The tip of the iceberg
Every time we believe that we have hit bottom with this Trump administration, we realize that the depths of the stupidity, corruption and malfeasance is beyond comprehension. We just get glimpses of the tip of the iceberg from this gaggle of knaves.
The latest is from Mike Pompeo, Secretary of State, who gave comments about the Arctic and rapidly melting sea ice levels.
One must look to make sure it is not April Fools’ Day or perhaps The Onion spoofing reality, but alas, no such luck. Pompeo appeared to find great economic opportunity in the melting ice, stating in Finland: “The Arctic is at the forefront of opportunity and abundance. It houses 13 percent of the world’s undiscovered oil, 30 percent of its undiscovered gas, an abundance of uranium, rare earth minerals, gold, diamonds, and millions of square miles of untapped resources, fisheries galore. Steady reductions in sea ice are opening new passageways and new opportunities for trade. This could potentially slash the time it takes to travel between Asia and the West by as much as 20 days.
“Arctic sea lanes could become the 21st century Suez and Panama Canals.”
Not once did the words “climate change” leave his lips. Perhaps Pompeo and others who shrug off the Earth’s troubled state have a secret for how their descendants will live in a significantly uninhabitable environment. Rather than look at the risks inherent in melting ice caps, Pompeo and his environmentally backward patrons, the Koch brothers, look at the immediate profits.
Every day in this administration, we only see the tip of the iceberg, and that is not healthy for the nation and the course it is on, like the Titanic captain ignoring the warnings.
Daniel is a lawyer writing and teaching about SCOTUS, and is the author of the book “The Chief Justices” about the SCOTUS as seen through the center seat.