The Real Crisis

By JAMES EGGERT

The results are in!

Like those once popular Magic Eye pictures where you look and look and suddenly there’s a 3-D image of what?, say a horse in the foreground with trees in the background. Likewise, we now can “see” what was the most important issue—health care —that brought victory to the House Democrats in the recent mid-term elections. Republicans were hammered again and again on their party-wide attempt to nullify coverage of popular benefits under Obamacare.

So, what might be an equally powerful issue for Democrats in 2020? Looking at my Magic Eye picture, I can make out the two words: “Climate Change.” See it as another important long-term health related issue that would open up an opportunity to challenge a majority of Republicans—that is, those who still “live” in the House of climate change denial.

Compare the president’s “threat “of the so-called “invasion” of the Central American Caravan and recent border crossings by Mexicans with the very real threat of deadly fires, hurricanes, droughts, monster tornados, heavy rains and mud-slides and yes, even polar vortexes (if fully understood); climate change is, one could argue, the real crisis.

If we have the opportunity, I would suggest that we make one more effort and ask our Republican representative to clarify their position. Personally, when I contact our Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson, I will try to not make the common mistake of asking: “Do you believe In Climate Change?” That is essentially a religious question; a better inquiry would be: “Do you accept the consensus of climate scientists that climate change is real, is human caused, and is ultimately dangerous to our civilization? If not, explain your evidence?”

If Republicans fail the test, Democrats can honestly go ahead and go after them like they did with pre-existing conditions — while at the same time putting the issue of climate change where it belongs — as the most important challenge facing us, our children, and our grandchildren.

James Eggert, an emeritus professor at the University of Wisconsin-Stout and is the author of Meadowlark Economics: Exploring Values for a Sustainable Future.

From The Progressive Populist, March 1, 2019

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