"Man can't hurt the Earth!"
When it comes to ecology, many of today's so-called conservatives think the Earth was put here for Man's use and they have no concept of natural limits. A good number of them don't care about nature to begin with. The oft-quoted Theodore Roosevelt would have been disgusted with today's Republicans. He was poles apart from those who see nature as just a resource grab-bag. Roosevelt fought hard to protect wilderness from turn-of-the-century takers. Today's greedy conservatives are hypocrites to cite him in hindsight as a "reasonable" environmentalist.
Many conservatives believe the Earth was created by a deity in seven days. This belief (as stated by Rush Limbaugh in his first book) is evidence of the scientific illiteracy that plagues the populace and makes it easy for right-wing pundits to fire up the ignorant. It's odd that they accuse ecologists of being anti-technology and anti-science when they're the ones who won't accept scientific data.
To many Republicans, "good" science is that which supports a particular economic agenda (like the continuation of CFC production or relaxation of emissions standards) and "bad" science is that which points out Man's mistakes and Man's negative impact on ecosystems. Most people claim to be in favor of "reasonable" environmentalism (everyone likes a nice wilderness vista), but they refuse to acknowledge that endless growth is in direct conflict with conservation. "Good" environmentalism is that which never interferes with one's personal agendas such as mining, logging, construction, waste disposal, riding dirt-bikes in desert habitat or taking potshots at "varmints" and endangered species. "Bad" environmentalism is any form of eco-regulation that requires more than a small personal sacrifice. The notion that scientists invent ecological problems to advance a socialist agenda or raise money for eco-groups is unfounded and small-minded.
Republicans like Rush Limbaugh can be logical on issues like crime and wasteful social programs, but as a Creationist with no literal grasp of nature's workings, Limbaugh has no business preaching about ecology and lying about the motives of honest environmentalists. Conservatives who visit national parks should remember that John Muir (who saved Yosemite) was an aesthetically-motivated preservationist and considered an extremist by growth addicts in the 1800's. Without Muir's "tree hugging" efforts Yosemite Valley was destined to suffer the same fate as neighboring Hetch Hetchy reservoir. Today, many Republicans are echoing the greed of the past by calling for mining and grazing permits in national parks. Odds are that "ecofreaks" fought to preserve those places, and guess who they were fighting against? We'd be much better off if there were more conserve-atives and fewer money-grubbing growth addicts.
A classic example of Limbaugh's dishonesty
Three of Rush Limbaugh's famous "undeniable truths" (with responses):
| "The modern conservative is engaged in one of man's oldest exercises in moral philosophy; that is, the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness." (John Kenneth Galbraith) |
Puny little Man can't harm nature!
We don't need no stinkin' permits!
