Supporters of the energy bill have recruited Al Gore in their effort to override the Governor's veto. For Gore, this is not "about politics." Now, we know that they all say this but just this once, a politician using that phrase may actually be telling the truth.
Which, in this case, is reason to worry.
For Al Gore -- and, one presumes, some of his followers -- global warming isn't politics or science. It is religion. Consider this passage in which Gore -- sounding like Elmer Gantry by way of Harvard -- calls us out of sin and on to glory in a better, carbon-neutral world:
"... few generations in history have had the privilege of knowing: a generational mission ; the exhilaration of a compelling moral purpose ; a shared and unifying cause ; the thrill of being forced by circumstances to put aside the pettiness and conflict that so often stifle the restless human need for transcendence; the opportunity to rise ...
"When we do rise, it will fill our spirits and bind us together. Those who are now suffocating in cynicism and despair will be able to breathe freely. Those who are now suffering from a loss of meaning in their lives will find hope." When we rise, "we will experience an epiphany as we discover that this crisis is not really about politics at all. It is a moral and spiritual challenge."
(quoted by Maggie Gallagher in a syndicated column)
Mass movements are intoxicating at first but have a way of getting taken over by folks who just like the power. We always thought that Vermont was a place where the individual flourished and great causes were viewed with suspicion.
So let's just keep it "about politics," shall we? It's much safer that way.
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