Open Left

The real problem here is the public is missing from this issue

As long as issues of such massive importance are dealt with in the back offices of K Street, instead of out in the open with a vibrant public debate, this is the best we can possibly hope for. There will be no pushback. Waxman and Markey will shrug and say, "It's the best we could hope for. Maybe in ten years we'll be able to actually do something about this."

But where are the "green" opinion leaders (orgs) on this? AWOL. Why hasn't Sierra-NRDC-Natl Wildlife-the Conservancy- et al made a coalition to direct outreach, education and public opinion in the right direction, with their cumulative billions in resources? They're busy doing business the same way they've been doing business for the last 30 years: standard pluralistic interest group fundraising..."Help us save the XXX from YYY! Send us $50 today! And here's a useless 'gift' you'll just throw away in a few weeks as a token of our appreciation..."

Without a huge, coordinated and sustained effort at building public opinion to the urgency and ultimate fatality (for millions) of this issue, we can expect nothing more than what we're seeing: Big Ag, Big Coal and Big Oil will water this bill down to meaninglessness. This was always the case.

So where is Big Enviro with it's massive mailing lists and money? Where's the issue driven (as opposed to the generic feel-good) ad campaigns? Where's the PR offensive? If those with the means, expertise and understanding of this issue aren't willing to fight this fight outside of standard milquetoast lobbying, where does that leave us? On the outside, looking in ... in utter amazement.

"In our country, the lie has become not just a moral category but a pillar of the State" -- Alexander Solzhenitsyn

---

by: Emocrat @ Fri Jun 12, 2009 at 12:52:01 PM CDT