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Bush appointment makes a mockery of pledge to unite the Nation
by Paul Crouser on 06 January 2001 @ 07:14 AM

Let's take a look, shall we, at the 'Uniter-not-a-divider's choice for an Interior Secretary who will be bridging the gap between the right-wing 'What's-in-it-for-me' crowd and the other 90% of America who want to keep America the beautiful for future generations.

In 1979 Gale A. Norton was an attorney for the ultra-radical, right-wing Mountain States Legal Foundation, a private property rights advocacy organization headed at the time by the now infamous GreedMeister James "Cut-it-down-and-pave-it-over" Watt, former Interior Secretary from the Ronnie Raygun days. This continues a trend of Republican appointees to Interior who absolutely despise everything that the agency stands for.

In 1985 Gale was named Assistant Solicitor for Conservation and Wildlife at Interior, where she worked to open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil drilling. Apparently nobody explained to the woman that she was supposed to solicit FOR wildlife (as in the job title) rather than AGAINST wildlife. Or maybe she simply did not understand what the word 'conservation' means. Either way, I'm sure it was all a big misunderstanding, given that W. has promised to unite rather than divide and I cannot imagine that he didn't really mean it, like it was a cheap campaign slogan by a slick campaign team or something. No way, W. is a man of too much substance and principle for that to happen.

Gale has served as national chair of the Coalition of Republican Environmental Activists, a group praised by Newt Gingrich, Trent Lott, and Helen Chenoweth-Hage (recall that this bunch declared war on the environmental movement in 1994). The CREA(P) was shunned by moderate Republican environmentalists. The Republican environmental group REP blasted the group as a "greenscam".

Gale is on record opposing Clinton's designation of several new National Monuments. Wise-Use Movement organizer Chuck "Rent-a-riot" Cushman, executive director of the American Land Rights Association (a front for mining and lumber industries operated out of his house), praised the selection "It will take a person like Gale to heal the damage caused during the last eight years", Cushman said.

Meanwhile, outside, over the parks and wilderness areas all across this Nation a dark, foreboding cloud glides silently over the land, blocking out the sun. The Prince of Darkness has ascended his throne and loosed the twisted demons of greed upon the earth.

The avowed strategy of the Democrats in the U.S. Congress to wear happy faces as Bush goes about his insidious agenda seems to me to be a mistake of Neville Chamberlain proportions. I think we should expose evil for what it is, wherever it lurks. Men such as Dick Chenney, the guy who is really running the show, only understand power. The environmental community must stand up to these bullies.


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Re: Bush appointment makes a mockery of pledge to unite the Nation
by NZBobGreen on 06 January 2001 @ 08:51 PM
Wow Paul you paint a sobering picture - the World's greatest power reduced to this? All the more reason to gather our troops & develop strategies that have substance & worth. I am a great believer in the old theme "the bigger they are the harder they fall". In my time I've seen this happen over & over. Maybe we just have to collectively try harder! Regards,NZBobGreen
Re: Bush appointment makes a mockery of pledge to unite the Nation
by Paul Crouser on 07 January 2001 @ 07:18 AM
I think you are correct, NZBobGreen. The good news is that people are more aware than ever before about environmental issues and the need to professionally manage the world's finite resources. Polls in the U.S. consistently show that most people consider themselves environmentalists. I believe that we are in a transitionary time between the old, destructive technologies and practices versus more enlightened approaches driven by science and public awareness. In that sense the Bush administration is sort of a freak throwback to darker days - an anomaly that is already obsolete. The challenge is to minimize damage in the interim and continue educating the public. We must become good stewards to survive. The question is how much will be left when we finally reach that point?
Bush Fire
by Jeremy Mason on 09 January 2001 @ 08:40 PM
Glad you put a little flesh on the bones regarding Gale Norton et al, with the (final!) selection of the US President.

Interesting to hear that so many US citizens believe in the wisdom of looking after after the environment. That is some minor comfort.

Seems to me, the people we have convince is the power brokers - big business.

Surely one way to get them to take environmental stewardship seriously is to explain it to them in their own basic terms.

Along the lines of: Damaging the Environment is unsustainable and will doubtlessly affect long term profitability.

It is also a PR disaster, as if you engage in Environmental Irresponsability, people such as ourselves will make sure all your customers get to hear of it, and the long term implications of it.

Educated consumers would then make a choice, the majority surely seeking a more sustainable alternative.

As soon as the bottom line of any company is affected, they are sure to take notice and to take steps to arrest the decline in their figures.

We just need to make this work in favour of the Environment. And profits need not suffer. It's called sustainability.

Cheers, Jeremy. (London, UK)
Re: Bush appointment makes a mockery of pledge to unite the Nation
by Nyssa on 12 January 2001 @ 11:05 AM
hi paul and everyone..i found this discussion very interesting...although i am not as close to it as you are (paul) ...being an australian and all...it does concern me...the president of america has more 100 times more clout with the international community re the environment than li'l johhny...and george bush is a worry for reasons i can't quite identify right now
Re: Bush appointment makes a mockery of pledge to unite the Nation
by Jace on 15 January 2001 @ 07:43 AM
Thanks Paul. I'm an Aussie too, and being generally concerned with issues a little more local, I don't often get the dirt about the US. thanks a bunch for keeping us informed.

The Fine Print: Comments and articles posted on this website are owned by the person who posted them and do not necessarily represent the views of Greenpeace.


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