February 19, 2004
MERGING AT THE EXTREMES:
A 'hostile' takeover bid at the Sierra Club (Brad Knickerbocker, 2/20/04, The Christian Science Monitor)
The Sierra Club - America's premier environmental group, with 750,000 members and considerable political clout - is the target of an unfriendly takeover attempt.A combination of animal-rights and anti-immigrant activists is aiming to take control of the organization - and change its philosophy and direction - by getting their slate of candidates elected to the group's board of directors. They already control several seats, and more are up for grabs. The dispute gets to two core questions among environmental activists.
The first is whether population growth (which in the US mainly means immigration) is a key contributor to environmental degradation because more people mean more pollution and greater consumption of natural resources. Some critics say this country's liberal immigration policy acts as a safety valve for high-population countries, making it easier to avoid dealing with their environmental problems, and adding to the problems here.
The radical mind-meld continues as the anti-life Left finds common cause with the anti-Mexican Right. Posted by Orrin Judd at February 19, 2004 10:39 PM
There's been an influx of Mexican black bears into the Big Bend area of West Texas over the past decade. Wouldn't taking a position on something like that dismember the Sierra Club's budding rebel coalition...
Posted by: John at February 19, 2004 11:07 PMOrrin,
I think you may be wrong in equating this anti-immigrant group with anti-Mexican. They are basically anti-humankind and think the world should be populated by only several million like minded persons.
Arthur C. Clarke wrote some BS article back in the 70's or so postulating the optimum planetary population of mankind. I've seen the concept promulgated ad nauseum since then by the man bad except for me an my like thinking compatriots groups.
More population CAN mean a degraded environment, but, like most other social issues, it's really a question of priorities: Will we, as a nation/society, pay for the necessary fixes, or not ?
There are plenty of nations with smaller populations and much worse environments.
Posted by: Michael Herdegen at February 20, 2004 6:20 AMI think the "mind-meld" is more a function of the decay of the Modern Age and the reshuffling of ideological alliances. My guess is that ultimately the Left as we know it will die and the neo-con/Open Borders coalition, after moving left and collecting some of the remaining liberals, will take its place in opposition to the Old Right/traditionalist coalition, which will probably pick up some of the saner of the Old Left/trade union types.
The future of politics is all on the Right: we can see that in the fact that most of the big issues even of our day are all hashed out, essentially, on the Right. Look at the Iraq war: for the most part, only the Right made serious arguments for or against it. Immigration is a similar case: liberals have basically nothing new to say. Gay marriage? it's conservatives vs libertarians. The role of the nation-state? Open Borders men vs. traditionalists. Etc., etc.
Posted by: Paul Cella at February 20, 2004 12:45 PMMore POOR population is what correlates with a degraded environment. Think Haiti.
As for the Sierra Club, it couldn't happen to a nicer group.Twenty years ago when a few of us sought their help in getting a geothermal power company to abide by the enviromental protections previously agreed to in its operating plan, the response we got was-- "This won't help up defeat Watt and Reagan."
Paul:
But it goes deeper than that. Leftist extremists always end up in an anti-human position. Paul Watson is a work of art who made a name up here through direct action and insulting native peoples who wanted to protect hunting rights. I saw plenty of these types see their Rousseau-like dreamy admiration for natives dissolve into contempt the moment they discovered they ate Cheesies and used disposable diapers.
This anti-immigration stance isn't based on immigration issues and it sure isn't out of concern for native born Americans.
Posted by: Peter B at February 20, 2004 1:28 PMThe Sierra club is a fine business at the top and provides wonderful career opportunities for "trust babies" who would prefer not to be sullied by capitalism.
Many of the grass roots people are well intended "useful idiots" for the commissars.
The left is well entrenched in what was once a fine and reasonable environmental organization. It is now just another PAC.
Posted by: Genecis at February 20, 2004 6:50 PM