[at-l] A.N.W.R. VOTE

[thornel@attglobal.net (W F Thorneloe)]

I think that humans are more challenged than scared about the situation. I 
suspect that some find the fact that there is a wilderness out there as a 
double-dog dare to "tame" that wilderness in some way. Do we "tame"it by 
conserving it or by selectively exploiting it? I suspect that there is some 
other agenda.

The A.N.W.R. vote is a nice political litmus test that is less immediately 
dangerous than some other litmus tests we have seen over the past 
generation or two. The economy will not fail in the short term regardless 
of whether a rider is successfully snuck past Senate leadership. No one 
will picket Tundra clinics. No one will defend their second amendment 
rights to hold a musk ox. No one will burn caribou flags.

I suspect that the A.N.W.R. issue is a very convenient means to motivate 
citizens and special interests to donate campaign funds while avoiding real 
danger or controversy during a war. It is definitely a lot more acceptable 
to debate than exploration for oil deposits off the Florida Gulf coast.

OrangeBug

At 03:37 PM 12/4/2001 -0500, Jan Leitschuh wrote:
>Nature, (and the universe), is NOT human-centered.  And that scares the 
>crap out of us.