The great thing about writing fantasy, supposedly, is that you can write anything you want. Magic, talking animals, false gods that turn out to be real, little kids outsmarting superhuman villains–hey, it’s fantasy: anything goes. At least that’s what some people think, and that’s why there are so many unreadable fantasies out there.
But when it comes to sheer twaddle, we fantasy writers can’t compete with the public policy folks. Yesterday in the Drudge Report we read about a left-wing think tank, the Center for Economic Policy and Research, releasing a “study” on how to stave off Global Warming. (Note: There is really nothing you can do about an imaginary problem, except to stop imagining it.)
Their solution?
Work less! Don’t do that American thing with the 40-hour work week and one or two weeks’ paid vacation. It’s roasting the planet. Instead, do the European thing with a greatly reduced work week and tons of vacation time. After all, that’s working out just fine for Europe.
So, let’s see… hmm… Decrease productivity, while the welfare state greatly increases expenditures. Yeah, that’ll work.
Only in a fantasy.
Meanwhile, Smithsonian Magazine (Feb. 2013, “Classical Gas”) reports that scientists studying Greenland ice cores find that “greenhouse gas” emissions started destroying Mother Earth around 100 B.C.–largely the fault of the Roman and Chinese civilizations. So if we really want to have a Pristine Planet, we ought to regress our global civilization to the level of something that existed before 100 B.C. Anybody anxious to experience Iron Age dentistry?
But that’s no problem, either–just stop working altogether. Presto–no emissions! And the government can provide for all our needs.
Welcome to Fantasy Land.
February 5th, 2013 at 2:02 pm
“There is really nothing you can do about an imaginary problem, except to stop imagining it.” Here’s another fantasy: who can stop those fantacizers? There is no limit to what they will come up with. They are like children who hold onto something being taken away from them so hard that the thing gets destroyed. Does this tell us about these green (which used to mean those who are very, very new at doing something they know nothing about) members of our society?
Unfortunatel (or, perhaps, fortunately) they will destroy themselves.” Unfortunately, they are now so far gone they can cause a lot of mayhem like a runamuck in a crowd. Poor, benighted souls.