Climate change

[pietillidie]

[pietillidie]

The constant posting of links and memes without explanation or analysis; lack of engagement with, interest in or recognition of well-established differing views; an excited quoting of anything that agrees regardless of background, context and quality; juvenile tactics to derail and interrupt serious critique; a cringeworthy begging from fellow insiders for up-votes and bum slaps; a refusal to admit error or visit failed predictions; and a general demeanour of glibness. This pretty much describes the communication of extreme religions and cults.

And the parallels don't end there. There's the Holy Orange Prophet; the cryptic insider messages; the demonising of outsiders; the persecution complex; the apocalyptic fears; the disconnect from non-believers in the fallen urban centres; the scribal academies and commentary industry; the regular receipt of divine messages from the Prophet; the imaginary citizenship of the Promised Heartland; and the unlikely converts from distant nations, desperate to prove themselves worthy.

But [some unapproved group] does that, too! [img]Post Weasel Meme here[/img].

Yes, I know. These attributes alone aren't novel. But the pathological is all about clusters and grades, and the Facebook Right is weirding out at a rapid clip, morphing into something traditionally found on the far left or far right. It really is quite the cult.

[stui magpie]

I'm no longer going to be posting in this thread or on this topic.

These current bushfires should be a time when Australians come together as we have in the past when disasters happen, but I'm seeing the opposite and I'm basically disgusted.

Politicians on all sides throwing blame at each other, all trying to take some kind of moral high ground, scoring cheap political points at a time when non-partisan politics is desirable.

Climate change evangelists claiming vindication almost gleefully, hurling insults at any who dare try to offer some rational objectivity, a guy I know on Facebook posting pictures of bushfires captioned with "If you voted Liberal, this is your fault"

It's almost fitting that today is the first day of a new decade (and if you want to argue about that, go find someone who gives a phuk) because this is the tone of things to come, when shrieking, posturing and insults take the place of rational discussion.

Welcome to the 20's, the decade where rational discussion, which has been on life support for a while, will be pronounced dead.

[Pies4shaw]

Well, whether or not climate change be the cause, if you voted Liberal, it is your fault.

[David]

The trouble with "coming together" is that it suggests that there is no political aspect to this disaster. But environmentalists and scientists have been pleading for global action on climate change – and for Australia to play its part in that – for at least two decades. We know that the intensity and longevity of these fires are a direct consequence of anthropogenic climate change, and so it’s fair to say that we would very likely not be seeing devastation on this scale if those calls had been heeded; instead, this government and its predecessors all the way back to Howard have variously denied the problem entirely, sabotaged attempts to address it or dragged their feet on it. I agree with David Marr’s blunt summation of our leaders’ failure:

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/jan/01/australia-is-becoming-a-nation-of-dread-and-the-world-looks-on-with-pity-and-scorn

[Skids]

[David]

Skids, anyone with a brain (you’re exempted) has acknowledged that the scope of these fires – the early beginning of the fire season and their persistence – has been exacerbated by man-made climate change. I acknowledge that this is sometimes oversimplified and it’s hard to pin down cause and effect from 200 years of advanced human industrial activity around the world. But the fact is that 20 years is not a negligible time period in that schema, and Australia has played an unfortunate role over that time in not only failing to manage its own emissions, but also sabotaging global action. So yes, I think it’s arguable that we’re now living the consequences of political failures within living memory.

[Wokko]

Unmitigated bullshit.

[David]

At this point, isn’t this as useless as a debate between creationists and evolutionists? (You can decide which side each of us are on!) This isn’t a disagreement over interpretations of facts, but fundamentally distinct views about a central issue.

[pietillidie]

[Wokko]

[pietillidie]

^I have no problem with the observation about extremism; climate change advocacy has has a worryingly apocalyptic wing.

But how that bears on people who, as I say, don't even have the entry-level maths to start studying the subject properly, let alone to justify a contrarian view, is beyond me. The most that intuitive misgivings might justifiably lead to is a slightly more conservative hedge.

That fanaticism breeds counter-fanaticism hardly makes joining them an attractive option.

[watt price tully]

David Marr’s level headed observations. He’s always been an astute observer:

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/jan/01/australia-is-becoming-a-nation-of-dread-and-the-world-looks-on-with-pity-and-scorn

[think positive]

Great but sad read

Can this clown get re elected? He just has no aura at all!

[David]

In a sane world he wouldn't have a chance – have we ever had a less impressive individual filling the role of Prime Minister? – but I think the fact that he managed to win the last election at all suggests that anything's possible. You can point to Shorten's unpopularity, but Albanese is just as much of a charisma vacuum. So Morrison could be the next Menzies and be PM for life for all I know.