I'm Not Buying What Al Gore's Selling

[Javaman]

(I seem to have heard a different speech by Al Gore, than the one this guy heard)

http://www.opednews.com/articles/opedne_russell__070322_how_to_tell_big_lies.htm

Al Gore is a master of dishonesty. Karl Rove should pay attention, since he may want to tell big lies to Congress soon, too.

In two and a half hours of testimony before a near-idolizing Senate hearing, Al Gore said very little. He profusely thanked Republicans and Democrats alike, and answered every question in the same condescending drone -- even as he told the world he didn't understand "trigonometry" and "calculus" and complicated mathematical things like that.

All of a sudden, about an hour into the proceedings, he was peppered by Republicans blaming him for legislation leading to the demise of nuclear power in America, and demanding to know if he supports nuclear energy OR NOT.

Al Gore was ready.

"It's likely to be a small part. I don't think it will be a large part" he says, without defining "small" or "large."

(read the whole thing, this guy seems to be obsessed with only one topic and seems to gloss over what Al really stated and pumps up straw men for what Al didn't state)

[liberalnurse]

1. So, why is this important to share

here? :shrug:

We all are fully aware of the right-wing propaganda. Most all of us saw the Gore Congressional Hearing.:eyes:

[sasha031]

2. from op-ed news too

did the righties take over that one too.....

[bananas]

3. The author is a long-time anti-nuclear activist

I don't think he's a right-winger.

[Javaman]

4. Than that really confuses me, because it appears as if he's

pimping for the nukes.

:shrug:

[bananas]

5. It's the same interpretation NNadir makes

Gore didn't say "Nukes are evil, we must shut down all nuke plants now!",
so both NNadir and Hoffman parse Gore's words carefully and conclude that
Gore is using sneaky deceptive language, that Gore is really pro-nuke,
pretending not to be pro-nuke for political reasons.

Hoffman's anti-nuke website:
http://www.animatedsoftware.com/environm/

List of US nuke plants with official worst-case casualty estimates:
http://www.animatedsoftware.com/environm/no_nukes/nukelist1.htm

[Dogmudgeon]

6. Only if you only parse cynically

I personally think that Gore does understand both the benefits and risks of nuclear power, and is trying to stay out of the (cultural) nuclear war. If he makes either side of the nuclear issue the core of his campaign, the rest of the work he's doing will be lost.

There's nothing sneaky or deceptive about it -- unless you're viewing it through the lens of tribal pride. He probably also realizes that his mission isn't to bless or curse a particular form of energy, but to turn political attention to some serious problems at hand.

Most people don't care to be involved in yet another political culture war, and judging from Al Gore's experience, neither does he. Nukes aside, with the Freepers on one side and the Nader Left on the other, he's got quite the tightrope to walk. When sectarian leftists try to decide who he "belongs to" (after we all sharked him in 2000), it is the stuff of Homecoming Week football rivalry.

--p!