The Terrifying Future Of Republican America Revealed In 27 Photos

by Elisabeth Parker  Two countries have major pollution issues, but — thanks to the Republicans — only one has any interest in doing anything about it. And it’s not us.
Pollution in China’s a serious problem, and we Americans sure love feeling superior to them. There’s just one problem: We’re not. The wealthy plutocrats who run this country aren’t just exporting America’s jobs to China, they’re also exporting our pollution. No minimum wage, safety or environmental regulations? A win-win. Plus, our Captains of Industry get to export their filthy oil and coal to China, too.
But wait… Not so fast. First, outsourcing our pollution to China is coming back to bite us in the butt. 29 percent of San Francisco’s particulate air pollution comes from China, according to ZME Science. Second, the Chinese government has begun taking major steps to address pollution in China. Sure, they’ve got a long way to go. But at least they’re moving forward. Here in America, we’re moving backwards.

Here’s what our future looks like.

Photo 1: Smog in Los Angeles, CA in 1968 (Herald-Examiner Collection photo courtesy of The Los Angeles Public Library via KCET). Photo 2: Cuyahoga River on fire, 1969 (Ohio History Central).

Remember this? These two photos shed some perspective on pollution in China. 50 years ago, the U.S. was just as bad. The photo on the left shows the high level of smog in Los Angeles, CA in 1968 (it’s still awful, but nothing like it was back then). The photo on the right shows Ohio’s Cuyahoga River in 1969, which was so polluted it caught on fire.
Americans were so horrified, lawmakers took action almost right away. First, we created the Environmental Protection Agency and strengthened the 1963 Clean Air Act in 1970. Then, we passed the Clean Water Act in 1972. That’s back when we used to get stuff done. Can you imagine John Boehner’s and Mitch McConnell’s Congress  moving that fast? Or doing anything to ensure that we all have access to clean air and clean water?
Hell, no. The GOP don’t need no stinkin’ Mother Nature. Apparently, their wealthy paymasters have found some other source of clean air and water. Kochs and company have put tons of money into bogus “studies” and “news” reporting so we’ll think solid climate science is up for debate. They’ve gotten us to think clean air and water is “bad for business,” that solar and wind power can’t work, that fossil fuels are clean and safe, and that it’s perfectly fine for us to drive huge monster trucks and SUVs.
Pollution used to be the price we paid for a rich economy, but it doesn’t have to be that way any more. We can embrace cleaner technologies and help our neighbors and trading partners do the same. We can force the heads of destructive companies to comply with clean air and water standards here and abroad by banning goods that don’t meet these standards.
Or, we can keep letting these companies do whatever the hell they want and keep voting for Republicans. In which case, we can all look forward to a future that looks like the photos below.

It’s morning in Republican America.

For those of you who are too young to remember, cities in the US looked an awful lot like the following photos from China. And if we let Republicans take down the EPA and roll back the Clean Air and Clean Water Acts, this is what we’ll see in the near future.

More photos here