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Climate Change Denial, Bad Logic and Apathy
Today I received an email from a friend who is a die hard anti-climate change proponant. Fair enough.
But his reasoning is flawed and it's a common theme that comes across my desk: because there is Disaster Capitolism scam involved in all of this, therefore, climate change is also a scam.
To this concern I will address today's rant-o-licious offering.
-----------------------------
I've been saying all along that this was a scam. I guess I was right again.
--------------
It's flawed reasoning to suggest that because big business is a bunch of crooks who will rob us blind, therefore, climate change in not real. That's called a "non-sequitur". It's a form of logical fallacy. And, more importanly, it's not true.
"Companies cook the books and the laws and are driving a worldwide scam to generate fear so they can generate income and taxes while not reducing carbon emmissions at all - therefore - climate change is not real, but is part of the scam."
The conclusion does not follow from the premise in this example. Some interim steps are clearly missing. Like a reference to actual science.
In real, intellectual discussion or debate, the person you are trying to convince about the merits of your possition would spot that and you'd lose any persuasiveness that you wished to achieve.
In researching this notion you'll find that it's driven, both financially and ideologically, by the industries of energy and food production, along with several smaller concerns such as pure libertarianism. This is know as Astroturfing.
From a more researched perspective, those who hold that climate change is not real have had their free-floating anti-gov't and anti-corporation resentment usurped by big corporate interests. The anti-climate change "grass-roots outrage" has co-opted the emotions of the under educated to produce fake populism. It's fairly obvious to us onlookers that they are idiots.
Climate change is quite real. There is a mountain of real, actual evidence behind it. No real scientist denies this. Unless that scientist is on the payroll of big oil.
That being said, the powers that be are going to use it to create new legistaltion and profits that otherwise would never fly. It's currenly known as "disaster capitolism". If you haven't read the book The Shock Doctrine by Canadian author Naomi Klein, you should. In terms of understanding the history of how this came to be, this is a must read. I also suggest anything by Noam Chomski. His tremendous body of work is de rigeur in the understanding how our world actually works.
Carbon credits are a scam. Clearly. So what? There ain't nothin' we can do about it. So why fight it? That would be silly, yes? It'd be like complaining that a chess bishop can only move diagonally. Pointless. As the dad on Trailer Park Boys puts it; "It's the way she goes, Ricky, the way she goes..."
Frank said it best;
"The folks down in Washington,
They just takes care of number one.
And number one ain't you.
You ain't even number two."
from The Meek Shall Inherit Nothing
So, what's a fella to do about the shitty outcomes of our world? Easy, just remember that it's always been this way right from the very begining of time. It only seems bad because we are currently alive and experiencing it. Before we were born it took place in every previous generation. After we die it will continue to take place for the forseeable future. There now, doesn't that take some of the heat off of it all?
Will we all die in an earth scortching, $500 a bottle water shortage during the coming heat crisis? Probably. Will food cost as much as 10 times what it does today, with in 10 years? Yup. Will the powers-that-be attempt to make us all slaves and take away our rights and privacies? Already happening. Gloom and doom? Nope, just life on earth. Like it? Not for a minute. Let it ruin my life? Why would I do that? Oh, so you have happiness plan? Indeed!
The world is a huge scam. It's rediculous to go to our graves railing against something that no one, ever, anywhere has ever been able to, or will ever be able to, change. It's just "the way she goes." So rather than fight it why not take the Zen approach and use these excellent legislative, green, advantages to beat the system at their own game? In other words, why lose when you can win.
Why not have goals such as owning/sharecropping land, rather than eating the poisoned food and completely non-foods that they sell us? Why not be able to have an available source of pure, filtered deep earth water rather than the poison that comes from taps and bottles? Or be able to completely go off the grid, as they say, using solar, wind and geo-thermal energies rather than being victims of corporate energy costs? And what about the diminishing healthcare system? When the day comes that you need high-quality care (that isn't generally available to citizens) how's that gonna happen?
These are some of the questions that are more important than whether or not there's a big scam afoot. Of course there's a scam afoot. The question is; what are we going to do, individually, to "win" this stupid game? Not play? Well that's a forfeit, and leads only to being a victim. I advocate dipping ones laddle of success into the trough of money that is constanly flowing to anyone who wishes to participate; money from consumers as well as funding initiatives. Is that bad? Not at all. Don't like to see you tax dollars waisted? Tough shit. That's the way she goes. And always will. So the question arrises, "Do I really want to negatively affect my health and happiness in some Sisyphian struggle?" The question answers itself.
What I'm advocating is action. Individual action. Action that counts within our lives. Your life. My life. The life of anyone who wish it. Become a water vendor. Sell carbon offsets. Get an arts council grant to make art from garbage. But for pete's sake stop being an armchair whiner. Whiners are as much a part of the overall problem as the scammers are, because they promote apathy. They promote powerlessness. They are the poster children for learned helplessness.
"Get up! Get back on your feet! The world can't compete and you know it." from Fooling Yourself by Styx
But his reasoning is flawed and it's a common theme that comes across my desk: because there is Disaster Capitolism scam involved in all of this, therefore, climate change is also a scam.
To this concern I will address today's rant-o-licious offering.
-----------------------------
[a friend wrote:]"European Fraudsters Steal $7B in Carbon Credit Scam"
I've been saying all along that this was a scam. I guess I was right again.
--------------
It's flawed reasoning to suggest that because big business is a bunch of crooks who will rob us blind, therefore, climate change in not real. That's called a "non-sequitur". It's a form of logical fallacy. And, more importanly, it's not true.
"Companies cook the books and the laws and are driving a worldwide scam to generate fear so they can generate income and taxes while not reducing carbon emmissions at all - therefore - climate change is not real, but is part of the scam."
The conclusion does not follow from the premise in this example. Some interim steps are clearly missing. Like a reference to actual science.
In real, intellectual discussion or debate, the person you are trying to convince about the merits of your possition would spot that and you'd lose any persuasiveness that you wished to achieve.
In researching this notion you'll find that it's driven, both financially and ideologically, by the industries of energy and food production, along with several smaller concerns such as pure libertarianism. This is know as Astroturfing.
From a more researched perspective, those who hold that climate change is not real have had their free-floating anti-gov't and anti-corporation resentment usurped by big corporate interests. The anti-climate change "grass-roots outrage" has co-opted the emotions of the under educated to produce fake populism. It's fairly obvious to us onlookers that they are idiots.
Climate change is quite real. There is a mountain of real, actual evidence behind it. No real scientist denies this. Unless that scientist is on the payroll of big oil.
That being said, the powers that be are going to use it to create new legistaltion and profits that otherwise would never fly. It's currenly known as "disaster capitolism". If you haven't read the book The Shock Doctrine by Canadian author Naomi Klein, you should. In terms of understanding the history of how this came to be, this is a must read. I also suggest anything by Noam Chomski. His tremendous body of work is de rigeur in the understanding how our world actually works.
Carbon credits are a scam. Clearly. So what? There ain't nothin' we can do about it. So why fight it? That would be silly, yes? It'd be like complaining that a chess bishop can only move diagonally. Pointless. As the dad on Trailer Park Boys puts it; "It's the way she goes, Ricky, the way she goes..."
Frank said it best;
"The folks down in Washington,
They just takes care of number one.
And number one ain't you.
You ain't even number two."
from The Meek Shall Inherit Nothing
So, what's a fella to do about the shitty outcomes of our world? Easy, just remember that it's always been this way right from the very begining of time. It only seems bad because we are currently alive and experiencing it. Before we were born it took place in every previous generation. After we die it will continue to take place for the forseeable future. There now, doesn't that take some of the heat off of it all?
Will we all die in an earth scortching, $500 a bottle water shortage during the coming heat crisis? Probably. Will food cost as much as 10 times what it does today, with in 10 years? Yup. Will the powers-that-be attempt to make us all slaves and take away our rights and privacies? Already happening. Gloom and doom? Nope, just life on earth. Like it? Not for a minute. Let it ruin my life? Why would I do that? Oh, so you have happiness plan? Indeed!
The world is a huge scam. It's rediculous to go to our graves railing against something that no one, ever, anywhere has ever been able to, or will ever be able to, change. It's just "the way she goes." So rather than fight it why not take the Zen approach and use these excellent legislative, green, advantages to beat the system at their own game? In other words, why lose when you can win.
Why not have goals such as owning/sharecropping land, rather than eating the poisoned food and completely non-foods that they sell us? Why not be able to have an available source of pure, filtered deep earth water rather than the poison that comes from taps and bottles? Or be able to completely go off the grid, as they say, using solar, wind and geo-thermal energies rather than being victims of corporate energy costs? And what about the diminishing healthcare system? When the day comes that you need high-quality care (that isn't generally available to citizens) how's that gonna happen?
These are some of the questions that are more important than whether or not there's a big scam afoot. Of course there's a scam afoot. The question is; what are we going to do, individually, to "win" this stupid game? Not play? Well that's a forfeit, and leads only to being a victim. I advocate dipping ones laddle of success into the trough of money that is constanly flowing to anyone who wishes to participate; money from consumers as well as funding initiatives. Is that bad? Not at all. Don't like to see you tax dollars waisted? Tough shit. That's the way she goes. And always will. So the question arrises, "Do I really want to negatively affect my health and happiness in some Sisyphian struggle?" The question answers itself.
What I'm advocating is action. Individual action. Action that counts within our lives. Your life. My life. The life of anyone who wish it. Become a water vendor. Sell carbon offsets. Get an arts council grant to make art from garbage. But for pete's sake stop being an armchair whiner. Whiners are as much a part of the overall problem as the scammers are, because they promote apathy. They promote powerlessness. They are the poster children for learned helplessness.
"Get up! Get back on your feet! The world can't compete and you know it." from Fooling Yourself by Styx
No replies - reply
Climategate and other Media Nonsense
This comes in response to a conversation I had yesterday with a good friend. He seemed to indicate that he was buying into the "climate-gate" nonsense. I felt the topic was too big for a from-basics tutorial so I let it slide. Today I put together this as a response and prophylactic against climate denial nonsense.
"Truth is sought for its own sake. And those who are engaged upon the quest for anything for its own sake are not interested in other things. Finding the truth is difficult, and the road to it is rough." Alhazen
Just take a look at who the people that you see on TV actually are. (that's where The Google comes in) You'll discover that they are almost always consevatives who prepresent corporations that have an interest in killing legislation that will curb carbon emissions and are the ones funding and fueling the "grassroots" anti-climate-change protests.. Curbing carbon emissions will mean that their carbon-based industries will me less profitable. There is, therefore, a huge, well funded anti human-caused warming industry.
The Dumbening
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P70SlEqX7oY
Solar Activity.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Sf_UIQYc20
Temperature Leads Carbon?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hWJeqgG3Tl8
Small Concentrations are Important
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vFGU6qvkmTI&feature=related
"I am capable of comprehending very small numbers." Mr Spock
Denial Ideologue
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0HGFSUx2a8&feature=related
Birth of a Denialist
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=khikoh3sJg8
The rest of greenman3610's videos. A good watch.
http://www.youtube.com/user/greenman3610
This is an article about how the science of climate change works and why the climate change deniers are wrong.
http://thethirdestate.net/2009/11/debunking-climategate/
Worth a read.
"The Central Intelligence Agency owns everyone of any significance in the major media." - William Colby, Ex Director of the CIA
"Knowledge is a jouney, not a destination." ed paraphrasing someone
The Scientific Method
Understanding how science works is the first step towards understanding how scientists know that they are correct in their findings. Without knowing how the scientific method works, it all seems mysterious and opinion-based. It's neither."Truth is sought for its own sake. And those who are engaged upon the quest for anything for its own sake are not interested in other things. Finding the truth is difficult, and the road to it is rough." Alhazen
TV as a Tool of Thought Control
The propagandists that you hear on TV know this. They know that, generally speaking, you-the-viewer know nothing about how the science of climate studies works. So their arguments "seem" very good because they're the *only* side you'll hear on TV, with only a scant, few exceptions.Just take a look at who the people that you see on TV actually are. (that's where The Google comes in) You'll discover that they are almost always consevatives who prepresent corporations that have an interest in killing legislation that will curb carbon emissions and are the ones funding and fueling the "grassroots" anti-climate-change protests.. Curbing carbon emissions will mean that their carbon-based industries will me less profitable. There is, therefore, a huge, well funded anti human-caused warming industry.
Climate Change Denial is Bullshit.
Here are a few of the best short, great videos by greenman3610.The Dumbening
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P70SlEqX7oY
Solar Activity.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Sf_UIQYc20
Temperature Leads Carbon?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hWJeqgG3Tl8
Small Concentrations are Important
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vFGU6qvkmTI&feature=related
"I am capable of comprehending very small numbers." Mr Spock
Denial Ideologue
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0HGFSUx2a8&feature=related
Birth of a Denialist
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=khikoh3sJg8
The rest of greenman3610's videos. A good watch.
http://www.youtube.com/user/greenman3610
This is an article about how the science of climate change works and why the climate change deniers are wrong.
http://thethirdestate.net/2009/11/debunking-climategate/
Worth a read.
Elitist Overlords
Remember, the people you see on TV are the wealthiest people in America,(1)(2)(3)(4), shilling for themselves, their interests, and the worlds biggest corporations and weapons makers that own the neworks. TV is the "narrative" they need you to believe to move the program forward. Almost none of what you hear on TV it is true. It's all propaganda , hyperbole, sophistry and rhetoric of one sort or another. TV News Lies."The Central Intelligence Agency owns everyone of any significance in the major media." - William Colby, Ex Director of the CIA
"Knowledge is a jouney, not a destination." ed paraphrasing someone
No replies - reply
Chris Hedges says "Liberals are Useless", as observed by their collective inability to govern on behalf of the people who elected them.
I disagree. Somewhat.
Liberals are fine; Democrats are useless.
As I see it, all politics moves to the right. Wittness the US shuffle.
Republicans have moved right, assuring their demise in terms of across-the-board acceptance.
Democrats are the new party of business, that the Repub's used to be.
The Greens, ala Nadir et all, will fill the void on the left.
And life goes on.
I disagree. Somewhat.
Liberals are fine; Democrats are useless.
As I see it, all politics moves to the right. Wittness the US shuffle.
Republicans have moved right, assuring their demise in terms of across-the-board acceptance.
Democrats are the new party of business, that the Repub's used to be.
The Greens, ala Nadir et all, will fill the void on the left.
And life goes on.
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