David Leigh
Jul 10, 2017 · 2 min read

Republican rejection of data is worrisome for a number of reasons. Data collection and collation are how all governments make informed policy decisions. It is how policies can be monitored and corrected and it is the way we know problems exist in the first place. Climate science is a case in point and to completely ignore the work of hundreds of thousands of specialist scientists, in favour of a personal belief defies logic. It is irresponsible behaviour from the very people who are charged with the responsibility of steering the US Juggernaut. Can you imagine a ship’s captain on an oceanic liner, ignoring satellite warnings and scientific weather data, taking no notice of depth soundings and ignoring the predetermined and charted course in favour of his own personal desire for direction?

Data in the US has shown 22 million people will be without health insurance and yet this US Government continues to push through a system doomed to failure, tearing down one that worked well for most Americans and calling Obama care flawed; is that irresponsible or is it gross negligence against the American people?

This US government has even taken away assurances for clean freshwater supplies in the US. Is that irresponsible or gross negligence against the American people?

Data has shown climate change to be the mother of all global problems and one that needs coordinated response from every country. The vast majority have responded, in a global effort to leave the planet in a safer condition and yet this Republican US Government, not only chooses to ignore the warnings, it actually wants to exacerbate the situation by ramping up fossil fuel mining and use.

Are these are acts of extreme negligence against the world?

The US is rapidly becoming irrelevant in world affairs and the US economy will likely be left behind, as global take up of new green technologies leaves the US in a no-mans-land of old and unwanted practices. When that occurs, other economies will possibly supersede the US and the balance of power will likely shift.

Will it go down in history that this US Government has lied to the people, not just of America but the rest of the world and committed global criminal negligence? Will this US Republican Government be eventually held responsible in a global court?

In the meantime, it will take a lot of legal wrangling and millions, if not billions of dollars to bring them to justice and to try to put the situation right. The impact from the current US Government’s ignorant decision-making could harm every human on Earth. What sort of penalty could we impose to pay for that? By that time, what would be the point?

    David Leigh

    Written by

    Welcome to a place where words matter. On Medium, smart voices and original ideas take center stage - with no ads in sight. Watch
    Follow all the topics you care about, and we’ll deliver the best stories for you to your homepage and inbox. Explore
    Get unlimited access to the best stories on Medium — and support writers while you’re at it. Just $5/month. Upgrade