As Democratic Rep. Cori Bush accused an energy expert of possessing racist opinions, the energy expert shot back with a fiery rebuttal of her claims.
Bush accuses energy expert of white supremacist sentiments
The author of “The Moral Argument for Fossil Fuels” and “Fossil Future,” Alex Epstein, claimed the drama started last week when he answered a query about whether or not his beliefs were racist from the paper’s climate change correspondent.
Meanwhile, at a Wednesday hearing on the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, the Missouri “Squad” congresswoman charged Alex Epstein, a fossil fuel enthusiast and House GOP witness, of once “expressing white supremacist sentiments.”
When I agreed to testify about the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, I didn’t expect the hearing’s lead Democrat, @CoriBush, to make a prepared statement falsely accusing me of having “espoused White Supremacist views”!
Fortunately, I got the chance to respond.
Here’s how it went. pic.twitter.com/lgS4RNlbyz
— Alex Epstein (@AlexEpstein) March 9, 2023
As evidence, Bush cited an article from Epstein’s undergraduate paper, in which he declared western culture superior to other cultures.
For example, he stated in his student newspaper in 2000, “The African American Studies Department offers 23 classes. In a number of these courses, African culture is presented as being on par with western culture.”
Bush also highlighted Epstein’s criticism of his university for equating “South American, Indian, and American Indian culture” with western civilization.
The Democrat criticized the Republican witness for “doubling down on this narrative,” rather than “disavowing” it in a recent interview.
Bush went on to accuse the Republican witness of appearing to “support fossil fuels, which we know disproportionately hurt and kill black and brown people.”
Energy expert disavows ‘vile and untrue’ accusations
When it came Epstein’s chance to answer, he instantly disavowed the “vile and untrue assault” and then demolished the Democrat’s reasoning. He said, “I’ve contended my entire adult life that western civilization is superior because it encourages independence and freedom.”
Bush was informed by Epstein that he would not apologize for stating that western civilization was superior to all others. Epstein argued that many regions of the world were “inferior,” due to culturally acceptable harsh practices.
“Female genital mutilation is practiced by these individuals. They are slaves in these parts of the world. These [cultures] are inferior to those that do not mutilate female genitalia and do not enslave humans. And, as a result of all that, I make no apology,” he fired back.
Epstein stated that Bush’s categorization of his ideas as “racist” was, in fact, inaccurate. He told Bush the notion that freedom, reason, and individualism only apply to persons of specific skin tones is the underlying foundation of racism.
The Republican witness spoke on “The Ingraham Angle” on Thursday, where he described Bush’s behavior as “embarrassing.”
Unconscionable
Instead of censuring @CoriBush for falsely accusing me of “White Supremacist views” at a hearing, the OFFICIAL DEMOCRATIC OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE issued a Press Release accusing me of “white nationalist ideology.”
I demand an immediate public apology. https://t.co/d0IJ4xaKjg pic.twitter.com/nIx3LiBd6u
— Alex Epstein (@AlexEpstein) March 10, 2023
“I wrote extensive testimony and submitted it in advance and then she begins with this?” he recalled.
“That was so mortifying. I brought up so many points, but none of them were answered. I also denied allegations that I was a pawn for the fossil fuel industry.”
This article appeared in Right Wing Insider and has been published here with permission.
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