Republicans who recycle: Why bother?

Submitted by Virgil Proudfoot on Sun, 2007/08/26 - 6:44am.

As happens from time to time, I saw a couple of vehicles at the recycling center next to the Bearden Kroger yesterday with Republican bumperstickers: one for Corker for Senate and a Bush/Cheney '04.

I just had to think: Why would they bother? If they support politicians who don't believe that public policy has anything to do with basic science; who don't believe that human beings affect the environment through pollution and overbuilding; who believe that it's God's will that humans use up the planet at their will; and that it's OK to blow up countless numbers of human beings and destroy vast ecosystems through wars of choice--then why bother separating their paper and plastic and hauling it down to the recycling bins?

I know that Richard Nixon established the Environmental Protection Agency, but the current crop of Republican office holders make Nixon look like Ralph Nader. And of course the Democrats are no great shakes either. But if you actively support the party that unapologetically supports destroying the environment at an ever-increasing pace, then why bother with recycling?



Why? I can speak from my

Why? I can speak from my perspective. Because, even though I don't believe in the government telling me I HAVE to do it, I believe I can take personal responsibility and help out myself. A person does not have agree with global warming views or mandating policies to at the government level to realize that recycling makes sense.

Craig Thomas
blog.craigdthomas.com

Helping yourself, indeed

I believe I can take personal responsibility and help out myself.

Yes, unfortunately that's all the modern Republican appears to believe in, helping out himself.

And c'mon, global warming denialism is sooooo 2006. The latest tack is pretending to try to fix it while actully not. Get with the program!

parking their suv's at the recycling...

center is no contradiction compared to the even bigger scam of the democrats getting the enviro vote by offering nothing more than self-righteous criticism of the republicans.

the 8 years of the clinton administration were not the high water mark of environmentalism, in case u did not know. the white house let it be known early that it did not intend to squander any of its credibility on enviromental issues--and it did not.

the even bigger scam of the

the even bigger scam of the democrats getting the enviro vote by offering nothing more than self-righteous criticism of the republicans.

Actually, Democrats don't necessarily get the enviro vote, they just self-righteously expect it. See the growth of the Green Party and the tension between them and Democrats, a tension that made Democrats silent conspirators in the stolen Presidency because they opted to spit bile at Nader rather than stand up for the rights of voters who were illegally purged or forced to vote on an illegal ballot. They were so asleep at the voting rights switch they allowed HAVA to pass, setting the stage for abuses in Georgia in 2002 and Ohio in 2004 that could have been prevented by real voting rights legislation.

Al Gore did not get enough of the enviro vote to win, largely because he ran away from his green ideas while campaigning and had so little to show for his eight years as VP.

Many Republicans are environmentalists, though they hate the word. If they could put aside their bigoted stereotypes and actually listen to environmentalists, they'd have a chance to compete with Dems for the enviro vote. Lots of environmentalists use market principles to devise solutions to problems, but Republicans are too busy calling them hippie faggot commies to notice.

Socialist With A Gold Card's picture
the 8 years of the clinton

the 8 years of the clinton administration were not the high water mark of environmentalism

That's true, but then Bill Clinton was no liberal, nor was he an environmentalist. He was just as beholden to misguided "Third Way" politics as his wife is.

--Socialist With A Gold Card


"I'm a socialist with a gold card. I firmly believe we need a revolution; I'm just concerned that I won't be able to get good moisturizer afterwards." -- Brett Butler

If they could put aside

If they could put aside their bigoted stereotypes and actually listen

But Democrats are too busy calling them right-wing, homophobe nutjobs who lie, love war, hate the environment and hate people who are poor and/or sick.

three is the magic number

But Democrats are too busy ...

See what I mean about not listening? I wasn't talking about Democrats.

I know more than a few

I know more than a few republicans that consider themselves conservationalists, and walk the walk. Issues like recycling need to appeal to all folks if it is to make difference.

Closet tree-huggers - I appreciate them, anyway!

A recent UT study I participated in indicated that environmentalism in Knox County is non-partisan. Thank goodness, because if this wasn't the case, Knoxville would probably be completely paved over by now!

Sportsmen

Many republicans are sportsmen (and women) who really care about the environment because they spend a lot of time around nature.

____________________________________
Less is the new More - Karrie Jacobs

Republicans ? Sportsmen

Republicans ? Sportsmen (women)? Oxymoron?

sportsman n.
1. a person who engages in sports, esp. hunting and fishing.
2. a person who exhibits qualities of fairness, courtesy, and grace in winning and defeat.

It's the rupublicans who get it done

No matter what YOU say, the bottom line is that the republicans are the party that get it done. I was a demo for many years, but all they can do is lie, cheat and lie; and the republicans are to far behind them; but better.

If you want to do the best we can, and it's far from perfect, the republicans ended segregation, started the recycle, have improved environmental standards, and more importantly, have secured our country from attacks.

They're NOT perfect, but a far cry from the socialist demo party who want to DESTROY our way of life. If I could, I'd throw them both out and find another party that more middle America. It just doesn't exist yet.

throwing error

I'd throw them both out

Then stop shilling for one. You don't have to choose; saying they both suck is valid. A country that understands the importance of competition in markets ought to understand that when there are only two competitors, they are merely opponents. That's what enables dumb crap like calling Democrats "socialists."

Republicans were sound asleep when our country was attacked, and the only thing they have secured is an endless supply of Muslims who hate us.

the socialist demo party who

the socialist demo party who want to DESTROY our way of life

How is our "way of life" being destroyed?

WhitesCreek's picture
Hoo, boy...

'...the republicans ended segregation, started the recycle, have improved environmental standards, and more importantly, have secured our country from attacks."

Two things...back up any one of those preposterous statements...and try to do it in complete sentences this time.

R. Neal's picture
And learn the difference

And learn the difference between "to" and "too"

Factchecker's picture
socialist demo party who
socialist demo party who want to DESTROY our way of life. If I could, I'd throw them both out and find another party that more middle America.

Are you my uncle, vldogs? If not, you must listen to the same radio shows he does.

the republicans ended segregation, started the recycle, have improved environmental standards, and more importantly, have secured our country from attacks.

Anyway, thanks for the humor of the day.

The lines begin to blur

Hopefully as we move forward, discussions on climate change won't operate stictly on a partisam basis.

Did you miss this?

Corker sees chance for less carbon and more energy independence

Factchecker's picture
Did you miss this? I had

Did you miss this?

I had heard Corker was on the trip but nothing since his return. It sounds like he learned some good things, but the discussion in the article is vague. We'll see how much change he urges in congress, after the just-keep-drillin' Haslams lobby him between now and then. He probably owes them his seat, no? But I'd like to be optimistic. He could win me over if he understands the problem and demonstrates independence.

Oh, Master Neal

Oh, master Neal, I checked with my english teacher and she said everything I wrote was correct, including the use of "too", but then again she was trained in a government school and went to a government college.

She's a very good teacher. And if the government taught her, she MUST be right and you're wrong.

Mr. Whitescreek: Check the record where LBJ had to get the votes to pass the Civil Rights Act; that should get you on the "right" track.

R. Neal's picture
I checked with my english

I checked with my english teacher and she said everything I wrote was correct, including the use of "too"

But didn't you type this?

and the republicans are to far behind them; but better.

Maybe your english teacher should get her money back.

know child's left behind

Maybe your english teacher should get her money back.

Obviously, she is doing her job: producing dullards too dim-witted to see through the founding principles of the idiocracy: gubmint bad; Republican good; nothing to see here, move along.

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