Two versions of a video showed children from the Sunrise Movement visiting Senator Dianne Feinstein, asking her to sign on to support the Green New Deal (as our Senators Ed Markey and Elizabeth Warren have done, enthusiastically). Feinstein’s attitude in the shorter video drew widespread scorn. Some have claimed that the full 15-minute video provides a totally different picture; I disagree with that strenuously.
I would suggest that if you found Feinstein’s participation in this interaction satisfactory, you need to raise your standards. As a citizen — and as a father — I was appalled.
Let’s stipulate that the Republicans deserve the overwhelming share of blame for opposing any action whatsoever on climate — indeed for adding literal fuel to literal fire. This is an act of literally unprecedented malice. Relatedly, the Sunrise kids are visiting Mitch McConnell today.
Stipulated also that Feinstein has been a reliable vote for pro-climate legislation; but the ordinary simply will not do. She is resigned to the incremental, when the incremental is, in fact, suicidal.)
Perhaps not every aspect of her performance here deserves scorn. But rather most of it does. She exudes an entitled, high-handed attitude towards precious, vulnerable children, whose infinitely valuable lives are currently being treated quite cheaply. They deserve so much better than “I know better” — especially when much of the evidence suggests otherwise.
- How dare Feinstein treat the sincere desire of children to grow up in a world without more catastrophe than absolutely necessary, so cavalierly?
- How dare she mention her own election, Trump-like, as if therefore entitled to deference — and then taunting the children for not being old enough to vote? It’s a whole sequence of arrogant, defensive non-sequiturs.
- How dare she say that she knows what will pass the Senate, much less the House, much less past the President’s veto? That’s ludicrous and everyone knows it.
- How can she tell these children that there’s simply no way to pay for this program? Also ludicrous.
- How can she tell these children that we can’t save the world in 10 years, so we’re not even going to try? That’s indecent.
- She’s prompted for an elevator speech on her own proposal. How dare she refuse to at least engage on the merits — saying in effect, “read my white paper/visit my website”?
We mustn’t, we cannot accept this kind of brush-off from our elected officials — not today, not on this. One ought to be skeptical of the larger implications of the daily social media blowup, and whether it truly represents a larger pattern. This is one such representative event; it is standard treatment of those petitioning for a livable world. Those of us who interact with our elected officials in Massachusetts will find this “I know what I’m doing, run along now” attitude very familiar, and often with just as little justification.
Let there be no doubt in any politician’s mind that this was an ugly, mean, and cowardly way to deal with constituents, with children, and with the future victims of the most heinous act of neglect ever perpetrated on Earth. You do not do this. You have to do better.
You have to accept the immutable reality of the laws of physics, by changing the highly mutable political reality of the moment. Get on it. We’re late.
SomervilleTom says
I find no surprises in any of this, I’ve never been enamored of Ms. Feinstein.
She is a good example of a Democrat who needs to be reminded of Democratic vision, values, and priorities. I find myself fantasizing about a primary opponent for Ms. Feinstein in 2024.
Sadly, the urgency of the climate change issue requires faster action than that.
johntmay says
The body language is revealing. Her condescension is thick. “I don’t care, I don’t have to. I’m elected and you were not. I know more than you ever will….” Wow, if only this was an isolated case and one isolated Democrat. As you wrote
all I could do was nod my head in agreement.
Christopher says
She betrayed a bit of impatience a couple of times, but overall I think Feinstein handled this encounter pretty well. I think it was completely appropriate to explain her views and the process to these kids, the youngest of whom quite frankly would not have been there without adult prompting. She went as far as to make sure they got copies of what she was working on and did not completely close the door on ultimately voting how they would like her to. This was an apt lesson in politics being the art of the possible and some of the group seemed to take a bit more of a we want it our way and we want it now attitude than I’d like. I suspect some Senators would not have even bothered meeting with a bunch of kids.
Also, as a general comment, climate change has been an issue for as long as I can remember. Is it just me or have we gotten more alarmist about it in even just the past few weeks? I feel like since this Green New Deal is the brainchild of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez it’s held up as holy writ for the Democratic Party since she seems to have developed a bit of a cult following.
SomervilleTom says
I should hope we’ve gotten more alarmist in just the past few weeks.
We’ve had historic floods, fires, and other climate-change calamities even as our government is rolling back the already completely inadequate baby steps that were taken until now. The time for “the art of the possible” was something like 2010.
The science of climate change is crystal-clear and compelling. Our political system is flatly and explicitly denying that science. This is another example where our political system is badly broken.
Relying on an explicitly broken system to fix itself is like expecting your car to repair itself after the axle breaks and a wheel falls off.
Al Gore brought climate change to the public as an issue in 2006, more than decade ago. We’ve had 13 years and three presidential administrations to act.
The result? We are LOSING ground.
We have gotten more alarmist because climate change is ALARMING.