It is easy to see what sets the NYT apart from more mediocre publications: its reporters have the ability to read minds. We see this demonstrated yet again in an article on the Bush administration's opposition to a draft G-8 statement that would call for large reductions in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. The article tells readers that, "the United States has refused to ratify the Kyoto Protocol because of concerns about damage to the American economy." It's really great that NYT reporters can know that concerns over the health of the U.S. economy are in fact what motivates the politicians who oppose restrictions on greenhouse gas emissions. Those of us who lack the ability to read minds and must rely on publicly available evidence might think their opposition is attributable to other factors. For example, the oil, coal, and auto industries, all of whom would see their profits depressed by measures to curb greenhouse gas emissions, are powerful political actors. They give large campaign contributions to members of Congress and presidential candidates. Those of us who don't read minds might believe that the politicians' opposition to reducing greenhouse gas emissions is attributable to a desire to please these powerful special interests. This explanation seems especially plausible since the same politicians have expressed no concern whatsoever about the lost jobs and damage to the economy resulting from Iraq war spending. Since these politicians don't appear to have any general concern about jobs and the health of the economy it seems peculiar that these factors would suddenly become important in the context of debates over global warming. Good thing that the NYT reporters can read minds, otherwise people might think that their elected representatives were just tools of special interests.
--Dean Baker