President George W. Bush wants to kill the last wildlife sanctuary in the United States. He is more than happy to sink his claws into it, tear it apart and plunder it for his own uses.
Environment? What environment? If it's got oil, it's ours. Who cares about some stupid animals?
According to a Nov. 4 article on CNN.com, the Senate on Thursday approved a measure that would compel the Department of the Interior "to begin selling oil leases for the coastal plain of the Alaska refuge within two years."
Yes, you heard correctly. The refuge. The place where we were once trying to keep those other living creatures that make up Earth's ecosystem safe and alive. Now, apparently, the Bush administration is more interested in the estimated 10 billion barrels of oil lying beneath those serene lands.
Opening the wildlife refuge +â-¡- a place set aside some 44 years ago specifically for protection - has been among George "What's Global Warming?" Bush's top energy plans for years.
"Increasing our domestic energy supply will help lower gasoline prices and utility bills," Bush said in a statement. "We can and should produce more crude oil here at home in environmentally responsible ways. The most promising site for oil in America is a 2,000-acre site in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, and thanks to technology, we can reach this energy with little impact on the land or wildlife."
Indeed. Huge, dirty machines drilling down into the Earth's crust are unlikely to affect the preserved wildlife much - at least not much beyond probably destroying it.
"America needs this American oil," Sen. Ted Stevens of Alaska said. Note his use of "America" and "American," to denote we own everything that exists on American soil without question, and we have a right to exploit it. He also called arguments against this oil pumping "ostrich-like" and went on to say this oil is "crucial to the nation's attempt to achieve energy independence."
Funny, since most of his opponents agree the oil will have little effect on gas prices or energy reserves. Sen. Maria Cantwell, for example, said, "Using back-door tactics to destroy America's last great wild frontier will not solve our nation's energy problems and will do nothing to lower skyrocketing gas prices."
The people who are plundering our wildlife, killing our animals, exploiting our natural preserves and destroying our atmosphere do not care very much about the wild frontier. President Bush has made it painfully clear that he views the entirety of the country - and possibly the world - as his own, and he is more than happy to use it to whatever ends he sees fit.
If allowed to continue, he will suck this planet dry and dance on the ashes.
What does he care? He's wealthy, powerful and influential. If the planet dies or if people starve, it won't be his problem. He'll be fed. He'll have a place to sleep.
Why should the movers and shakers in the government care about this world? As long as they can manipulate the people in it, they will always have what they want.
And the animals? Well, they don't vote.
Write to Jonathan at tenement_cellar@msn.com
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