Tuesday, March 06, 2007

10 Institutions That Ruin The World - #5: Lord knows how I came across this, but here we have an authentic rightie who thinks that the Social Justice movement, the Peace movement and the Environmental movement are among the top 10 institutions that ruin the world but the Pentagon (which has MILLIONS of victims to its credit) and the fossil fuel industry (which is literally killing the planet) don't even rate a mention.

Perhaps this line sums up better than anything the utter wrongheadedness of the writer: "Try finding a mainstream media organisation that hasn't bought into the Global Warming debate on the side of 'the science is settled'."

The science IS settled, and has been for some years now; and it is the corporate media which has been retailing the 'jury not in' line for many years in the face of the scientific consensus.

In the case of governments like the Bush/Cheney administration or corporations like Halliburton (hey, its that man Cheney again!), greed and lust for power conventionally provide and explain the motive for their criminal and inhuman acts. But in the case of the these righties and warbloggers, who presumably get none of the spoils in either riches, power or glory, what excuse or explanation is there for moral depravity? Do they ENJOY war and mass killing as a spectator sport, and LOOK FORWARD to the destruction of the planet?

Update: Language of post modified.

2 comments:

Jack Lacton said...

If the science IS settled then why do I know so many actual scientists that don't believe? They are particularly prevalent in the field of earth sciences.

For those that have been overtaken by a religious environmentalism and don't have the scientific skills to see how bogus the whole global warming debate is, facts are not allowed. The Great Global Warming Swindle shows that in all its glory.

As to the other matters, I provide cogent arguments validating my propositions. Try arguing the points rather than using the age old leftist tactic of simply calling people names.

Bernard said...

As for the science on global warming being settled, wikipedia provides an adequate summary. It is, at best, an error of judgement not to perceive the scientific opinion on this subject. Possibly comparable to the 'creation science' view of biology.

In addition, we have what is known as denialism, ie corporate-funded denial of the truth, comparable to tobacco company funded 'refutations' of the link between smoking and cancer.

If you cant perceive that this is how the matter stands, then I'm afraid you are a victim of corporate propaganda, or some other delusional misinformation system.

On some of the other points, let me comment on a couple.

1. 'The Mainstream Media is too Liberal': this is a standard talking point in US right-wing discourse, but it is nothing but a myth.

I confess myself influenced by Herman/Chomsky to the view that the corporate media is a propaganda system. That book is 20 years old now but confirmed every year. Take for example the lead up to the Iraq war: massive, across the board propaganda to 'manufacture consent' for a war which had already been decided upon for unspoken (and unspeakable) reasons. To put it simply, 'Chomsky has been proven correct.'

2. 'Expansionist Islam': Islam has nothing to do with it. Now if you were talking expansionist European/North American hegemony over the last 500yrs (and still going) you might start to make sense.

How many European/ North American countries have been invaded/ conquered/ colonised/ exploited by Arab countries in the last 500 years? Talk about cognitive dissonance.

Its simply a coincidence that the religion of the people in which most of the world's oil reserves are is Islam.

Its a colonialist/imperialist war against the Arabs for control of the oil. This dates from Churchill's decision to power the navy with oil rather than coal, shortly before WW1. The French and British empires were the early players, since WW11 the US is the regional (and global) hegemon.

It seems to me that all you are doing is regurgitating US/corporate propaganda and ideology, a thought system which seeks to apologise for, justify and explains US action in the world.

With corruption, atrocities, lies and incompetence on an epic scale as displayed by the Bush/Cheney administration, the matter is clearer than ever to the population of the globe.

Apologists for this system are like the Western Communists (Stalinists) of an earlier period. What does it take to open your eyes and see what has been obvious (and well documented) from the beginning? The show trials? Hungary 1956? Czechoslovakia 1968? Will you be the last to realise?