Battlefield Earth (Bill Moyers)

[atommom]

As difficult as it is, however, for journalists to fashion a readable narrative for complex issues without depressing our readers and viewers, there is an even harder challenge – to pierce the ideology that governs official policy today. One of the biggest changes in politics in my lifetime is that the delusional is no longer marginal. It has come in from the fringe, to sit in the seat of power in the oval office and in Congress. For the first time in our history, ideology and theology hold a monopoly of power in Washington. Theology asserts propositions that cannot be proven true; ideologues hold stoutly to a world view despite being contradicted by what is generally accepted as reality. When ideology and theology couple, their offspring are not always bad but they are always blind. And there is the danger: voters and politicians alike, oblivious to the facts.

Remember James Watt, President Reagan's first Secretary of the Interior? My favorite online environmental journal, the ever engaging Grist, reminded us recently of how James Watt told the U.S. Congress that protecting natural resources was unimportant in light of the imminent return of Jesus Christ. In public testimony he said, "after the last tree is felled, Christ will come back."
http://www.alternet.org/envirohealth/20666/

This is a very good, scary speech, in which Moyers references a very good, scary article:

http://www.grist.org/news/maindish/2004/10/27/scherer-christian/index.html

[enki23]

1. that's just too painful to comment on.

i'd wish for another planet, but we'd probably be overrun by pilgrims.

[orpupilofnature57]

2. I pulled a fire alarm on the first earth day(1971) I was in eighth grade.

I was ashamed once i realized the danger and harm it could of caused others.When James watt was secretary of the interior for about a month,i was 23 and was no longer ashamed.