WASHINGTON—Is there anything going on besides the concerted effort to put a career ratfcker on the Supreme Court? Why yes, there is. The administration*, which is led by a guy who believes that the climate crisis is a scam orchestrated by Chinese operatives, released a report which explained that the planet is pretty much doomed anyway, so, what the hell, let's put Sean Hannity on the Court and elect Steve Doocy president in 2020.

The official, established policy of the national government right now is that the climate crisis is beyond anyone's control, and that, therefore, we should be able to burn as much carbon as we can. From The Washington Post:

A rise of 7 degrees Fahrenheit, or about 4 degrees Celsius, compared with preindustrial levels would be catastrophic, according to scientists. Many coral reefs would dissolve in increasingly acidic oceans. Parts of Manhattan and Miami would be underwater without costly coastal defenses. Extreme heat waves would routinely smother large parts of the globe. But the administration did not offer this dire forecast as part of an argument to combat climate change. Just the opposite: The analysis assumes the planet’s fate is already sealed. The draft statement, issued by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), was written to justify President Trump’s decision to freeze federal fuel efficiency standards for cars and light trucks built after 2020. While the proposal would increase greenhouse gas emissions, the impact statement says, that policy would add just a very small drop to a very big, hot bucket.

Nothing works any more. Maybe we should get used to that.

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Charles P. Pierce Charles P Pierce is the author of four books, most recently Idiot America, and has been a working journalist since 1976.

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