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David Roberts

David Roberts

Posted: August 23, 2007 07:00 PM

Alternative Information


grist.org

Wow, this is old school: On Tuesday the Georgia legislature held a hearing called "Climate change: fact or fiction?" Listen to these blasts from the past:

"In the media, we hear the gloom and doom side," said Rep. Jeff Lewis (R-White), chairman of the House Energy, Utilities and Telecommunications Committee that held the hearing. "There is alternative information out there."

Indeed there is! Puzzlingly, the "alternative information" continues to be offered solely by the same core group of four or five people that have been offering it for years now. But no mind!

"What this has done is it has affirmed my assumption coming in here that there are too many opinions on this subject" to draw a conclusion, said Rep. Clay Cox (R-Lilburn), a member of the House committee.

There you have it. As long as alternative information is available, one cannot draw any conclusions. I wonder if the Republicans in the Georgia legislature apply that same epistemological standard to all their decision making. Seems like it would kind of slow things down.

One thing's for sure, though: whether climate change is fact or fiction, ethanol's the solution! That's something about which Georgia legislators have no difficulty drawing conclusions.

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08:47 AM on 08/24/2007
Will the state and national voters ever become sophisticated enough to demand that the people who
make the laws we live by are sufficiently well informed
to make decisions based on factual information not
ideological fantasy?

Don't hold your breath.

Picasso.
HUFFPOST PUNDIT
realpolitic
GOP is full of sound and fury, signifying nothing!
06:57 AM on 08/24/2007
I guess from here on in Georgia will always have a temperate climate. The state legislature passed legislation to that affect. Why do right wingers always deny science? Do they fear climate change calls for big government solutions? There may be private sector solutions, as well. That kind of thinking confines the far right to medieval times. I thought they preferred the 1950's.
05:07 AM on 08/24/2007
Reminded of poor Bertolt Brecht, hiding under his desk during the 1956 Berlin uprising, who nevertheless managed, in his unique way, to define the moment for the good guys: "The Government [this is from memory and not from the German so forgive the paraphrase] has found the People wanting and has therefore decided to abolish It."

Who says Communism never gave us anything of value?

If Georgia can abolish climatic catastrophe;
If Tennessee can abolish Evolution;
If a President [and not of the Supreme Soviet] can abolish military disaster;
we are in a brave new world, indeed.
I'll vote for anyone who promises to abolish baldness, tendinitis, Texas, god.
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ihavenobias
10:39 PM on 08/23/2007
I'm not saying anything new when I point out that the cigarette companies used pretty much the same strategies while trying to fight the *clear* science showing the link between smoking and lung cancer.

Just pay some hacks to inject doubt and promote the idea that we just need more "debate" long enough to keep people smoking. Apparently consensus means nothing unless 100% of scientists agree (which of course means there can be no consensus since there is no 100% agreement on anything).

A perfect example is this poorly disguised anti global warming site which happens to be run by someone who worked for (drumroll) Phillip Morris:

demanddebate.com/
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ThomasDoubting
09:49 PM on 08/23/2007
Republicans are not stupid,
but they sure like to play dumb when it comes to the environment.
photo
cambridgedude
a reasonable dude
10:12 PM on 08/23/2007
And on what do you base this unsubstantiated claim that Republicans are not stupid?
01:10 AM on 08/24/2007
cd,

See my comment above.

Of course, I may be imprinting....
photo
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CaseyBabes
10:56 AM on 08/24/2007
ThomD: You are gauging your estimate of republicans' intelligence compared to democrats, of course.....right?
09:48 PM on 08/23/2007
Actually, this is a VERY intelligent strategy.

To their constituents they seems like mavericks, well representing them, despite long odds. (Martyr syndrome. Can’t lose, since “I was just responding to my base.”)
Since those understanding the dangers of GW will carry the burden and do ALL the work, it eliminates denier need to lift so much as a finger to help save the planet.
My guess? They have investments in “green” companies. They know they’ll make major bucks, and can at some point say, “But I WAS a believer! Look at my portfolio! I WAS saving the planet!”
We should start calling GW deniers “Foxes” as in “crazy like a…”
Thanks, all.
09:01 PM on 08/23/2007
This "alternative information" is the product of the differntly enabled thinking of the reality challenged coalition of otherwise oriented public servants who are specially compensated by the especially interested and heavily invested in plundering for profit.
09:11 PM on 08/23/2007
well done.
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08:49 PM on 08/23/2007
"There is alternative information out there."
------
I like that...

Sounds like something from "The X-files."

But, does that mean that they are going to have to stop endorsing their traditional marriage because they have discovered that there are "Alternative lifestyles?"
Couldn't hurt this gang of Republicans.
08:45 PM on 08/23/2007
Like they say when you enter Georgia:

Welcome to Georgia, set your clocks back 100 years.
09:10 PM on 08/23/2007
Speaking as a native Georgian, that sounds about right.
07:15 PM on 08/23/2007
As long as the alternative information comes along with hefty campaign contributions (otherwise known as "bribes"), attention must be paid.
07:40 AM on 08/24/2007
As has long been known, it is diffucult to make the other guy understand your position, especially when he is being paid not to,,,,