This is a non radio post. I normally do not post things here that are political in nature but today I cannot help it. This will lay down some thoughts that I would like my son to absorb. “Critical Thinking Skills Development” is no longer part of a Public School curriculum here in the USA so I have to help him along a bit.
Recently I have been paying very close attention to the Climate Change debate. In particular the events following the release of what now appears to be insider data that was leaked from within CRU and not hacked from CRU. I cannot prove it, but the content of the files appear more to be a compilation of FOI data than random samples of decades of data, program listing and published papers with supporting backgrounder information. In any event we have been blessed with an inside view. However it happened it can only be considered a “good thing” as Martha Stewart is fond of saying.
This morning I happened across a piece written for the Air Vent blog which I learned about during my scrutiny of this centuries moral equivalent of the “Pentagon Papers”. There was a posting at http://noconsensus.wordpress.com/2009/12/20/7378/#more-7110 . In this posting the author develops some thoughts viz the process of dissembling dissent. It is well thought out and dovetailed with another posting at a different blog posted by Jo Nova in Oz at http://joannenova.com.au/2009/12/spot-the-real-denier/#more-4676 . Both find reasons for comprehending how debates are won and lost and the methods used to win a position. However, I believe they missed an important ingredient. “The Beast Must Be Fed”. Let me explain.
A long time ago I discovered that people, groups, political parties, nations and yes even blocks of such groups inevitably act in their own best financial interest. In short; the message your father oft repeated to you about following the money is most important when the stakes are highest. In this case, a treaty was to be signed in Copenhagen which would supersede our constitution. Other groups would be able to bind us into economic obligations that would or would not be in our own best interest. Shed you sovereignty America. Something this big would have had to have been ratified by the Senate and chances of it passing were deemed to be slim. That said it was on the table nonetheless. The very nature of that prospect drew money grubbers to the pot like flies to honey. Senator Inhofe, following his speech went out to the audience to greet some third world acquaintance after the speech and asked them why they came….the several African Nations representatives replied that “we were told to show up and we would get the money”. Reparations from rich nations to assuage the hurt of the poor. Only thing is that no one can prove that anyone was wronged since Global Warming cannot be proven. But I digress. Why would rich nations pay so much to poor nations? To control the economy. A foot into the door for sure but control elements nonetheless. Parts of that last statement speak to the post I referred to at tAV links above.
I’m getting a little long in message here Matthew so I will bullet some thoughts.
- Always understand who stands to gain the most-no one is altruistic.
- Choose your champions carefully. Follow only open discourse.
- Never argue with someone that cannot backup his assertions with repeatable experiment and unimpeachable data sources.
- Discount anyone who will not debate.
- Always challenge your own assumptions-no matter how good you are, question yourself.
- If you cannot see where the money is going or see the public information, assume there are vested interests or there are impeachable experiments or data or truths involved.
- Learn to recognize arguments which call to authority vs hard data.
- Never trust the press. They have their own interests at heart. We would have never known about Climategate without the blogosphere.
- Carry these lessons to all your endeavors. You will be rewarded for your diligence.
Cynical? Yes. A lesson hard learned and true. The “Beast” needs to eat. That takes money and control.
Thanks for reading my Blog. Best, Chas W5PG
