Tuesday, August 11, 2009

The common factor is reality revision

Island of Doubt notes that global warming denial and health care reform opposition are both being generated by p.r./propaganda industry that has no problems about telling fictions in the service of an ideological/monetary agenda.

Accentuating the point is yesterday's post about Stephen Hawking. If you clicked through the links you'll have read about a writer for Investor's Business Daily asserting that someone like Stephen Hawking would have slim chance of survival in the UK because of their nationalized health care system, this despite the fact that Hawking resides in the UK and has his entire life. IBD happens to also be one of the leading proponents of climate change denial, routinely being cited by AM radio hosts and Malkin-sphere bloggers. See here for a classic example.

I think we have a fantastic opportunity here. If you explain to someone the bit about IBD and Hawking the stupidity and absurdity of the claim will be immediately apparent, regardless of how informed one is about the health care debate. A point of emphasis in conversation with genuine AGW skeptics is that that is exactly how absurd and stupid IBD and other like-minded groups sound when they talk about global warming to people who are more than remotely familiar with the issue.

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