Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

How the science of persuasion could change the politics of climate change
MIT Technology Review ^ | April 16, 2018 | by James Temple

Posted on 04/16/2018 6:22:34 AM PDT by Oldeconomybuyer

Jerry Taylor believes he can change the minds of conservative climate skeptics. After all, he helped plant the doubts for many in the first place.

He’s president of the Niskanen Center, a libertarian-leaning Washington, DC, think tank he founded in 2014. He and his colleagues there are trying to build support for the passage of an aggressive federal carbon tax, through discussions with Washington insiders, with a particular focus on Republican legislators and their staff.

Lesson one: Pick the right targets

Political scientists consistently find that mass opinion doesn’t drive the policy debate, so much as the other way around. Partisan divides emerge first among “elites,” including influential advocacy groups, high-profile commentators, and politicians, says Megan Mullin, an associate professor of environmental politics at Duke University.

Lesson 2: Depoliticize the issue

When Taylor sits down across from them, his standard opening goes: “I understand why you’re skeptical. I probably wrote most of the talking points you’ve read. But I changed my mind, and let me explain why I did.”

Lesson 3: Pick the right policies

Former congressman Bob Inglis, a South Carolina Republican, also argues that the GOP will come around to a carbon tax, particularly if parties can reach a grand bargain that includes the rollback of regulatory efforts like the Clean Power Plan.

Lesson 4: Find areas of common ground

Another strategy that political scientists have advanced for enacting climate-friendly policies relates to the “co-benefits theory.” The basic concept is that many of the same steps that will cut greenhouse-gas emissions will also promote technological innovation, energy independence, national security, air quality, health, and jobs.

(Excerpt) Read more at technologyreview.com ...


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; US: District of Columbia; US: Massachusetts; US: North Carolina; US: South Carolina
KEYWORDS: 2018election; 2020election; bobinglis; carbontax; classicalliberalism; cleanpowerplan; climatechange; districtofcolumbia; dukeuniversity; durham; election2018; election2020; globalwarming; globalwarminghoax; hoax; homosexualagenda; incometaxes; jerrytaylor; libertarian; libertarianism; libertarians; manufacturedconsent; massachusetts; medicalmarijuana; meganmullin; niskanencenter; northcarolina; propaganda; socialism; southcarolina; taxcutsandjobsact; taxreform; tcja
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-50 next last
To: Oldeconomybuyer
Jerry Taylor believes he can change the minds of conservative climate skeptics. After all, he helped plant the doubts for many in the first place. He’s president of the Niskanen Center, a libertarian-leaning Washington, DC, think tank he founded in 2014. He and his colleagues there are trying to build support for the passage of an aggressive federal carbon tax, through discussions with Washington insiders, with a particular focus on Republican legislators and their staff.

I don't have conclusive facts to support this, but based on his own words, Jerry Taylor fits the profile of a bought-and-paid-for concern troll.

He sounds a lot like:

"I voted for Barack Obama and for Hillary Clinton, and for so many years I supported Planned Parenthood and a woman's choice to have an abortion, but after finding out that Planned Parenthood is a sham that is mainly in business to sell the body parts of aborted infants, I've changed my mind."

Yeah, most people would have some doubts about that.

MIT Technology Review is, at its heart, just as much a leftist-inspired propaganda organ as Scientific American.

21 posted on 04/16/2018 6:57:51 AM PDT by Zeppo ("Happy Pony is on - and I'm NOT missing Happy Pony")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: WayneS

A revenue-neutral tax is an oxymoron.

Taxes seldom stay revenue-neutral even if they’re sold to be that in the first place.

Just how stupid do they think we are?


22 posted on 04/16/2018 7:00:27 AM PDT by goldstategop (In Memory Of A Dearly Beloved Friend Who Lives In My Heart Forever)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 18 | View Replies]

To: goldstategop

As I said, what is called “liberal” today has NOTHING to do with the classical meaning of Liberal.


23 posted on 04/16/2018 7:03:41 AM PDT by HamiltonJay
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 19 | View Replies]

To: Chipper

It sounds very liberaltarian to me.


24 posted on 04/16/2018 7:09:56 AM PDT by SaraJohnson ( Whites must sue for racism. It's pay day.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: Oldeconomybuyer

I hope they didn’t read Scott Adams’ new book. I like the Warmistas staying in “shrieking totalitarian ex-wife” mode to win the hearts and minds.


25 posted on 04/16/2018 7:10:53 AM PDT by Bryanw92 (Asking a pro athlete for political advice is like asking a cavalry horse for tactical advice.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Oldeconomybuyer

>>He’s president of the Niskanen Center, a libertarian-leaning Washington, DC, think tank he founded in 2014.

Libertarian huh?

>>He and his colleagues there are trying to build support for the passage of an aggressive federal carbon tax, through discussions with Washington insiders, with a particular focus on Republican legislators and their staff.

Oh, LiberALtarian. I’ve know a few of those “libertarians” over the years.


26 posted on 04/16/2018 7:12:52 AM PDT by Bryanw92 (Asking a pro athlete for political advice is like asking a cavalry horse for tactical advice.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Oldeconomybuyer
He’s president of the Niskanen Center, a libertarian-leaning Washington, DC, think tank he founded in 2014. He and his colleagues there are trying to build support for the passage of an aggressive federal carbon tax, through discussions with Washington insiders, with a particular focus on Republican legislators and their staff.

So, IOW, he's a commie lib trying to steal more of the American people's money by raising taxes. You can still pollute and destroy da planet as long as you pay us to do it.

27 posted on 04/16/2018 7:18:34 AM PDT by FlingWingFlyer (#NotARussianBot)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Oldeconomybuyer

So he advocates pushing the fraudulent “science” of manmade global warming using the unethical and immoral science of mind-control.


28 posted on 04/16/2018 7:23:21 AM PDT by unlearner (A war is coming.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: goldstategop

A tax raised revenue. If there is also implemented a corresponding tax elimination of rate decrease of some other tax then the two taxes would be revenue neutral if their net revenue is 0.


29 posted on 04/16/2018 7:25:37 AM PDT by FreedomNotSafety
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 22 | View Replies]

To: Opinionated Blowhard

First, no one denies humans can change the climate - the question is how much, and whether it matters? But beyond that, there are MANY reasons to believe the global warming numbers don’t hold up and I guarantee this joker is not the source of those doubts.


30 posted on 04/16/2018 7:33:45 AM PDT by DaxtonBrown
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Oldeconomybuyer

Maybe he could persuade more people if he didn’t Pursue it with blinders on. Climate change is not a one cause problem, time to look at a complex resolution.


31 posted on 04/16/2018 7:35:00 AM PDT by Retvet (Retvet)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Oldeconomybuyer
Lesson one: Pick the right targets

translation: Stage relentless attacks against people like Laura Ingraham who have already proven that they will cave.

This is nothing but warmed-over Alinsky.


32 posted on 04/16/2018 7:36:59 AM PDT by Buckeye McFrog
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Oldeconomybuyer

Since when do libertarians want to increase governmental power?


33 posted on 04/16/2018 7:37:50 AM PDT by Nifster (I see puppy dogs in the clouds)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Oldeconomybuyer

They have it backwards.

It is politics that has changed to “science” of climate change.

If it were science, nothing like the politics in the article above would be needed.


34 posted on 04/16/2018 7:40:20 AM PDT by fruser1
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Oldeconomybuyer

Hey Jerry fool yourself much?


35 posted on 04/16/2018 7:40:53 AM PDT by jmaroneps37 (Conservatism is truth. Liberalism is lies.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Oldeconomybuyer
Former congressman Bob Inglis, a South Carolina Republican, also argues that the GOP will come around to a carbon tax

Oh what a surprise, a republican admitting that they want to raise taxes if they can only figure out how to get away with it. Most GOP are just democrats who have to lie about who they are and what they want to do to get elected.

36 posted on 04/16/2018 7:41:34 AM PDT by pepsi_junkie (Russians couldnt have done a better job destroying sacred American institutions than Democrats have)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Oldeconomybuyer

“Political scientists consistently find that mass opinion doesn’t drive the policy debate, so much as the other way around. Partisan divides emerge first among “elites,” including influential advocacy groups, high-profile commentators, and politicians, says Megan Mullin, an associate professor of environmental politics at Duke University.”

That definitely was true regarding same sex marriage and the transgender delusions. They rammed it through even though the vast majority opposed both. The way they did it is through the courts, the least representative of the three branches. It’s a huge weakness in our system when a few unelected people can override the majority on policy issues.


37 posted on 04/16/2018 8:14:32 AM PDT by aquila48
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: DaxtonBrown
First, no one denies humans can change the climate...

You sure about that?

38 posted on 04/16/2018 8:16:32 AM PDT by BlackbirdSST (Apparently I voted demoncrat for 40 years. They all wore 'R' jerseys! 'R'atpublicans!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 30 | View Replies]

To: goldstategop

“If I want to be a liberal, I’ll be a liberal.

Don’t try to fool me with smooth talking points. They’ll flop.”

They may flop with you, but I’m sure they’ll find a Rat judge eventually that will see it their way.

These bastards are relentless and refuse to take no as an answer.


39 posted on 04/16/2018 8:21:34 AM PDT by aquila48
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: Oldeconomybuyer

Please teach your children how to recognize sales/persuasion techniques. These are akin to magic tricks and special effects. Expose them. Knowing how and why mind tricks work is the only defense. Otherwise we are handing over good minds that once upon a time could perceive and evaluate reality. Young minds are the most malleable. Persuaders are coming after the minds of the young. You can start with optical illusions and the explanations of them.


40 posted on 04/16/2018 8:26:59 AM PDT by Anima Mundi (Socialism is theft.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-50 next 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
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

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