Forest Fires? Easy! Remove the forests!

fable · Post by **fable** » Thu Aug 22, 2002 11:19 pm

The lastest from Bushland: our glorious president (may he rule for 2000 years) has recommended that since forest fires are sweeping the western states, the best way to save lives and property is to thin the forests. And the best people for the job, naturally enough, are loggers. So, Dubya is floating the idea to big business of removing restrictions on logging in the American West.

Makes sense, right? I mean, even if he is a multi-millionaire who made his money in the fossil fuel industry, and his cabinet is filled with people in the same business, none of them would be doing this to make more business for their friends, would they? I'm sure the only thought in his mind is to help everybody out, and he's obviously put a lot of thought into coming up with such an intelligent, well conceived solution. Correct?

Tamerlane · Post by **Tamerlane** » Thu Aug 22, 2002 11:24 pm

By golly, I almost choked on my lunch when I read the title. Is he serious, do you have a link of it somewhere. Why won't people understand that fires are common, its just that there are some places which should of never of been turned into settlements.

Tybaltus · Post by **Tybaltus** » Thu Aug 22, 2002 11:25 pm

This truly is disheartening to hear.....

As a naturalist and a lover of nature, I hate to hear any forest going down, but for it to be ordered makes me angry. Dubya has some strange way of working, and it pleases me, not. I might have more to say about this later. But this is the number 1 concern on my mind: SAVE THE FORESTS!

Bloodstalker · Post by **Bloodstalker** » Thu Aug 22, 2002 11:27 pm

When is the next election again?

This particular issue hits close to home, as I have sat back and watched the mountains around my home area systimatically being stripped of the trees. Im my opinion, it is disgusting. Logging has turned several local places, which were quite lovely, into what resmbles nothing more that huge scars

Zelgadis · Post by **Zelgadis** » Thu Aug 22, 2002 11:58 pm

Heh, my parents wonder why i don't go outside more. It's because their generation continues to turn everything beautiful in nature into a post-industrial wasteland. I just hope (probably futile) that i will be able to show my children at least one ****ing strech of land where you're not constantly reminded that 'civilization' on only a few miles away.

fable · Post by **fable** » Fri Aug 23, 2002 1:15 am

Originally posted by Tamerlane
By golly, I almost choked on my lunch when I read the title. Is he serious, do you have a link of it somewhere.

Here'sone,, another, and a third. The BBC also just ran a report on the news of Bush asking Northwest fuel corporate executives to lobby for a return to greater logging, and help stop forest fires.

Actually, this reminds me a bit of the early Reagan administration's attempt to push through plans to do away with a lot of protected environments because, as Reagan put it in one celebrated speech, trees were the single greatest factor in causing pollution. College students began putting up signs on campus trees stating "Stop me from killing again."

Osiris · Post by **Osiris** » Fri Aug 23, 2002 3:04 am

.....and don't forget Reagan's remarks about trees causing pollution.

Mr Flibble · Post by **Mr Flibble** » Fri Aug 23, 2002 3:23 am

Could someone please explain how people like this come into positions of power? It can't be through superior intellect.

If any government minister in NZ even mentioned something like that, they'd be out of a job within minutes!

Tamerlane · Post by **Tamerlane** » Fri Aug 23, 2002 3:28 am

@Flibble. The same would happen in Australia, or any other country for that matter. I don't think that the Bush administration is working for the people any more.

Thanks for the link fable, and here I was hoping it was some joke or attention seeking by a rogue politician. Will give those links a real good look at.

Weasel · Post by **Weasel** » Fri Aug 23, 2002 6:23 am

As with most things in the US, (Gun control right on down to abortion) both sides will never see a middle ground.

Will cleaning the brush out cause the likelyhood of fires to decrease? I would think so.

Will the loggers take this too far? I would think so.

Will a middle ground be found? Never.

Jaesha · Post by **Jaesha** » Fri Aug 23, 2002 6:27 am

Grrrr!

When is the next election again?

@BS: I was thinking the exact same thing. Bush is IMHO far too fond of money.

HighLordDave · Post by **HighLordDave** » Fri Aug 23, 2002 7:33 am

Originally posted by Tamerlane
I don't think that the Bush administration is working for the people any more.

You mean Dubya and his cronies were working for us at some point?

Silur · Post by **Silur** » Fri Aug 23, 2002 8:15 am

Heh, this reminds me of a quote in "The hitchhikers guide to the galaxy"...

The main characters are stranded on prehistoric earth with people who have escaped the proclaimed destruction of their home planet (In reality they were tricked to leave since they were all useless

) Community meeting:

Mgmt - management consultant
Ford - Seasoned space traveller

Mgmt If we could for a moment move on to the subject of fiscal policy...

Ford Fiscal policy! How can you have money, if none of you actually produce anything - it doesnt grow on trees you know.

Mgmt If you would allow me to continue... Since we decided a few weeks ago to adopt leaves as legal tender we have of course all become immensely rich...

Mgmt ... but we have also run into a small inflation problem on account of the high level of leaf availability, which means that, I gather, the current going rate has something like three major deciduous forests buying one ship's peanut. So in order to obviate this problem, and effectively revalue the leaf, we are about to embark on an extensive defoliation campaign and, er ... burn down all the forests. I think that's a sensible move, don't you?

Well, I always thought that was funny. Bush, however, constantly fails to amuse me.

Hope he picks up a dirty telephone at some point.

fable · Post by **fable** » Fri Aug 23, 2002 8:56 am

Originally posted by Osiris
.....and don't forget Reagan's remarks about trees causing pollution.

Read two posts above yours, @Osiris. Got it covered.

/-\lastor · Post by **/-\lastor** » Fri Aug 23, 2002 7:08 pm

Hmmm this news makes me wanna jump on the plane to the US and hammer a whole lotta nails into trees so no chainsaw will hurt 'em.
A bit radical but whaddaya gotta do when to leader of the largest nation on earth is as stupid as backend of a friggin' cow.

Ode to a Grasshopper · Sun Aug 25, 2002 1:48 am

Oh dear.

To everything so far.

AntiChrist · Post by **AntiChrist** » Sun Aug 25, 2002 11:48 am

Unbelievable. Someone remind me how Bush got elected, I can't seem to think of anything that he's done right. Even his campaigning promises were no good. Amazing. I've heard so many people say that it is our generation (me being 17) that is going to destroy this world, and then you see this. If our generation does destroy the world it will only be because of who we've been raised by. *sigh*

fable · Post by **fable** » Sun Aug 25, 2002 9:07 pm

Just heard (literally a minute ago) a report on Germany's Deutsche Welle in which they quoted Bush promising a large gathering from the logging industry that he would "ease restrictions" on logging in the Northwest US to help "prevent forest fires." How shall I describe the attitude of the station...? Put it this way: the BBC has always viewed US citizens as a little absurd and divorced from reality. This attitude now appears to be spreading, thanks to Dubya.