Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders is out with yet another climate proposal, this time to prosecute fossil fuel executives for causing climate change.
In a tweet, the Vermont senator laid out his plan to go after certain energy companies.
The attack continues on his campaign website:
“Bernie promises to go further than any other presidential candidate in history to end the fossil fuel industry’s greed, including by making the industry pay for its pollution and prosecuting it for the damage it has caused.”
The problem? Sanders didn’t explain what laws these companies have broken. Spoiler alert: Providing affordable, reliable energy isn’t a crime anywhere, least of all in the United States.
Fossil fuel executives should be criminally prosecuted for the destruction they have knowingly caused. #GreenNewDeal
— Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) August 22, 2019
But because Sanders personally doesn’t like what these companies do, he believes they should be taken to court.
To achieve this, Sanders would direct the U.S. Department of Justice and Securities and Exchange Commission to pursue criminal and civil charges.
This sets a dangerous precedent of the President of the United States directing independent law enforcement organizations that are traditionally outside the scope of partisan politics to target companies based on the personal preferences of elected leaders.
News flash: that’s not how democracy works. And that’s not how our justice system works.
Walter Olson, a senior fellow at the Cato Institute, critiqued Sanders’ blatant misrepresentation of conspiracies and illegal actions:
Another common belief in the land of #TwitterLaw is that there is a general criminal law against “conspiracy” that floats free of any need to establish the illegality of the planned actions.
— Walter Olson (@walterolson) August 23, 2019
Sanders’ latest proposal hasn’t only faced criticism from conservatives, but also liberals who lament it as “designed to fail.”
Mother Jones columnist Kevin Drum gave the plan a “D-” and said:
“If you’re going to propose a massive, $16 trillion plan, the first thing you should do is get as many people on board as possible. Instead, Sanders practically revels in pissing off as many stakeholders as possible. He’s going to tax the rich. He’s going to hobble the fossil fuel industry. He’s going to ban nuclear power. He’s going to nationalize electric generation and turn it over to the federal government.” (emphasis added)
Even those who oppose fossil fuels acknowledged that Sanders’ plan doesn’t have a leg to stand on. Leah Stokes, an assistant professor of environmental politics at the University of California at Santa Barbara said:
“I don’t think he can back it up with the law. But the fossil fuel industry does need to wake up, and his rhetoric is helpful in that regard.” (emphasis added)
The Washington Post editorial board also rejected Sander’s plan that “elicited eye rolls.” Their editorial said:
“We do not know, precisely, what the most efficient path looks like. We are also certain that Mr. Sanders does not.”
Serious solutions are needed to keep the American economy strong while making progress to protect the environment. It’s clear that Sanders does not offer that.
Instead, he seems intent on releasing unrealistic proposals, making up the law as he goes along, to prosecute those he doesn’t like. That’s a dangerous threat to the American economy and our democratic and judicial systems.
Read more at EID Climate
Watch a video of a Hitler speech and tell me Bernie doesn’t look the same .
Screaming and pointing but it’s OK. Bernie is going to lose to the fake Indian first who in tern will be replaced by oh …. Steyer or some surprise candidate brought in to save the party from oblivion .
The store front manikin won’t even remember what country he is in a year from now . He’s right, he isn’t nuts just way way past his best by date , like two decades .
Lordy lordy the Democrats could use a little James Comey …. integrity .
Most of the people that Hitler imprisoned broke no laws. The term eco-Nazi has a very true meaning.
Really Bernie needs a quiet place and time out .
Is the Democrat strategy to appear full on nuts ?
Bernie’s Plan … Nationalize the energy sector , criminally prosecute people who have produced the highest standard of living in a billion years while selling legally available products . Now there is a winning candidate .
Anyone so completely out of touch with reality is crying out for help .
Go away Bernie before you waste more money you don’t have .
Bernie’s negotiation style is to out shout , get red faced and wave his arms around . Hillary dust off your comfy shoes .
Bernie can say anything he wants, knowing full well he’ll never win the nomination, let alone the White House. He’s PO’d at democracy and capitalism. His policies have been gathering dust for one good reason: they fail when implemented.
Loons,Coukoos and Turkeys yet these Birds have more common sense then dose this nutbar dose
And from the posting about Andrew Yang’s plan to fight the non-existent human-caused climate change he proposes not hiring any former lobbyists or executives of fossil fuel companies. Both of these are totally ludicrous. But Bernie’s comes from his Communist roots where private enterprise is hated and must be destroyed.
Good lord, Bernie does not comprehend the huge advantages petroleum fuels has brought to humanity the last 200 years.
And he wants to ban that?
Good lord, Bernie does not comprehend the huge advantages petroleum fuels has brought to humanity the last 200 years.
And he wants to ban that?