Here’s a little nugget buried in Harold Meyerson’s column today: “Before last week’s quake, House Republicans cut funding for training first responders to radiation disasters.” Not that we’re all that well prepared now.

Meyerson hopes that the tragedy in Japan might provide us with a “Lisbon Moment.” He was referring to the Great Lisbon Earthquake of 1755, which apparently changed a lot of peoples’ minds about a lot of things.

However, there are those with no minds to change. Not even a year past the BP Gulf oil spill, Newt Gringrich is resurrecting the old “drill baby drill” chant and his “American Solutions” organization promoting unregulated and unrestricted oil drilling in the Gulf. He doesn’t say in so many many words, but it’s apparent if you read between the lines.

And this is choice — the chair of the House Natural Resources Committee, Rep. “Doc” Hastings of Washington state, is pushing to get rid of Obama Administration offshore oil and gas policies and regulations.

Insane? Hey, the House is moving toward barring the EPA from regulating greenhouse gas emissions. They are also moving toward repealing climate change science. There are no limits to “crazy” any more.

So no, no one in the U.S. will learn anything from what’s happening in Japan.