Consciousness and Culpability in the Mind of George Bush

… Lancaster notes:

‘I once made the mistake of suggesting to Bush that he use the phrase cheap energy to describe the aims of his energy policy. He gave me a sharp, squinting look, as if he were trying to decide whether I was the stupidest person he

“More or less the only conclusion one can draw from that under-reported passage is that W. is well aware of the realities but has been knowingly acting as a stooge for the oil industry.”

Lancaster’s conclusion is apt. Bush, … is well aware of the damage wrought by the SUV culture, and well aware of the benefits of cleaner-burning, fuel-efficient automobiles. Yet, as we know, he has continually expanded the tax breaks that encourage the purchase of SUVs. His energy policies are almost exclusively pointed toward expanding the use of automobiles, while discouraging any restrictions on automakers or energy companies that might curtail the nation’s never-ending oil binge. He knows that these policies cause more pollution and exacerbate “this mess” we have made of the environment. But, as Lancaster notes, because the profits of the oil industry are a higher priority for him, he moves forward with these policies anyway.

Smirking Chimp