Thursday, August 24, 2023

Buddy Guy and climate change

Earlier this year, when the Ravinia concert schedule was released, we bought tickets to see Buddy Guy.  The last time I had seen the venerable Guy was in 2010 when the new Buddy Guy's Legends blues bar had just opened at 700 S. Wabash in the city.

This concert at Ravinia probably was going to be my last opportunity to see him.  But, the heat that has been baking the United States this summer has settled onto Chicago so we didn't go.  In case you don't know Ravinia Festival is an outdoor venue spread over a large area of Highland Park, Illinois.  The fun of Ravinia is setting up a table and chairs on the lawn and eating and drinking with family and friends prior to and during the concert.  While there is amphitheater seating, most of the grounds offers no actual view of the stage and you hear the music over the extensive A/V system set up in the park grounds.  Ravinia is one of those things white people like.

The problem with Chicago heat index is often that the humidity is 100% because of the big body of water next door thus effectively eliminating your ability to sweat and cool yourself down.  Of course, the climate disaster has been front and center this year.

Unfortunately, in America we are also witnessing the fruits of Republican perfidy and fascism.  The Republican Party is fully invested in denying the reality of the burning house around them.  Does it matter if it's because of the short term financial gain they and their plutocratic owners reap?  Or if it's because of christian dominionism which wishes to usher in the "End Times" and the apocalypse?  But, when you have Republicans claiming This is Normal like a real-life version of the Dog in a Burning House Meme;

This weather is normal,” Justine Wadsack, a hard-line Republican in the state Senate, tweeted recently. “If ya can’t stand the heat in Arizona, you’re welcome to leave.”

Well, then reality is about to bring it all down upon us.  Sadly, the truth we are not allowed to say is Republicans hate the United States of America.  Viscerally.  And have nothing to offer the American people. This was on full display last night in Wisconsin during the tedious Republican "debate" to see who won't be the nominee for President in 2024.  (It will be Trump.  Period.) 

Eventually, Nikki Haley gave the mealy-mouthed RINO answer that climate change is real but, CHINA!

“The right way is first of all, yes, is climate change real? Yes, it is. But if you want to go and really change the environment, we need to start telling China and India that they have to lower their emissions.”

Haley, of course, has no chance to be the nominee of the racist, women-hating Republican Party.  Climate Change Denialism is another article of faith and a pillar of the rightwing mindset which is unequivocally set upon destroying the United States and reshaping this country into a hells cape of inequality and oppression.

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