In honor of World Environment Day, I’d like to invite you to tell a global warming denier to get nicked. I did recently, and it was a good experience.
This time it was the LaRouche folks, back on campus after a long hiatus. The newspaper handout said “Global Warming is a Fraud!”
Now it’s one thing to see all sides of an issue and take a critical stance on the issues of the day. It’s quite another to create doubt where none exists, which is after all the business of global warming deniers, intelligent design creationists, flat earthers, and (dare I say) holocaust deniers, all of whom refuse to accept consensus when the evidence is in.
And yes, global weather is a really complex thing. The problem with these guys is that they’re not good at complex. Have a look at the nuance these guys are capable of:
Not that I disagree with Dick Cheney as Child of Satan, but if I ever hand out something like this on street corners, please restrain me. Thank goodness for LaRouche’s tireless efforts to, er, bring Cheney down.
So when offered the newspaper, I genially invited the gentleman to shove it up his ass. His friend muttered “idiot” after me. It was the most productive conversation I’ve ever had with global warming deniers. Took less time, and had the same outcome.
7 June 2007 at 3:35 pm
Did you really tell him to shove it up his ass?? I’d love to hear you say that to someone. Just like I’d love to have a beer with my father.
8 June 2007 at 12:09 am
Verbatim. With a chuckle.
8 June 2007 at 1:46 pm
LOL!!! Thanks for the read, Daniel.
12 June 2007 at 6:31 am
I confronted one of those people selling the green paper in Fremantle last summer, after I saw an article entitled “Why The Rich Are Scared of Hugo Chavez” pro-Chavez agitprop. They didn’t know a thing about Venezuela or Chavez.They just like that he hated Dubya. The wife was mortified.
12 June 2007 at 4:08 pm
Just a question, not a flame… Ted, What do you know about Chavez and/or Venezuela that should inform my understanding?