We the People: The dangers presented by Ted Cruz

Senator Ted Cruz is nipping at Donald Trump’s heels in the polls and the prospect of Mr. Cruz instead of the Donald sitting in the Oval Office is a very frightening one. Mr. Cruz is a wrong-headed, ideologically motivated obstructionist, but it is his inflexible ultra-conservative positions on legal and policy issues including gun control that should give voters reason to pause.

If the Republican National Committee feels it must support him as the only viable Republican candidate, then he would be a formidable opponent to Mrs. Clinton in November. However, the GOP should choose another candidate when it finally dumps Mr. Trump. Mr. Cruz would certainly not garner support among scientists or environmentalists with his opinions on global warning.

New York City will enjoy a 72° Christmas Eve, which makes the reality of climate change harder to deny although Mr. Cruz is comfortable denying it. 2015 is almost certain to be the hottest year on record since 1880 and, if it is, it will break the record set last year in 2014.

Meanwhile, alternative energy production has not put a dent in skyrocketing carbon gas emissions that come from commerce and industry. We need leaders to set standards and limits for carbon emissions. We must continue to fund production and research in low-carbon technologies. The energy companies will not do it since there is no incentive in it for them.

Whatever policies are adopted, tax money will be needed if there is to be a hope of reduction in the carbon emissions that cause global warming. Energy conservation still requires no new technology and it involves no onerous regulation. In the United States, if Congress could be restrained from poaching the money, a specific additional tax on gasoline and diesel fuel would lead to conservation and investment in mass transit while the tax money could be dedicated directly to reducing the national debt.

We do not have the technology to make renewable energy an economic alternative to fossil fuel use but our government must not ignore the problem. Mr. Cruz would let the problem be corrected by the economy which actually created the problem.

Mr. Cruz told NPR that “climate change” is a “pseudoscientific theory for a big-government politician who wants more power.” Does he mean that the planet is not getting warmer? He scoffed at scientists because he contended it was scientists who claimed the Earth was cooling in the 1970s and they took government money to study and stop it.

He contended further that the same scientists now claim the Earth is warming and have their hands out for money to study and stop global warming. The answer cannot come from science or government according to this candidate.

He said, “I fully expect in 100 years or maybe 50 years or maybe even 10 or 20 years, I mean, change can be very rapid, … will move [us] to different energy sources than we are using today … innovation … from the American free-enterprise system … will come from innovators putting capital at work.” This simplistic faith that a solution that will just appear without government action is an ominous foreshadowing of what he would do to the nation as president.

The innovators of his vision are corporate conglomerates who will no doubt exercise their right of free speech by “donating” a portion of their profits to assure that a willing tool of business could be elected president. They would be happy to allow individual enterprise to take care of the problems of the people. Mr. Cruz could make his next “innovation” a free enterprise plan to create a private Social Security system.

On Middle East policy, Mr. Cruz has support from Bernie Sanders. They agree that Bashar al-Assad, the bloodthirsty dictator of Syria, should be allowed to stay in power as part of our fight against ISIS. The belief is based on the false premise that Assad is fighting against ISIS.

Assad is actually using ISIS as a shield against Western opposition to his regime, and he uses and sustains ISIS because it serves his interests. He allowed fanatic muhajadeen fighters to travel through Syria to fight U.S. and coalition forces in Iraq. He currently allows ISIS oil to be sold through Syria. Foreign policy analysts have concluded that “a de facto truce” is in place between ISIS and Syria.

Assad allowed ISIS to grow so it could eliminate moderate rebels opposed to his rule, which is why less than 10 percent of Syrian military operations target ISIS forces. Assad attacks the rebels while ISIS attacks the rebels and the ISIS presence in Syria gave Vladimir Putin justification to intervene into the conflict. The State Department reported that more than 90 percent of Russian air strikes in Syria target non-ISIS opposition. Assad has two allies in the fight for his political life: ISIS and Russia.

Russia increased its support for Assad with the deployment of air-defense systems in contested areas of Syria where moderate rebels were receiving U.S. air support. The air-defense resulted in our warplanes being grounded.

Russia risked conflict with the United States to support Assad in his battle with the moderate rebels. Does anyone believe that a friend of Mr. Putin is a friend of the American people? Does Mr. Cruz really believe that Assad is a partner in our fight against ISIS? We can discuss it in shorts and tank tops on Christmas Day.