Why the right goes nuclear over global warming (excellent insight from the LAT)

[Harper_is_Bush]

Why the right goes nuclear over global warming
Most of the heat is generated by a small number of hard-core ideologues.
March 25, 2007

LAST YEAR, the National Journal asked a group of Republican senators and House members: "Do you think it's been proven beyond a reasonable doubt that the Earth is warming because of man-made problems?" Of the respondents, 23% said yes, 77% said no. In the year since that poll, of course, global warming has seized a massive amount of public attention. The U.N.'s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change released a study, with input from 2,000 scientists worldwide, finding that the certainty on man-made global warming had risen to 90%.

So, the magazine asked the question again last month. The results? Only 13% of Republicans agreed that global warming has been proved. As the evidence for global warming gets stronger, Republicans are actually getting more skeptical. Al Gore's recent congressional testimony on the subject, and the chilly reception he received from GOP members, suggest the discouraging conclusion that skepticism on global warming is hardening into party dogma. Like the notion that tax cuts are always good or that President Bush is a brave war leader, it's something you almost have to believe if you're an elected Republican.

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-op-chait25mar25,0,3748551.column?coll=la-util-opinion-commentary

This is the best read on the phenom of the deniers I've seen.

To those who believe Gore is your only hope to capture the POTUS in '08, realize that the vast majority of Americans believe that global warming is a serious issue requiring action from humans to address it, and then re-read the last paragraph above. A Dem in '08 is a certainty.

[ClayZ]

1. K and R

[baldguy]

2. Because they've been TOLD to by the corporate media.

Sheep follow the shepherd.

[orleans]

17. BAA!

[GreenPartyVoter]

3. The righties are the corporate/military/industrial champions. And those guys do NOT wanna change

[HuffleClaw]

4. a glimpse into how dissent is not tolerated, ESPECIALLY by their own

"...Rep. Wayne Gilchrest asked to be on the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming. House Republican leader John Boehner of Ohio refused to allow it unless Gilchrest would say that humans have not contributed to global warming. The Maryland Republican refused and was denied a seat.
Reps. Roscoe Bartlett (R-Md.) and Vernon Ehlers (R-Mich.), both research scientists, also were denied seats on the committee. Normally, relevant expertise would be considered an advantage. In this case, it was a disqualification..."

[codjh9]

5. They're clinically insane

And I thought Gore said in 'An Inconvenient Truth' that in scientific journals in what, the last 5 years? - there were ZERO articles that questioned either a) whether it was happening, or B) that humans were the cause of it. People like Inhofe need to be (oops, sorry, can't print that here :^)... I mean, how can ANYONE think this is 'questionable' or 'controversial' any more? And the fools who come up with crap like 'oh, see, it warmed up 5 million years ago too!' are over the edge as well - the differences are humongous now - 1) WE are causing it, and 2) there are 6.5 BILLION people now, all of whom will be affected, many in a BIG way... but I'm preaching to the choir, I know.

[spooky3]

6. in RW world, if you WANT it to be true, then it is.

[renate]

11. six years ago, I'd have thought that was excessively cynical

Now I think it's really true, for the right's followers if not for the leaders. (I count Bush as a follower, because I think he really does just shut his eyes against anything he doesn't want to see, whereas the real powers behind the throne are operating out of greed. Also, he's just kind of dim.)

[TygrBright]

7. That's not a "discouraging conclusion" unless you're a GOPpie with a measurable IQ.

Frankly, if this blatant denial of reality hardens into GOPpie party dogma, it'll be the best possible thing for the remaining majority of Americans who can still add two plus two, however reluctantly.

It'd be on a par with the GOPpies making flat-earth theory party dogma, or the belief that demons cause illness, or any other psychotic denial of reality. It would only harm them in the long run, and result in their ultimate marginalization.

My prediction: The GOPpies marginalize into a nutjob minority on the scale of the LaRouche wackjobs. We spend a good twenty years of increasingly frustrating (for real liberals) one-party rule under an increasingly middle-of-the-road, conservative-leaning Democratic Party, while a new liberal-oriented party (possibly cobbled together from the Greens-Plus-Others) arises to take the place of the old Democratic Party. Thirty-five or forty years down the road, we're back to viable two-party operations with the party formally named the Democratic Party representing the rightward side of the ideological spectrum, and the new party representing the leftward side.

I'll be dead by then, so no one will be able to tell me how wise and prescient I was, or how stupid and misguided. Y'all can tell me now, if ya want.

invitingly,
Bright

[Bigmack]

8. The only problem I have with this...

set of stats is that last year there were more Repubs in the House and Senate to poll.

Maybe the more moderate Repubs were voted out, and we are left with an increasingly whackjob residue of Repub-ism.

I certainly agree that the more evidence shows warming, the more entrenched the dipshits become.

[Dumak]

9. a number of reasons

Republicans are authoritarian. The compulsion to march in lock-step is stronger than reason.
The most vocal Republicans on this subject (no matter how crazy) become the de-facto leaders. Establishing hierarchy is important to these people. The ones with ties to the energy industry know it is their "duty" to be a loud as possible in their viewpoints. (Although, I had the feeling that Inhofe may have been regarded as TOO crazy by a few of the Republicans.)

Republicans have problems with long-term thinking, especially when it doesn't seem to concern them personally. Most of the Democrats on the energy committee are there out of concern for the environment, while the most vocal Republicans are there at the behest of the energy industry.

Republicans seem to have a problem with thinking - period. The contrast between the two parties at the Gore session was remarkable. The Democrats were generally quite articulate and reasonably knowledgeable on the matter, while the Republicans seemed very confused. Even the well-meaning Republicans like Warner seemed concerned but his questions seemed to indicate a complete lack of knowlege on the subject.

Republicans are intellectually insecure (often for good reason). It's a lot easier to be a nay-sayer on a subject like this than to explain to your constituents why you are in favor.

[rodeodance]

10. I heard many of the Repug questions to Gore-it was embarring to watch!

[Cirque du So-What]

12. The author doesn't mention 'threats to personal lifestyle'

as a reason conservatroids deny global climate change so vehemently. When scientists show that the gasoline powering their SUVs and the coal firing the plants that generate power for all their electronic gewgaws are contributing to global climate change, adherents to an ideology of selfishness fight back in the laziest, least intellectually-challenging way possible; they shoot the messenger.

There are plenty of misguided working-class and middle-class fools who have bought into conservative ideology, following a fantasy that they may eventually become plutocrats themselves by worshipping mammon, following the right leaders, and kissing the proper asses at the appropriate times. It's hardly surprising, then, that bourgeois-wannabees leap into action when RW pundits & the corporate media tell them it's time to do so.

[Odin2005]

19. Excellent point. I swear every self-proclamed "Libertarian" I know is a Denialist.

They can't admit GW is caused by humans because it would force them to support government regulations on CO2 emissions.

[bbgrunt]

20. My favorit quote about libertarians is:"libertarians are anarchists who want police protection from

their slaves"

[ms liberty]

13. This is an excellent piece on the Replican hive mentality...

but I disagree with this part: "To those who believe Gore is your only hope to capture the POTUS in '08, realize that the vast majority of Americans believe that global warming is a serious issue requiring action from humans to address it, and then re-read the last paragraph above. A Dem in '08 is a certainty."

I don't disagree that a Democrat in '08 is a certainty; I think by that time it probably will be. Most of the people who want to be candidates for the Democratic nomination could win, and any of them would do a better job than The Decider. But I want Al Gore to run in '08 for far different reasons. It's not that he is our only hope to capture the POTUS at all, but we shouldn't want just anyone anyway, we should be looking for someone who's extraordinary - especially right now. I want him to run because he's the best qualified by experience and intelligence, temperament, abilities and skills, and dedication to the core principles of our country. He's got a vision of what America (and the world) needs to do to change, and how we can succeed and thrive while doing it. He's open-minded and curious. He thinks. And he's a statesman, he's acheived that status now - he's not a politician.

When your country is in need of a true leader, and you live in a time that cries out for a person of vision who can heal and inspire your nation to reach for the stars, you look for the best, the brightest, the most qualified. I think that person is Al Gore, that he would perform the job of President better than anyone else.

I know some people disagree and have other preferences, and that's okay with me. I don't know if Al Gore's going to be a choice for us at this point. If he becomes one, I'll be working my tail off for him. If he doesn't, I will be disappointed because the person I believe would be the best President for our country isn't in the race.

[lildreamer316]

15. Wish I could nominate this post.

Outta the ballpark.

[bbgrunt]

21. I like Gore, but how to get past the damn media where even Jon Stewart makes fun of him?

[Harper_is_Bush]

25. He is rising above everything....and being made fun of by Jon Steward is not a bad thing...

for Gore.

Jon wasn't making fun of his work to fight Global Warming, was he?

[bbgrunt]

26. no, it was the usual "fat" and "boring speaking style" joke. I was

really ticked with Stewart---but everytime he does 3 or 4 brillian things, he does something unbelieveable stupid. Well, i guess Gore won in 2000 despite the near universal derision of him in the press. Perhaps enough people can see through it (I must be dreaming of a more noble America)

[liberalla]

14. Huge mistake to make global warming a partisan political issue,

so, of course that's exactly what they're doing! Making HUGE mistakes is their special talent, I guess.

"...the party's strategy of making global warming seem to be the pet obsession of Democrats and Hollywood lefties."

What BS! Soon enough they will look completely ridiculous in their ignorance and denial of global warming. It will be embarrassing. I look forward to that day!

[Harper_is_Bush]

18. Indeed. And as with everything else concerning global warming....it's us they accuse

of making the very mistake they're making ("us" being anyone who accepts the science).

WE'RE the ones making it political.
WE'RE the ones ignoring science.
WE'RE the ones being "hysterical".
WE'RE the ones acting like a religion has taken hold of us.
WE'RE the ones spending all our time attacking people instead of arguments.

In all cases, they're doing it and then turning around and pointing the finger elsewhere.

[treestar]

23. Republics are the absolute unrivalled monarchs of projection

Every character based accusation they make tells you exactly how they are thinking.

[PassingFair]

16. My personal freeper sez:

Kyoto is UNFAIR!

China will OUT-POLLUTE us!

UNFAIR!

He is my husband's best friend.....

ack

:puke:

[DerBeppo]

22. well...

That's not entirely untrue. There needs to be a new treaty that takes into account the massive, unparalleled amount of polution China and India will be pumping into our atmosphere in the next couple decades.

I figure it would be much less of a culture shock if a developing nation started out with green tech as opposed to switching to it after a generation or more.

[PassingFair]

24. He claims that humans are not causing current warming.

He really believes that the democrats want to "destroy" America.

:crazy:

I told him that just because it will cost money to lower emissions,
he shouldn't pretend that the problem doesn't exist.


AND even IF humans aren't causing it, does HE really want to buy
coastline property anywhere on the eastern seaboard?

Ignoring the effects of pollution, and/or RACING the emerging
industrial countries for the biggest POLLUTER title will do nothing
but DESTROY this planet for his daughter (who he loves).

This DID shut him up.

By the way, he WILL NOT watch "An Inconvenient Truth" and he
thinks Michael Moore is the devil. I do not have the time or
the scientific expertise to argue ISOTOPE data with him.

He claims that none other than "THE NEW YORK POST"!!!11!
claims that MOST scientists now agree; humans are NOT
causing global warming. It is a "natural" cycle.