Discussion: Mattis To Senators: Climate Change Requires 'Whole-Of Gov't Response'

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This explains why they didnā€™t put Mattis in charge of the EPA.

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OMG, actual logic and acceptance of science from a member of the Trump gangā€¦how long before he has to retire ā€œto spend more time with his familyā€?

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First he has to go in for counselling by Comrade Bannon.

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I have $5 that says he wonā€™t last long in the Blimp admin.

Well, Mad Dog, how does it feel to be the grownup in the crowd of screaming toddlers?

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Does anyone think Mattis survives 12 months in this job?

Trump desperately needs Mattisā€™ gravitas for legitimacy so that might help to keep him on and certainly gives him outsized power in his position. His book will likely be the best one to read. It will be interesting to know how many times he had to threaten resignation to keep the lid on the nuts at 1600.

Itā€™s going to be interesting to watch this play out.

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Soā€¦we have ONE cabinet member that ā€˜thinksā€™. Hmmmmmmmmm.

trumpeeā€™s an asshole of government. That must count for something.

ā€œā€¦ thereā€™s tremendous disagreement about the degree of impact,ā€ Pruitt said.

ā€œAs long as you donā€™t restrict that group to scientists who actually study climate change,ā€ he continued.

You already have a whole-of taxpayers response. If you want the government to respond you will have to talk nice to Putin.

the sound of one hand clapping in a setting of intentional destruction of the governmentā€™s ability to function and respond to challenges.

does it matter if there is logic involved in only one piece of the greater illogical whole?

The military canā€™t afford to live in a fantasy world. National security, security of our troops, our economic vitality all depend upon assessing and dealing with risks with a clear eye.

Scott Pruitt, on the other hand, should wear a NASCAR jumpsuit with all the advertising decals on them as heā€™s just a paid whore in, unfortunately, a position of great importance.

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Mad Dog strikes againā€¦

It ainā€™t easy to be warm and fuzzy as the SoD but he is giving it a whirlā€¦

This is unforgiveable heretical apostasy that verges on treason against the Trumpian States of America. Next thing you know Mattis will be claiming that we really did land on the Moon.

Iā€™m not meaning to give a rousing endorsement of either, but Mattis and Tillerson both appear to be sane. Tillerson will of course be horrible on oil and climate change, but I gather he actually has an understanding of foriegn policy and the complexity of other countries and regions. Mattis seems to be a reasonable individual. Iā€™m sure a number of issues will come up which I disagree with him on. Still, the two of them combined may be able to guide the Trump administration from making any serious military blunders.

At the end of the day, the Iraq war blunder cost America more than every other horrible policy of the Bush administration combined. Even today it is still paying negative dividends, as instability in Irag was crucial in the rise ISIS, and opened up supply lines for Iran to send support to Assad in Syria. If Tillerson uses his position to enrich big oil by $20 billion and helps guide the administration with Mattis from any military blunders, iā€™ll count them a success.

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Mattis is, AFAIK, the only cabinet member not explicitly picked to destroy the current function of his department.

Think about that.

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And the military has seen the real world effects of reliance on fossil fuels. During the war in Afghanistan and Pakistan, we were forced to bribe warlords to provide safe passage for gasoline trucks for our vehicles ā€“ which are vulnerable to attack ā€“ until Russia relented and provided a pathway.

Weā€™ve had to rely on battery technology when operating in remote areas that are distant from a supply grid.

Under President Obama, the DOD became the largest demonstration project for renewable energy tech. We are developing energy sources from garbage, we have developed backpacks with foldable solar energy bibs, and have made gains in achieving sustainability. .

Those efforts wonā€™t be stopped now that the DOD has made it a matter of national security.

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