Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Clive Hamilton preaches to the believers: tells them to “cringe” at deniers (Climate Change)
JoNova ^ | August 27th, 2013 | Joanne

Posted on 08/29/2013 11:12:00 AM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach

The ABC keeps giving us more reasons to say “Privatize the national broadcaster”. Such is the quality of the insights on offer.

Clive Hamilton, ethics professor and former Greens candidate, uses most of the alarmist toolbox on the ABC Drum --the name-calling, hypocrisy, and argumentum ad auctoritatem. He still can’t tell the difference between science and religion, he thinks science works like a church, with decrees issued from the Mount. He talks of the mythical God known as “the science”. Clive has read the leak of the latest commandment from on high, and it says “95%”! There is gnashing of teeth:

Further confirmation of the science will certainly not persuade any climate science deniers. They are beyond persuasion, because the argument is only superficially about the science. It’s really about culture and ideology.

Strangely, he’s unwitting hit upon a truth. But it’s a projection of his headspace, run rife. Who denies the evidence showing climate models are broken. Whose argument is superficial? Who doesn’t even know what science is? Yes, really this is about culture and ideology. His. And it’s a dark ideology; read on.

What Clive wants more than anything is to monsterize anyone who questions his faith. His scorn for those who don’t wholeheartedly bow to the God of Alarm is complete, and his fantasy wish is to make that hatred a stronger part of our culture.

This is what it’s all about — the nub:

I have been in rooms where even sophisticated people who would cringe at being associated with climate deniers look for comfortable ways out. They pull back from what the science requires because the policy task looks too hard, oblivious to the fact that it now looks harder because others before them have reacted with the same timidity.

He hopes people will cringe rather than listen to deniers. (God forbid that citizens might have a polite discussion, or there be an actual debate like in a courtroom or a parliament.) Hamilton is delivering his sermon to the poor sods who read the ABC Drum. He’s reminding them that skeptics are the lepers of our community, and if any of the faithful should make the mistake of asking whether a foreign government committee might be less than 100% correct (in being 95% scared), they shall be shunned from the Citadel of Ultimo.

Sadly for him, the vicious bullying campaign is past the useby date, people are awake to it, and the more he does it, the sillier it looks. The ABC and to some extent, Hamilton, live off the largess of Australian taxpayers, and yet something like 70% of them don’t want the government spending any more of their money on “environmental issues.”

The Science has spoken:

The point is that politicians instinctively know all of this. They know that most Australians accept the science and are at times worried about climate change. They want their governments to ‘do something’ and make the problem go away.

He “knows” that the citizens are shallow people, feeling guilty and looking for a cheap way out. No wonder the Greens don’t like  mainstream Australians. What else can we infer from this:

Yet our political leaders also know, from street talk, focus groups and hard political experience, that Australians want symbolic actions only, actions that will make them feel better about themselves but not require anything of them. When political leaders get it wrong, and take what voters tell pollsters at face value, they find themselves in hot water.

By this view, the world is going to hell in a handbasket, Australians know it, but are too selfish and stupid to act. So little respect is shown for the unwashed masses views there’s an element of class warfare. Those who drink from Clive’s bowl find reasons to resent most Australians, but gain no understanding. Is this what the ABC is for?

There’s no acknowledgment in Clive’s “Good or Evil” world that the unwashed masses may have a more complex view entirely -  perhaps Australians are aware of which answer they are supposed to give on surveys, but they also know the Green policies to change the weather are pointless, so they tick the boxes that say: “Yes I believe” but no, “Don’t waste the money”. Hamilton spends the next seven paragraphs trying to explain the current dismal state and paroxysms of Australian politics. As far as he can see, there is only one explanation. “The Science” (kneel you fool) is correct and all the politicians are being dumped because they can’t get the impossible “nuances right”. (He doesn’t actually say what particular “nuance” politicians can use to hold back the tide without imposing extra costs. Details!)

I humbly suggest there is another explanation Clive, and it’ll knock your socks off. Perhaps the political carnage is occurring because skeptics are right? Reality bites eh? How about this: A group of self-serving shepherds and their obedient sheep thought they could change the weather, and they bullied, badgered, cajoled and insisted everyone else pay for it. Despite the campaign to make skeptics “cringeworthy”, increasingly the public saw through it, recognized the unscientific nature of this non-debate, and the sheep left the flock.

My questions for Clive,  Professor of Public Ethics at Charles Sturt University: How is it ethical to use public funds to try to shut down debate with name-calling and ill-informed slurs about half the population? Don’t you feel any obligation to do some research to support your claims about the group you call “Deniers”. Is it ethical to ignore and denigrate half the population for their views, especially when you cannot point to actual evidence (data, not government authorities) that they are wrong? What happens if the temperature drops significantly?

Now, back to that “privatization”. It could help Tony Abbott balance the budget (should he become PM). That’s a billion dollars in annual costs avoided, and perhaps Fairfax will buy it to reach the audience they lost.

I can also suggest some savings in the ARC budget too…

H/t John Coochey

*************************************************************************

The short killer summary: The Skeptics Handbook. The most deadly point: The Missing Hot Spot.


TOPICS: Conspiracy; Science; Weather
KEYWORDS: climatechange; globalwarming; globalwarminghoax
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-29 last
To: Wuli
*“They pull back from what the science requires because the policy task looks too hard”*

...or because we don't want to pay $700 TRILLION to fix a nonexistent problem.

...or because we don't want to give up nearly all of our freedoms for an obvious hoax.

...or because a large number of us have figured out that when al Gore says, “Gotcher nose” that he, in fact, doe not have our nose between his 2 fingers, but his own thumb.

21 posted on 08/29/2013 3:14:33 PM PDT by PATRIOT1876
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 20 | View Replies]

To: Ernest_at_the_Beach
Perfect.
Climate change hoaxers who can't refute with facts are advised to over-emote.
Now that's a debate winning strategy.
And if it doesn't work it's good training if silent movies ever make a big comeback.
22 posted on 08/29/2013 4:00:01 PM PDT by Amagi (God Save the Republic.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Ernest_at_the_Beach
Gore pushes a hand into Hamilton's ribs and says, back off boy.
What are you trying to do, replace me as being the biggest idiot.
23 posted on 08/29/2013 6:53:02 PM PDT by Marine_Uncle (Galt level is not far away......)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: Ernest_at_the_Beach; 11B40; A Balrog of Morgoth; A message; ACelt; Aeronaut; AFPhys; AlexW; ...
DOOMAGE!

Global Warming PING!

You have been pinged because of your interest in environmentalism, alarmist wackos, mainstream media doomsday hype, and other issues pertaining to global warming.

Freep-mail me to get on or off: Add me / Remove me

Please ping me to all note-worthy threads on global warming.

Al’s Global Warming Mega- Church

Global Warming on Free Republic

Latest from Global Warming News

Latest from Real Climate

Latest from Climate Depot

Latest from Greenie Watch

Latest from Junk Science

Latest from Terra Daily

24 posted on 08/29/2013 9:44:33 PM PDT by Tolerance Sucks Rocks (Major brain damage at UMES, but no property damage!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Jack Hydrazine
This winter is going to be brutal for the USA and the rest of the Northern Hemisphere. Can’t wait for the Gore Effect to take place in your region!

I heard that last year.

Someone I met was an amateur meteorologist and had done some research into weather patterns.

After the exceedingly mild winter we had almost two years ago, he told us (me and a friend) that the winter following wasn't so bad but the second one was the one to watch out for.

Just curious, why do YOU say that?

25 posted on 08/30/2013 1:26:15 AM PDT by metmom ( For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore & do not submit again to a yoke of slavery)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: metmom

North Pole Sees Unprecedented July Cold – Arctic Sees Shortest Summer On Record...
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/3050902/posts

Read the headlines from this website.
http://iceagenow.info/


26 posted on 08/30/2013 1:45:51 AM PDT by Jack Hydrazine (IÂ’m not a Republican, I'm a Conservative! Pubbies haven't been conservative since before T.R.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 25 | View Replies]

To: metmom

Solar cycle is coming down from an exceptionally weak peak, weaker than any seen since the early 1800’s, when we came out of the Little Ice Age.


27 posted on 08/30/2013 2:08:32 AM PDT by SauronOfMordor (Hold the pig steady)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 25 | View Replies]

To: SauronOfMordor

OK. Thanks!


28 posted on 08/30/2013 2:36:18 AM PDT by metmom ( For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore & do not submit again to a yoke of slavery)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 27 | View Replies]

To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks

Thanks for the ping.


29 posted on 08/30/2013 6:42:45 AM PDT by GOPJ (Chicago's 10 year murder toll exceeds that of all US soldiers killed in Afghanistan..)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 24 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-29 last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson