I realize this is a bit off-topic from the fun of Jerry, Russ, George et al, but I'm a Wes Clark Democrat and when the General gives an order, I say "yes, SIR!" Now, General Clark has given the "move OUT!" order for a "virtual march" on Global Warming. Why is Clark marching, and why should we all join him? Here's what the General has to say:
Why Am I Marching?After thirty-four years as an officer in the United States Army, I know something about marching. From West Point to the West Wing, it has been an honor for me to march shoulder-to-shoulder with the men and women who make up the backbone of our nation?s security. Many people do not understand that global warming and environmental policy are indeed national security matters because it?s hard to see with the naked eye. We can see the impact of global warming on our lands, skies and waters. However, we have to look harder to see its effect on the geopolitical paradigm. As the average temperatures continue to rise around the world, the ice caps melt leading to reduced salinity levels in the ocean; higher sea levels; harsher winter weather, reduced soil moisture, more intense wind conditions. These conditions lead to drought and food shortages, decreased access to fresh drinking water and less secure access to energy supplies. The pressure caused by this phenomenon is a destabilizing force in global politics that could lead to civil unrest and international conflict.
So, stopping global warming is not just about saving the environment for the hunters, fisherman, hikers and the other outdoor enthusiasts of today and tomorrow. Global warming is a matter of national security. Will we live in a world where we must fight our neighbors for fresh water and food? Or will we take the lead now and leave to our children and grandchildren a world better off than the one we inherited from our parents?
Shoulder-to-shoulder, let?s march together to save what God loaned us, so our children and their children will live in a world we would recognize a hundred years from now. No excuses. No apologies. Take the first step today. We can?t do it without you.
Great stuff. I particularly love how General Clark fully "gets it" regarding the nexus between energy use patterns, environmental degradation, international conflict, and US national security. Right now, for instance, the United States consumes about 25% of the world's oil, most of which it imports from unstable, unsavory, human-rights-abusing countries that don't like us one bit. To put it mildly, that's not good.
Let's not forget, for starters, that both Osama bin Laden and 15 of 19 9/11 hijackers came from the world's #1 crude oil producers -- Saudi Arabia. Which means, of course, that if we want to stop funding our "friends" the Saudis, we need to import a lot less of their oil. And since oil is a "fungible," world commodity, that inexorably means consuming a lot less oil, period. And that's a big part of the reason why, as a recent article in Slate pointed out, "Many of the leading neoconservatives who pushed hard for the Iraq war are going green."
That's right, there's a budding "alliance of hawks and environmentalists," based on national security interests for the hawks and global warming for the environmentalists. And that's where a person like Wesley Clark comes in -- a brilliant geostrategic thinker and also a strong environmentalist.
The bottom line is that it's great to see General Clark joining with people like John McCain, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., and many others in this virtual march on global warming. So, even though Tom DeLay, Dick Cheney and George W. Bush obviously don't get it, on Earth Day 2006, they will be confronted by millions of Americans who do. On that day, the "virtual march" will arrive in Washington DC, led by people like Wesley Clark, and urge:
1. The president to initiate a real plan of action to address global warming.2. Congress to enact new laws to reduce global warming pollution from U.S. power plants, factories and automobiles.
3. U.S. businesses to start a new industrial revolution of clean energy products that will reduce our oil dependence and global warming pollution.
Oh, by the way, I can guarantee that a few of our "favorite" Virginia politicians won't be on this march -- people like George Allen (ZERO rating from the non-partisan League of Conservation Voters), John Warner (also a ZERO rating), and Jerry Kilgore's buddy Eric Cantor (another big ZERO when it comes to environmental issues).
In other words, if you care about the environment, U.S. national security, or both, you should definitely not be voting for folks like those listed above. And, to get us back on the main subject of "RaisingKaine," you shouldn't be voting for their friend and political soulmate, Jerry Kilgore, either. For America, for Virginia, and for the environment, we can certainly do a lot better that that!