The Week in Editorial Cartoons (Part I) – Dropping the Ball

(2 pm. – promoted by ek hornbeck)

Crossposted at Daily Kos and Docudharma

John Sherffius

John Sherffius, Comics.com (Boulder Daily Camera)

Note:

Due to the unusually high number of editorial cartoons published over the past week or so (I literally have another 300+ cartoons saved), I’m going to try and post another edition of this diary by Friday, August 6th.  It something I’ve never done before.

PLEASE READ THIS: There are another 20 or so editorial cartoons in the comments section of this diary that I posted at Daily Kos.

Take a look at them.

THE WEEK IN EDITORIAL CARTOONS

This weekly diary takes a look at the past week’s important news stories from the perspective of our leading editorial cartoonists (including a few foreign ones) with analysis and commentary added in by me.

When evaluating a cartoon, ask yourself these questions:

1. Does a cartoon add to my existing knowledge base and help crystallize my thinking about the issue depicted?

2. Does the cartoonist have any obvious biases that distort reality?

3. Is the cartoonist reflecting prevailing public opinion or trying to shape it?

The answers will help determine the effectiveness of the cartoonist’s message.



Global Warming by Pat Bagley, Salt Lake Tribune, Buy this cartoon



Climate Bill Doldrums by RJ Matson, Roll Call, Buy this cartoon



Tom Toles, Slate – Washington Post and Jim Morin, Miami Herald

(click links to enlarge cartoons)

Mike Luckovich

Mike Luckovich, Comics.com (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)



Joel Pett, Lexington Herald-Leader and Tom Toles, Slate – Washington Post

(click links to enlarge cartoons)



R.J. Matson, New York Observer Buy this cartoon



Cap ‘n Trade by David Fitzsimmons, Arizona Star, Buy this cartoon

:: ::

INTRODUCTION



Tim Eagan, Deep Cover, Buy this cartoon

The stalemate in Afghanistan, documents leaked by wikileaks.org, and the Shirley Sherrod Affair may have dominated the news of late.  Another issue — and one which may not register very high among urgent public policy concerns — did not escape attention by several editorial cartoonists.  It could be the Mother of All Issues: Climate Change.  The cartoonists excoriated congressional legislators for abdicating their responsibility to the country, the planet, and for kicking the can down the road.  Don’t we, as citizens of this country and members of the human race, have to confront this problem sooner or later?  The sooner, the better.

:: ::



FOX News Reports The Real Story by RJ Matson, St. Louis Post Dispatch, Buy this cartoon

Editorial cartoonist Mike Thomoson of the Detroit Free Press wrote recently about rampant racism evident in hateful rhetoric spewed by the likes of Rush Limbaugh.  He could have as easily have been describing the likes of Andrew Breitbart and his enablers over at Fox News.  While many cartoonists were not hesitant in criticizing the Obama Administration for its ineptitude and rush to judgment in the Shirley Sherrod Affair (see the last section just above the diary poll of the previous edition of this weekly diary for my comments), in recent days much of the fire has been directed where it rightly belongs: towards those on the political Right who have played these race-baiting games for decades now in our politics.

One way to neutralize these despicable people is to politically defeat them.  And in decisive fashion.  If we mobilize our team for the next couple of elections, we can eliminate more Republicans from elected political office just like we did in the 2006 and 2008 elections.  Will that ensure a reduction in racism in this country?  Probably not but there surely will be fewer Republicans to carry the poisonous message encouraged daily by the likes of Rush Limbaugh and Andrew Breitbart

Rush Limbaugh and Race

The game that radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh plays isn’t new.  History is full of individuals who’ve sought to forge a coalition by rallying people against “the other.”

What makes Limbaugh different is the lack of consequence and public outcry over his repeated racist remarks.  Just this past weekend, Tea Party Express spokesman Mark Williams was punted from the National Tea Party Federation for racist garbage about the NAACP that he posted on his blog.  As disgusting as Williams’ comments were, what Williams wrote was no worse than what Limbaugh says on a regular basis.

So why does Rush continually get a pass?  Why does Limbaugh repeatedly get away with saying things that would get any anyone else fired?  Money.

Because Limbaugh’s show is successful and incredibly profitable, he gets to play by a different set of rules.  Ironic, since Rush’s main beef with affirmative action is that such policies, in his view, create a special set of rules.  Rush continually belittles African Americans, implying that they seek special treatment, when he himself is the biggest beneficiary of special treatment when it comes to the issue of race.

:: ::



The Advisory System by Clay Bennett, Comics.com, see reader comments in the Chattanooga Times Free Press

The federal judge who blocked implemention of Arizona’s ugly immigration law from going into effect last week received hundreds of death threats within the first few hours, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.  Political debate in this explosive issue has the potential to get very ugly before it is settled any time soon.  If at all!

:: ::



Rob Rogers, Comics.com (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

What has been the effect of sensitive information about the War in Afghanistan being leaked by Wikileaks?  Not as damaging as, for example, the Pentagon Papers by Daniel Ellesberg in 1971.  As Rogers writes on his blog, the Vietnam War disaster was in a league of its own

Somebody leaked 91, 000 secret US military documents on the Afghanistan war. WikiLeaks, the web site that posted the documents, isn’t naming names.  Some have compared this to the Pentagon Papers.  I don’t think so.  The Pentagon Papers revealed a government cover-up and deception surrounding the Vietnam War.  The WikiLeaks documents only tell us what we already knew.  The war is not going well.

:: ::



Pick the Carny by David Fitzsimmons, Arizona Star, Buy this cartoon

Can the Tea Party create more trouble for the Republican Party than some (supposedly) unmotivated Democrats can for the Democratic Party in the November Elections?  A front page post earlier today suggested that could very well be the case.  As Kos wrote in another post, Democratic prospects are improving at least in U.S. Senate races.  We may be in for a surprise in November, provided we all work hard to minimize our losses and, perhaps, break even.  In historical terms, that would be a victory.  

:: ::

Clay Bennett

Intolerance by Clay Bennett, Comics.com, see the large number of reader comments in the Chattanooga Times Free Press

Normally, Clay Bennett averages about 30-40 comments for each of his brilliant editorial cartoons in the Chattanooga Times Free Press.  This one, with 5-6 times as many comments, touched a nerve in many of his readers who argued vehemently amongst themselves about the meaning of the cartoon and the cartoonist’s motives.  As the below comment indicates, the level of intolerance — prevalent within the so-called “fundamentalist Christian” community — was brilliantly captured by one of Bennett’s readers

Before anyone gets too up in arms about this cartoon, try to dissect its meaning.  Here we have the symbol for Christianity, the ubiquitous fish I see on almost every car I find myself behind in Chattanooga.  You have this fairly benign symbol, one that represents the goodness of Christianity changed into something more menacing by the intolerance of its believers.

Sounds like a reasonable assessment of a situation that arises more often than I’d like.

You need look no further than the inflammatory rhetoric of the anti-abortion movement, the hateful prejudice of gay rights opponents, or the ignorant denial of the science of evolution to see this dynamic in practice.

Ask a gay man who’s been denied a promotion or one who’s been the target of ridicule or physical abuse if he’s seen the fin of this shark.  Ask the Muslims in Murfreesboro who saw their plans to build a community center and mosque become the target of hate and condemnation if they understand the point of this cartoon.  Ask the teacher in New York state who was recently fired from her job in Queens because she was single and pregnant about how tolerant some Christians are.  I’ll bet this cartoon would resonate with all of them, as it would with the countless gays and lesbians who are currently being denied the right marry because of laws rooted in religiously-based prejudice.

We often equate religious intolerance with the likes of the Taliban or Al Qaeda.  And although our own brand of religious intolerance might not be as blatant as that practiced under Sharia law, sometimes the only difference between us and them is measured in degree.

Username: toonfan | On: July 18, 2010 at 6:16 a.m.

As I mentioned at the top of the diary, Part II of this diary will be posted by Friday, August 5th.  Once I post 15-20 more cartoons in the comments section, there should be about 125-130 editorial cartoons in this diary.  Thanks and hope you enjoy this week’s offering.

:: ::

1. Cartoons of the Week

Bruce Beattie

Bruce Beattie, Comics.com (Daytona Beach News-Journal)

Don Wright

Don Wright, Comics.com (Tribune Media Services)



Lloyd Dangle, Troubletown, Buy this cartoon



Vic Harville, Stephens Media Group (Little Rock, AR), Buy this cartoon

Matt Bors

Not Another Nam by Matt Bors, Comics.com (Idiot Box)

The cynic in me has to admit there are a few differences.

Bors explaining the cartoon after Wikileaks.org leaked massive amounts of previously declassified documents detailing the enormous odds faced by U.S./N.A.T.O troops in bringing stability to war-torn Afghanistan

Don Wright

Don Wright, Comics.com (Tribune Media Services)



Clay Jones, Freelance-Star (Fredericksburg, VA), Buy this cartoon

Steve Benson

Steve Benson, Comics.com (Arizona Republic)

Henry Payne

Henry Payne, Comics.com (Detroit News)

Chris Britt

Stay out! Come to work! by Chris Britt, Comics.com, see reader comments in the State Journal-Register (Springfield, IL)



Bruce Beattie, Daytona Beach News-Journal, Buy this cartoon



Deficit Hawks by John Darkow, Columbia Daily Tribune, Buy this cartoon



Intel Jobs by Mike Keefe, Denver Post, Buy this cartoon

Rob Rogers

Toxic Leak by Rob Rogers, Comics.com (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

After standing by and watching up to 184 million barrels of oil gush into the ocean, BP has finally made a cap that fits over its humongous toxic leak.  Now … if only they can find one that fits over Mel Gibson’s head.

Rogers wonders if BP should consider capping another, equally-toxic leak

Drew Sheneman

Drew Sheneman, Comics.com (Newark Star-Ledger)

:: ::

2. What’s Next for the People of the Gulf Coast Region?



BP Caps Toothpaste Tube by RJ Matson, St. Louis Post Dispatch, Buy this cartoon

Steve Benson

Steve Benson, Comics.com (Arizona Republic)



Pat Oliphant, Yahoo Comics – Universal Press Syndicate

(click link to enlarge cartoon)



Kevin Siers, Charlotte Observer, Buy this cartoon



Joel Pett, McClatchy Cartoon – Lexington Herald-Leader

(click link to enlarge cartoon)

Steve Sack

Steve Sack, Comics.com (Minneapolis Star-Tribune)

Don Wright

Don Wright, Comics.com (Tribune Media Services)

Marshall Ramsey

Marshall Ramsey, Comics.com (Clarion Ledger, Jackson, MS)

:: ::

3. One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich Tony Hayward



Tony Hayward Banished to Siberia by Bruce Plante, see reader comments in Tulsa World, Buy this cartoon



Little Lord Hayward by John Darkow, Columbia Daily Tribune, Buy this cartoon



Jeff Koterba, Omaha World Herald, Buy this cartoon

Marshall Ramsey

Marshall Ramsey, Comics. com (Clarion Ledger, Jackson, MS)

:: ::

4. The Shirley Sherrod Smear: Brought to You By Racists, Inc.

Bruce Beattie

Bruce Beattie, Comics.com (Daytona Beach News-Journal)



Clay Jones, Freelance-Star (Fredericksburg, VA), Buy this cartoon



Tom Toles, Slate – Washington Post

(click link to enlarge cartoon)

Bill Day

Bill Day, Comics.com (Memphis Commercial-Appeal)



David Cohen, Asheville Citizen-Times

(click link to enlarge cartoon)



Mike Peters, Dayton Daily News



Matt Wuerker, Politico

(click link to enlarge cartoon

in Wuerker’s July archives)



The Reliable Source of Information by Adam Zyglis, Buffalo News, Buy this cartoon



Jim Morin, Miami Herald

(click link to enlarge cartoon)

Dan Wasserman

Racial Victim by Dan Wasserman, Comics.com, see reader comments in the Boston Globe

:: ::

5. Arizona and the Difficult Immigration Issue



Carly Fiorina’s Mask by Steve Greenberg, VCReporter (Ventura, CA), Buy this cartoon



Immigration Flaw by Nick Anderson, Comics.co, see reader comments in the Houston Chronicle



Matt Wuerker, Politico

(click link to enlarge

cartoon in Wuerker’s archive)

Don Wright

Don Wright, Comics.com (Tribune Media Services)



Immigration Reform by RJ Matson, Roll Call, Buy this cartoon

Bruce Beattie

Bruce Beattie, Comics.com (Daytona Beach News-Journal)

:: ::

6. Wikileaks: War Without End?



Peter Nicholson, The Australian (Melbourne, Australia), Buy this cartoon



Wikileaks and National Security by Dave Granlund, Politicalcartoons.com, Buy this cartoon  



Afghan War Leaks and Obama by Daryl Cagle, MSNBC.com, Buy this cartoon



ISAF, Taliban and Blowout Preventer by Arend van Dam, Freelance Cartoonist (The Netherlands), Buy this cartoon

:: ::

7. Tea Party: Secretly Working for the Democratic Party?

Clay Bennett

Tea Time by Clay Bennett, Comics.com, see reader comments in the Chattanooga Times Free Press



Stuart Carlson, Washington Post – Universal Press Syndicate

(click link to enlarge cartoon)



Tea Party Express and NAACP by Dave Granlund, Politicalcartoons.com, Buy this cartoon



David Horsey, see reader comments in the Seattle

Post-Intelligencer


(click link to enlarge cartoon)



RJ Matson, Roll Call, Buy this cartoon



Tom Toles, Slate – Washington Post

(click link to enlarge cartoon)

Steve Benson

Steve Benson, Comics.com (Arizona Republic)



Tony Auth, Yahoo Comics – Philadelphia Inquirer

(click link to enlarge cartoon)

Steve Sack

Steve Sack, Comics.com (Minneapolis Star-Tribune)

:: ::

8. The Party of No: The Not-So-Loyal Opposition

Chan Lowe

Chan Lowe, Comics.com, see reader comments in the South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Lowe offers a solution for finding money to help the unemployed: make serious cuts in corporate welfare

Unemployment Benefits Extension

Conservatives in Congress really feel that extending unemployment benefits will break the bank, why is it so incredibly difficult to find the means to pay for it?

Here’s an idea right off the the top of my head, and they don’t even have to give me credit: Why don’t we eliminate government subsidies for oil companies to drill in this country and off our shores?  Does an oil company that makes a profit of several billion dollars per quarter really need an incentive from the U.S. taxpayer to keep drilling?…

Wow!  That was so easy, it clearly can’t be a lack of resources… it’s more like a lack of human decency.

Mike Luckovich

Mike Luckovich, Comics.com (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)



Joel Pett, Lexington Herald-Leader

(click link to enlarge cartoon)

Clay Bennett

The RNC by Clay Bennett, Comics.com, see reader comments in the Chattanooga Times Free Press



Jeff Danziger, New York Times Syndicate

(click link to enlarge cartoon)



GOP and Steele by Nate Beeler, Washington Examiner, Buy this cartoon



Ben Sargent, Washington Post – Universal Press Syndicate

(click link to enlarge cartoon)

Robert Ariail

Robert Ariail, Comics,com (formerly of The State, SC)



Mike Peters, Dayton Daily News

(click link to enlarge cartoon)

Steve Sack

Steve Sack, Comics.com (Minneapolis Star-Tribune)



Jeff Danziger, Yahoo Comics – New York Times Syndicate

(click link to enlarge cartoon)



Mel Gibson by David Fitzsimmons, Arizona Star, Buy this cartoon

:: ::

9. “No Comment” From Bo Obama



Jeff Koterba, Omaha World Herald, Buy this cartoon

:: ::

10. The Economy: Treading Water or Sinking?



Jobless Benefits by Dan Wasserman, Comics.com (Boston Globe)



Stuart Carlson, Washington Post – Universal Press Syndicate

(click link to enlarge cartoon)



Unemployment Makes You Lazy by Tim Eagan, Deep Cover, Buy this cartoon



Tom Toles, Slate – Washington Post

(click link to enlarge cartoon)



Shovel Ready Jobs Program by RJ Matson, Roll Call, Buy this cartoon



Jeff Danziger, New York Times Syndicate

(click link to enlarge cartoon)



How Supply Side Tax Cuts Work by Jim Day, Las Vegas Review-Journal, Buy this cartoon



David Horsey, see reader comments in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer

(click link to enlarge cartoon)

Jeff Stahler

Jeff Stahler, Comics.com (Columbus Diapatch)

:: ::

11. The Growth of the National Security/Intelligence Behemoth

Ed Stein

Ed Stein, Comics.com (formerly of the Rocky Mountain News), see reader comments on Stein’s blog

Stein exposes the hypocrisy of the Teabaggers.  Do these people ever make any sense?

Mission Impossible

Question for you Tea Party devotees: If you hate government so much, where were you when the Bush administration was building the massive, secret, overreaching, unwieldy national security apparatus after 9/11?

Today, more than 1,200 government agencies and 1,900 private companies at more than 10,000 sites, employing a mind-boggling 854,000 people with top-secret clearances, who produce 50,000 pages of intelligence annually, are tripping all over themselves and each other to gather intelligence and supposedly keep Americans safe.  And if you think all these good folks are spending all their time ferreting out threats from al Qaeda and not spying on ordinary Americans, I have a poppy farm in Afghanistan to sell you.  Besides being inherently unworkable, this vast decentralized system has no chance of communicating within its own bureaucracy effectively, let alone responding quickly and accurately to genuine threats.  Oh, for those simpler times when the just the CIA and the FBI couldn’t connect the dots.



Tom Toles, Yahoo Comics – Washington Post

(click link to enlarge cartoon)



Spy Agencies Out of Control by Patrick Chappatte, International Herald Tribune, Buy this cartoon



Matt Wuerker, Politico

(click link to enlarge cartoon in Wuerker’s archive)



Secret America by Pat Bagley, Salt Lake Tribune, Buy this cartoon



Jeff Danziger, Yahoo Comics – New York Times Syndicate

(click link to enlarge cartoon)

:: ::

12. Financial Reform: Will it Work?



Capping The Other Gusher by Jeff Parker, Florida Today, Buy this cartoon



Wall Street Leak Stopped by Bruce Plante, see reader comments in Tulsa World, Buy this cartoon



David Horsey, see reader comments in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer

(click link to enlarge cartoon)

Drew Sheneman

Whole Lotta Bull by Drew Sheneman, Comics.com (Newark Star-Ledger)



Matt Wuerker, Politico

(click link to enlarge cartoon

in Wuerker’s July archives)



Finance Reform by David Fitzsimmons, Arizona Star, Buy this cartoon

:: ::

13. Sports Talk

Drew Litton

Drew Litton, Comics.com



Pelican Disgust by Nate Beeler, Washington Examiner, Buy this cartoon

:: ::

13. RIP Daniel Schorr (1916-2010)



Mark Streeter, Savannah Morning News, Buy this cartoon

Daniel Schorr died recently.  Covering international news for over 60 years for CBS News and National Public Radio, he was one hell of a journalist.  They simply don’t make them like Mr. Schorr anymore.

The Village Voice remembered this remarkable man

Legendary, veteran political journalist Daniel Schorr — who won Emmys, Peabodys, and inclusion in Richard Nixon’s “Enemies List,” which he considered to be among his greatest achievements — passed away (recently)…

(He) was a fearless, brilliant reporter, and we’re proud to have played a part, however small, in his monumental legacy: that of someone who brought truth to light, wherever he could find it, without any hesitation.

Daniel Schorr was everything that is unequivocally righteous about the fourth estate;  NPR’s obituary on the man is, again, a must-read for anyone interested in what journalism should aspire to be.

:: ::

There are more tributes on the NPR web site from many of his colleagues as well as several videos in which Mr. Schorr reflects upon some of the major events that he covered.

John Sherffius

John Sherffius, Comics.com (Boulder Daily Camera)

:: ::

14. Final Thoughts



Jen Sorensen, Slowpoke, Buy this cartoon

Finally, are you ready for some football more war?  It could be the cure-all for our economic ills.  Think about it, as altie cartoonist Jen Sorensen convincingly explains it to us

World War III – In It For the Money

It’s remarkable how little the self-proclaimed deficit hawks seem to talk about trimming our pork-encrusted military expenditures.  I see on CostofWar.com that the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have surpassed a trillion dollars.  I’m not sure I feel a trillion dollars safer.  For a trillion dollars, I expect the nation to be covered in a climate-controlled biodome that vaporizes terrorists upon entry.  Given that we can’t even get Star Wars right, and it took us nearly three months to plug a hole in the ground, I’m guessing a biodome is not in the cards.

Despite all that outlay of lucre, the economy still sucks, so it’s time for full-scale mobilization!  And I mean mobilization, right down to the last able-bodied American.  I want to see toddlers plugging rivets into tanks!  Dogs hauling bags of bullets! That, my friends, is how to get things moving again.  And it’s a hell of a lot more acceptable to the pundit class than, I don’t know, stimulus spending that helps people keep their jobs.  Or letting the Bush tax cuts for six-figure earners expire as scheduled.  Or helping the unemployed.  No, in the immortal words of The Exploited, LET’S START A WAR!  But no nukes, please.  That would kind of defeat the purpose.

:: ::

A Note About the Diary Poll

MIke Thompson

Mike Thompson, Comics.com, see reader comments in the Detroit Free Press

:: ::

What will it take for the Congress of the United States to finally pass meaningful Climate Change legislation and propose a transition to alternative sources of energy?  A display of political will by the Democratic Party? More concessions by the Republicans?  Abolishing the Senate filibuster in the new Congress when it convenes in January 2011?  Something else?  

Remember to take the diary poll.

Thompson writes on his blog that certain elements in this country have always been resistant to change

Alternative Fuel Vehicles

The federal government grants billions in tax breaks to oil companies to drill for oil.  The federal government has spent billions fighting a war for oil and billions more to keep a massive naval presence near the Persian Gulf to protect oil shipping lanes.  And in the coming years, the federal government will be spending additional billions to clean up wetlands and shorelines ruined by the oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico.

The cost of maintaining our addiction to oil makes the money the federal government has invested in alternative fuel vehicles seem paltry by comparison.  Critics of government efforts to develop these new vehicles are quick to point out that the government’s investment hasn’t paid off in the short run.

Proponents of such vehicles should be just as quick to point out that the government’s investment in procuring the fossil fuel necessary to run the vehicles we currently drive hasn’t exactly paid off in the long run.

Dan Wasserman

Heat Waive by Dan Wasserman, Comics.com, see reader comments in the Boston Globe

:: ::

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  1. Gulf Oil Spill by Milt Priggee, http://www.miltpriggee.com

    (Cagle Cartoons)
    , Buy this cartoon



    Andy Singer, Politicalcartoons.com, Buy this cartoon

    Tips and the like here.  Thanks.  

  2. :: ::

    Rob Tornoe is a cartoonist for the Press of Atlantic City, Editor & Publisher and Cagle.com.  He wrote this on his blog about a time when newspapers were the primary source of news for most people and editorial cartooning was all the rage, given the large number of cartoonists employed by newspapers like the Chicago Tribune

    Scott Stantis, the staff cartoonist for the Chicago Tribune, brought my attention to this edited excerpt from a silent 1931 promotional documentary, “From Trees to Tribunes,” focusing on the Tribune company’s stable of cartoonists.

    It’s crazy to live in a time when cartoonists jobs aren’t as valued as they once were.  In 1931, the Tribune company had no less than 10 cartoonists working in the famous Tribune Tower.

    In the video we can see John T. McCutcheon, Gaar Williams, Carey Orr, Sidney Smith of “The Gumps,” Frank King of “Gasoline Alley,” Frank Willard of “Moon Mullins,” Carl Ed of “Harold Teen,” Martin Branner of “Winnie Winkle,” Walter Berndt of “Smitty” and Harold Gray of “Little Orphan Annie.”

    Noticeably missing from the line-up is Chester Gould’s “Dick Tracy,” which didn’t begin until October of 1931.

  3. … a few days ago and totally embarrassed Peter King and the GOP.



    9/11 First Responders Aid Bill by Monte Wolverton, Cagle Cartoons, Buy this cartoon



    Pat Oliphant, Washington Post – Universal Press Syndicate

    (click link to enlarge Oliphant’s cartoon)

    1. Thanks again, JIH.  

  4. … for highlighting this diary on your front page.  Just curious, do you like smart phones?



    Jeff Koterba, Omaha World Herald, Buy this cartoon

  5. by David Roberts

    Grist

    In my opening statement at the debate the other night, I had 60 seconds to reach a half-drunk, half-interested crowd. In those circumstances, you realize pretty quickly that you have to cut straight to the core of things. I hadn’t really thought it out in advance, but I realized just before I went on stage that the first thing I wanted to say is simple: I’m not an environmentalist and these aren’t environmental challenges.

    There’s been a lot of talk lately about what went wrong on the climate bill, but it’s always struck me that the original wrong turn was the introduction of climate change to American politics as an “environmental issue.” It is the mother of all framing errors — the one from which all others flow.

    Environmentalism has a well-defined socioeconomic niche in American life. There are distinct cultural markers; familiar tropes and debates; particular groups designated to lobby for change and economic interests accustomed to fighting it; conventional methods of litigation, regulation, and legislation. Environmental issues take a very specific shape.

    The thing is, that shape doesn’t fit climate change. Climate change — or rather, the larger problem of which climate change is a symptom — isn’t like the issues that American environmentalism evolved to address. The solutions that American environmental politics is capable of producing are not commensurate with the scale and scope of the challenge climate change represents. A clear understanding of that challenge renders comically absurd the notion that it can or should be the province of a niche progressive interest group. It’s just too big for that.

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