No politician sets themself up as Goliath and their opponent as David, but scientists *ALWAYS* do
If we are ever to defeat the evil forces of Climate Denial, we need to take a page out of their book and keep our Boffins "on tap, not on top".
I cringe every time I see another denier fighter start off with the claim that 97% of our smartest, best educated , best paid, best pensioned scientists at all the big universities back East know a lot more about climate change than some unknown with a BA from Hamburger U, operating out of Dubuque, in little old tennis shoes and a blog.
Oh yes, and doesn't he believe in Creationism and a Flat Earth as well ?
(All this is what football fans call The New Yorker Magazine Defense ---- a play that they say very rarely works.)
True it might knock 'em dead in the Faculty Lounge, but outside - in the real world - it is just setting yourself up for a political fall.
There are always a lot more populist-minded plebs from the hinterlands than there are elitists from the Big Cities in the East.
I have friends and acquaintances who are mildly denier-istic and they always enjoy reading about an unknown blogger taking on those smart asses at the big universities.
True, none of these friends have graduate school level degrees, but then that is true of 97% of the world.
Solo denier bloggers..... with big corporate funding
I try and point out this "lone blogger" actually gets a lot of funding from big bad fossil fuel corporations but it cuts no ice.
The optics just aren't right in their mind's eye.
But when I say all this controversy is caused by the big lobbyists and big think tanks inside Washington's Beltway, they listen up.
Most people wouldn't vote for Christ Himself, if He came back to Earth and got an apartment "Inside the Beltway" .
So here's the deal : I set myself up as the nobody from nowhere blogging on the reality of climate change from my bedroom, while all my opponents are the big city Think Tanks, just stuffed with snotty guys and gals with snotty accents from Yale and Oxford.
So Jane, please get it right : me david - you Goliath ....
Comments, denier-fighters ?
Comments, denier-fighters ?
The problem: we act alone, without support, no funding and uncoordinated.
ReplyDeleteThe denial movement is the very opposite of us.
The denial movement is the public relations arm of conservative parties and energy corporations. They enjoy access to the highest levels of political power, privileged access to the mainstream media and an audience willing to be told AGW is not real.
David at least had a sling shot.
Mike from "WATCHING THE DENIERS" , I agree fully.
ReplyDeleteBut now , it at least makes for a powerful "root for the underdog" narrative ,as we bloggers have no further to fall and only one way to go : up.
Melbourne admittedly is probably not the best place to rage against "the elite from Sandstone U" running the big think tanks in Canberra....
But the placid backwater of Nova Scotia, aging population only 900,000 and falling fast, probably is.
I am 1000 km from Ottawa, 1300 km from Washington, 4700 km from London, 17,000 km from Canberra , ie a long way from anywhere !
There are only a few global cities as geographers see it, and an awful lot of tiny backwaters. And an awful lot of backwater voters.
I intend to "run against Washington and the Beltway" .
Watching the Deniers : your comments intrigued me enough to visit your blog and I was impressed - I have added your blog to my blogroll !
ReplyDelete