So said Emily Douglas, web editor for The Nation, who, when asked Wednesday how we could "reverse our culture of consumerism," replied immediately "make the recession worse."
She later claimed that her response was a bit "tongue-in-cheek," according to CNS News, but admitted that her magazine "never shies away from doomsday scenarios."
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Reflecting what many consider to be the underlying logic of and motivation for the cap-and-trade legislation currently languishing in the Senate, Douglas told CNS News that "things should be more expensive and that would do a lot and certainly reflect the, you know, better reflect the price of their, their real, their real price."
Douglas is not the first to suggest that a half-decent standard of living is destroying the planet. Lord Stern, the UK economist who wrote the English government's review of the economic costs of climate change in 2006, wrote last month that "rich nations will have to forget about growth to stop climate change," according to a headline in The Guardian.
Of course we have our fair share of anti-growth alarmists on this side of the pond. Thomas Friedman wrote disparagingly last month that "When it comes to raising gasoline taxes or carbon taxes — at a perfect time like this when prices are already low — our politicians tell us it is simply 'off the table.'"
Global warming alarmism is running up against some stubborn (and convenient for Americans who, you know, don't want to pay more for everything) truths, many of which have been documented here at NewsBusters.
But even putting aside climate change, can the world really afford the massive hike in prices on all agricultural and industrial goods that increases in energy prices are expected to bring?
Does it bother Douglas, Friedman, and their fellow radicals that untold millions in the Third World could starve as a direct result of increased energy prices? Those who do not enjoy the steady and sizable incomes that Douglas and Friedman do may not appreciate their calls for increases in prices for, well, everything.
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Comments Policy
→ It's not original
October 16, 2009 - 11:44 ET by Cool ArrowThis is Obama's stated plan.
He said energy bills would necessarily skyrocket.
Nothing tongue-in-cheek about this lady's comments.
If the Republican Party is
October 16, 2009 - 12:03 ET by fitzfongIf the Republican Party is really interested in stopping the regressive momentum of the Democrats, it's going to have to start highlighting the left's moments of candor, like this Nation editor, like your Obama quote, like that dwarf Reich's Berkeley health care comments. They need to stop playing between the 40-yard lines to placate soft "moderates" like David Frum and start getting these very clear statements in front of the people who are directly affected by these policies.
"I spent a lot of money on booze, birds and fast cars. The rest I just squandered." -George Best
All these quotes and
October 16, 2009 - 12:25 ET by ForeverOnTheRightAll these quotes and policies are certain fodder for successful political adds, as long as the SCUM (State Controlled Underbelly Media) will let them be televised. Even if they are used the SCUM will certainly do their best to undermine the commercial, claiming that they are false with so called, 'fact-checks'. The one thing they have not stopped is information like this getting out via the internet, yet.
The Road To Serfdom
October 16, 2009 - 12:39 ET by dboThis is Obama's stated plan.
“We can’t drive our SUVs and eat as much as we want and keep our homes on 72 degrees at all times …" -Barack Obama
It really hard not to tell
October 16, 2009 - 11:47 ET by mattmIt really hard not to tell all these climate-change liars to &*#% OFF! It's friggin' freezing where I live. Summer was a bust, and all we can look forward to is a long winter.
If lies were as deadly as drug abuse, there would be far fewer of these demagogues around.
Here in MO I could count on
October 16, 2009 - 11:56 ET by kbassHere in MO I could count on my hand the number of days it got over 90.
SUVs And Coats
October 16, 2009 - 15:08 ET by JDWNortheast pounded by snow storm. Cut down trees?
JDW
DAILY WAVE
I didn't know ACORN was getting a lot of money
While The Rest of America Cools - CA Wheather Hots Up
October 16, 2009 - 12:02 ET by John Galt1776Looks like about 95 + in some areas today.
Last November was the hottest on record and Jan 2009 recorded about 2 weeks straight of +90 degree temperatures.
No cooling trend in So CA, in fact it is the opposite.
I live in Los Angeles and have since 1969
October 16, 2009 - 12:40 ET by nolotrippenThis summer has been unusually mild. A few days over 100 here in the Valley and the usual 90s, but not as bad as usual. Of course, it will be 90 today after having cooled off substantially last week. Bu what can be expected? This is a desert.
Remember folks, the hottest day in America's history was in 1934.
“It is almost impossible to distinguish a politician from a gangster.” (Will Durant, 1931)
Lefty dream come true..
October 16, 2009 - 12:07 ET by upcountrywaterOil up 78 bucks.
Fruit freezing off trees.
Potato starts freezing in the ground.
To wet to harvest crops elsewhere.
Yes we will have higher prices.
70 shopping days till Christmas.
Not much spending beyond food, clothing, and shelter...
Halloween will set in and be the best yet.
One nation going under.
These environmental nuts
October 16, 2009 - 12:09 ET by MrSnugglesThese environmental nuts want us all to live in caves and eat the slime off the walls.
slime is off limits
October 16, 2009 - 12:17 ET by katainkentall is from the Mother Earth. we can't eat, breathe, drink or, well... do anything without wrecking something. Soon we'll all move to the moon (those that do not attend Carousel) and make the Earth a shrine only for the most worthy to visit.
ok... too much sarcasm? I've been up since 3 ;)
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The Emperor, he has no clothes
not too far fetched
October 16, 2009 - 12:31 ET by jon_torlinYeah, it's ok with the sarcasm, but truth's known to be stranger than fiction, a lot of the things that the czars want to do are right out of Logan's Run, Soylent Green, and a few others that involve population control of one kind or another.
It's the kind of thing I'd prefer to leave in science fiction/horror.
-Jon
Mr. Snuggles, Actually, a
October 16, 2009 - 15:11 ET by Chris NormanMr. Snuggles,
Actually, a lot of these radicals want a lot of people to die, so they, the "elites", can enjoy the "improved" earth more.
The "Mainstream" Media: By liberals. For liberals.
This woman appears to be a
October 16, 2009 - 12:24 ET by IckThis woman appears to be a Romulan.
http://www.startrek.com/imageuploads/200307/gal-mov-x-18/120x90.jpg
Nix to the first two, but
October 16, 2009 - 12:44 ET by dscottNix to the first two, but the third has some tourism merit, the view would be awesome ... So long as the blimp is filled with Helium, NOT Hydrogen.
Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid, starving the poor one gallon of ethanol at a time. Fill your tank with E85 and cull a village.
I Agree. Let's Make the Recession Worse For Her.
October 16, 2009 - 12:44 ET by TenebrousWhen the Nation goes under, that will spare the world a lot of banal infantile leftist hectoring. Yes, let's make the recession worse -- for her, personally. She'll stop spouting such ideas when increasing the prices of basic commodities means that she can't eat for the day.
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Random-jumbled-thoughts.blogspot.com
Oh yes, Emily. When you
October 16, 2009 - 15:52 ET by samhermanmdOh yes, Emily. When you are caught making your true feelings known and are called on the carpet, you immediately pretend that it was all in fun and we conservatives just don't understand your sense of "humor". In my profession, we used to call that a Freudian slip and it was a useful diagnostic view into a patient's true motivations. I wonder what else that woman would say if she were put under an amobarbital interview. It would certainly be good to get all of that muck out from under the rock.
Now that you raised the
October 17, 2009 - 09:53 ET by dscottNow that you raised the truth serum (sodium amobarbital), as a professional would you say this would be as effective as water boarding someone if the questioner was trained not to ask leading questions so as to not contaminate their mind with false memories? If so, is there any prohibition as far as the military or intelligence serivices using this on terrorists? Is it allowed by the Army Field Manual? If not, then why was the CIA ham strung forced to resort to water boarding when truth serum would have done the job with little moral reservations? Obviously, if you treat terrorism as a criminal issue, then the use of truth serum is a violation of civil rights against self incrimination, on the other hand if terrorism is a national security matter in time of declared war by Congress, which we still are, as an enemy combatant this would be justified in saving lives.
Liberals can't have their cake and eat it too, either allow the use of truth serum or water boarding.
Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid, starving the poor one gallon of ethanol at a time. Fill your tank with E85 and cull a village.
Tell us something we don't
October 16, 2009 - 16:18 ET by RR GOPTell us something we don't already know, Comrade.
One of the 34% who thinks George W. Bush was a great President. One of the 86% who wants to bring back the stock and pillory.
That's funny...
October 16, 2009 - 16:22 ET by shooterAnita Dunn said her comment about Mao was "just a joke" and this gal says her comment was "tongue in cheek." What a coincidence!
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"An armed society is a polite society" -- Robert A. Heinlein