A couple of months ago I remarked that the Bush administration had found an innovative strategy to avoid further investigations: scandal fatigue.
Administration screw-ups (WMDs, Abu Ghraib, Guantanamo, Valerie Plame, Medicare, the budget, and many, many more) have become so complicated and overwhelming that most people tune out less spectacular misdeeds. But while the world seems to be "blowing up," in Maureen Dowd’s words, the administration continues to stifle discussion of global warming.
A couple of recent examples from Climate Science Watch:
1) In late June, the State Department retired the portion of its website devoted to climate change, apparently so as not to have to have to report on the connection between climate change and hurricanes. It still reports on numerous other serious issues, including bird flu, HIV/AIDS, and tsunamis.
2) The EPA’s leading expert on sea rise was prevented from responding on the record to questions, according to the NYTimes.
Now the Bush administration appears to have stepped up that strategy in the Middle East, encouraging so much anarchy, chaos, and destruction today that no one has time to think about the damage tomorrow from natural disasters.
Fortunately, the irreplaceable Tom Toles hasn’t forgotten…
Kit Stolz 