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The A1 Verse: Our priority is not to save the planet

By Thomas Gaulkin | July 25, 2022

Illustration by Zdenek Sasek

Every so often, a story published on the front page of the New York Times is so well written, meaningful, and appropriate to the Bulletin’s concerns that small snippets of it, properly chosen and arranged, produce something more than journalism, something that approaches … poetry. That blessed coincidence occurred July 25, 2022.

We suspect it’ll occur again.


Congo to Auction Land to Oil Companies: ‘Our Priority Is Not to Save the Planet’

(from the original by Ruth Maclean and Dionne Searcey)

To the old earth,
the scramble for
sanctuary.
We must expect catastrophe,
and just watch
helplessly.
In come the pledges
for the world’s
poorest.
But the world’s priorities
have sent prices
soaring.


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Brian Whit
Brian Whit
2 years ago

At 64% employed, the $17K/yr is not the Congo’s priority.
Gotta get back to my vacation, my three sofa sized SUV, my congratulatory life saving work as an Ivy League wonk publishing articles nobody reads for little money I can afford it. . How Dare those Congolese!!