Thursday, August 14, 2014

The Carbon Footprint of the Ferguson Riots

How will what's going on in Ferguson affect the climate?

That's a dumb question, obviously.

But what is going on there is a real crackdown on freedom and First Amendment rights. The police are militarized and they look ready for war. Rand Paul wrote yesterday:
Given these developments, it is almost impossible for many Americans not to feel like their government is targeting them. Given the racial disparities in our criminal justice system, it is impossible for African-Americans not to feel like their government is particularly targeting them.
I'd just like to point out to American climate contrarians that this is the real threat to your freedoms, as is NSA spying on its own citizens, racism (in Ferguson the guns are pointing at the protesters; at Clive Bundy's ranch it was the protestors pointing the guns, without consequence), donors making unknown and unlimted payoffs contributions to politicans, attempts to suppress voting, and the press doing less and less investigative reporting because no one will buy a subscription.

It's not how the electricity that comes into your wall socket is generated. It's not the expectation that you should pay the damage costs of your choice of energy, or leave the planet in the shape you found it (if not better). These are just common sense.

So get your head in the game, and keep your eye on the ball.

4 comments:

Victor Venema said...

Are there also black police officers in the USA?

Nice to hear a libertarian talk about civil liberties. They do so much too little. I would be more prone to believe they actually believe their ideology if they would do so much more.

David Appell said...

Yes, there are, but noticeably not in Ferguson. Not in their city officers, either.

Here'stwoa recent article that tell more:

"Where minority communities still have overwhelmingly white police,"
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2014/08/14/where-minority-communities-still-have-overwhelmingly-white-police/

"Ferguson Is 60 Percent Black. Virtually All Its Cops Are White."
http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2014/08/10-insane-numbers-ferguson-killing

David Appell said...

P.S. Victor, how do these riots look to an non-American?

Is there a majority opinion in your media's coverage of them?

Victor Venema said...

Ah so the Mother Jones article suggests that the pictures were representative. Seems like a big mistake that may have been one of the factors that made this happen.

I do not follow the news at the moment that much. Have been too busy. Thus I cannot answer your question.