raw411’s Recent Comments

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  Lincoln Park: the great motivator

  Mr. Gore, for all his energy, ideas, and committment, does not understand music or youth.  The central reason that young activists were not energized by Live Earth is that the performers didn't appeal to them on a base level, as music fans.  Young people do care about environmental issues and are ready to be mobilized, but those young people don't listen to Rhianna, Lincoln Park or Kayne.  
  I am young, an environmentalist, and a music fan, and I watched 5 minutes of Live Earth.  Why?  Because I couldn't stand watching Cameron Diaz struggle through reading a teleprompter, Al look stiff in a tucked Polo, and the guitarist from Bon Jovi do that Peter Frampton voice box thing. Concerts are wonderful ways to inject energy into social movements, but the music must match the movement.
  If Live Earth pulled in people who were uninterested in the planet but amped about seeing those sort of acts, it was a huge success.  However, if the goal was to energize those ripe and ready for progress, it grossly misunderstood the tastes of its audience.  And that, for the concert and the planet, was a shame.  On Where were younger people at Live Earth house parties? posted 2 years, 4 months ago 19 Responses

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  08 is too late

  I disagree, it took Nixon to unfreeze China (not to mention create the EPA) and it took Clinton to reform welfare...it just might (gulp) take Bush to save the planet.  Nixon could talk to Communist china during the cold war because of his nationalist and foreign policy credentials.  Clinton was able to institute needed welfare reform because, as a Democrat, those interested in welfare trusted him to make changes toward improving and streamlining rather than cutting welfare.  Bush is obviously (and for good reason) trusted by Big Oil and the Energy industry - the two organized interests most obstructive to global warming policy.  Those with vested interests in a particular policy (Cold War hawks for Nixon, welfare advocates for Clinton) must trust the executive who is trying to affect reasonable and positive change in that area.  Oil trusts Bush, if he can be pressed with effective and well-concieved legislation, he just might realize that his presidential legacy would be well served by an about-face on this issue.  On Dear Sir, you know about that global warming thing? posted 3 years ago 8 Responses