mobility of the poor, “for their own good.”
“Cash for Clunkers” is a great example. By buying and destroying clunkers, using taxpayer dollars, they in essence were car thieves, and left the poor without the only vehicles they could afford to drive. However it was, “for their own good.”
When the poor are merely a “concept,” you are not all that far from the statement attributed by some to Stal–, “The death of one is a tragedy; the death of a million is a statistic.”
I recently heard a disgusting person state that 15% of our population is worthless, and ought be “culled.” McKibben doubtlessly hears the same ideas, but also likely knows enough about the history of Russia to know that he himself might be on the list of the 15%. Therefore he stays on our good side, by joining our honest, open, and wonderfully American discussions.
He could do a lot more, if he would stand up like a man and reject the slime who have duped him and misused his great talents. Until that day, (much to be hoped for,) he will continue to make me very grumpy.
I wrote something grumpy here:
http://sunriseswansong.wordpress.com/2013/03/15/one-pothole-too-many/