Readers: The entries in this blog are built around the assumption there will be a 5th revolution in the US — the Revenge Revolution. More about the Revenge Revolution, a list of earlier revolutions and the author, Entry #1.  Periodically I write a “sense check” to assess whether a revolution in the US is possible or whether the entire exercise is based on a statistical aberration — i.e., a roughly 50-year cycle between major upheavals in the US.  Entry #400 was the most recent “sense check.” 

I continue to be struck by how the Republican Party has only one answer to any proposal. “We can’t do that,” sometimes phrased as “That won’t work!”

Like a parrot with a very limited vocabulary, the “can’t”/”won’t” response is never followed by a suggestion how to correct what is perceived to be the problem with an idea.  No Republican seems to have any meaningful ideas on how to solve problems.  Pardon me, the “Republicants” do have one recommended solution no matter what the problem is.  The solution is, “Cut taxes for the wealthy because…”  Why would cutting taxes fix the problem?  Oh, it doesn’t matter why.  And it doesn’t matter to Republicants there is ZERO empirical evidence to support their logic.  For Republicants, the answer is, “Just cut taxes.”

A few days ago I watched a hearing held by the House Select Committee on Climate Change. My interest was twofold. One, I’ve spent much of the last 30 years focusing on developing practical solutions to help reduce emissions, primarily CO₂ emissions.  A current project is working with a group of fellow MIT alumni on that very issue. The second reason I watched was one of the people testifying has been a longtime colleague and wanted to view his testimony.

Of the three people testifying that day, two had real-world experience in implementing practical solutions to reduce CO₂ emissions.  While their party affiliation was not discussed in the testimony, because they were working to reduce CO₂ emissions, some Republicans on the committee, maybe all Republicans, apparently thought the two were some of “those liberals.”

The third person testifying was a climate-change denier.  Ironically, in his remarks he actually raised a couple of valid points about issues that need to be addressed. But like most every Republicant inside the Beltway, he offered no solutions.

One Republicant House member decided no serious questions were necessary and instead used his 5 minutes to put on a good show for his right-wing constituents. Some of his diatribe included, “We can’t afford the Green New Deal. The Green New Deal won’t work! Instead, we need to build more roads to reduce congestion.”

Building more roads is not a solution to climate change. Whether or not you believe in science, burning gasoline creates CO₂.  CO₂ is a major contributor to climate change and global warming.  Climate change is real and no amount of denial, diversion or blaming someone else will stop the impact.

I’m sure many climate-change deniers don’t care, but the Green New Deal is a set of ideas and not any legislative proposal. From a Republicant perspective, I guess the country cannot afford to even discuss new ideas.  Why?  Yikes, discussions might lead to answers.   

Republicants claim to be objective and fiscally responsible, well at least when a Democrat is president.  So let’s just look at the cost of addressing climate change.  The cost of climate change maybe can best be described by a commercial from the 1970’s/1980’s for FRAM oil filters, “You can pay me now or pay me later.”  Except the payment for climate change will be exponentially greater the longer we wait.

In addition, the cost of waiting will also include excessive loss of human life, excess loss of wildlife, and may result in an uninhabitable earth. But no, let’s not discuss climate change.  Let’s deny climate change and pretend it doesn’t exist. 

While we’re pretending climate change doesn’t exist, let’s pretend the FBI or some liberal group, you know that Antifa group, stormed the Capitol 01/06/21 to make Trump look bad.  Since someone else was responsible, let’s investigate it.  No, no, I really meant to say “Let’s not investigate the Capitol insurrection.  Well, I’m not sure what I mean other than “no.’”   (Republicants have a selective memory problems as well.  Saying “no” to examining the cause of the insurrection seems a bit different than the wild enthusiasm by Republicants to investigate Benghazi.  Jim Jordan, cat got your tongue?)   

“Quit trying to confuse me.  Here’s what I know.  Instead of spending money on addressing climate change, America should spend more money on roads and drill for more oil.  Our politicians should start acting like real Americans should act and quit acting like a bunch of liberal wimps.  Stay tough and keep saying no, just like we did when Obama was president.”

This kind of “Always say no” mentality is a major contributor to why the US is headed for a 5^th Revolution and why I’ve labeled the revolution the Revenge Revolution.  Always saying “no” and never offering ideas inhibits progress.  Always saying “no” would have resulted in America not taking the lead in the development of the automobile, aircraft, space exploration, communications, computers, the internet and a host of other technologies and large-scale projects, including the interstate highway system.  FYI, Republicants interstate highways are roads. 

Just saying “no” is a strategy for decline.  And the decline affects more than climate change.  Republicants continue to say no to having more people vote, to examining acts by the Trump administration that compromised national security and to a host of other important issues.  And Republicants claim to be patriots.  Mmm, Republicants seem more like parrots. 

Booklets you might find interesting:

Revenge Revolution — description of what form the revolution might take, 20 01 07 Start of Revolution

Who took out the Donald?  Who/what groups are most likely to “take out” Trump? The booklet was written early in the Trump administration but still worth a read. Who Took Out the Donald Entries with Update

Working with Lee Iacocca after he left Chrysler, 2019Q3 Iacocca Personal Observations. 

GM EV1 — behind-the-scenes events affecting development and introduction of the GM EV1, the first modern electric vehicle. 2020Q1 GM EV-1 Story Behind the Story Booklet  Note: in January 2021, GM announced that by 2035 all light-duty cars and trucks sold by GM worldwide will be electric. “Automotive News” had a special section published Earth Day 2021 about the GM EV1. Lots of celebration about the engineering accomplishments, and rightfully so. Little, if any insight why the GM EV1 was cancelled.