Charles recently posted an example of right wing anti-science that was so repulsive that I felt the need to look at it point by point. Charles simply does not exaggerate when he talks about rational science being besieged by superstitious drones. The facts of AGW are under attack by cynical business men and their duped, but loyal, fundamentalist drones who have been manipulated with a stream of propaganda and open lies. Before anyone dismisses this as the rant of one particularly virulent or unimportant right winger, please consider that there is nothing he says that has not been said by GOP politicians and many right wing pundits.

littlegreenfootballs.com

Before I get into this offal, it is important to point out a number of common right wing tactics and certain disadvantages of science in a non-technical discussion which are ruthlessly abused by the right.

First and foremost, any scientific argument, no matter how well broken down and no matter how well explained, will require more than one sound-bite or slogan to make the case. In the time it takes a scientist to explain even something simple, like ice melts when it gets hot so, if you see the polar caps and glaciers melting at alarming rates, it must be getting warmer the wingnut can shout five nonsense phrases.

When things like the logical assessment of observations (data) and reason are no longer a part of the discussion, science has its one actual claim to truth rejected from the outset. It simply takes more than one slogan to present the case. It is maddening. If people would only think and look at the evidence, there would be no argument and there would be no debate. But they don’t.

Secondly, confusion is a “win” for the anti-science propagandist. The right wing can not win on data. They have none. They can not win on the mathematics. It comes out against them. However, simply sowing sufficient confusion enough that people have wiggle room to believe that facts, which they do not like, are deniable is a win. People are swayed much more by their fears and desires than they are by cold analysis. If the analysis is not happy, then the human will to enter delusional denial is potent.

Third, the wingnut arguments need not make any sense, be remotely accurate, or even remotely true for them to convince all too many into inaction or even opposition to action. They just need to stoke fears, sound sanctimonious and present easy boogey men with an air of non-existent, but perceived authority.

So let’s look at what was written. I shall put it into quotes and respond one bit at a time. There is almost a thesis to be written on how wrong and how insane this is.

In response to the experts’ opinions that man-made climate change will destroy the Earth if we don’t spend trillions of dollars now to save the planet [Viewpoints, March 27], I say they are the ones who are irresponsible and dangerous.

This is a series of false claims. Switching to alternative energy sources, given that it is a sector that can only grow, will eventually pay for itself. The number trillions is simply made up. Further, it does not take into account the trillions of actual dollars spent on oil and coal - or the cost of military adventures, ecological damage from spills or the fact that peak oil is inevitable. None of that even takes into account the horrible damage predicted by un-checked climate change which would cost much more than trillions if one looks at lost water, crops and coastlines. Unchecked AGW means a total collapse of the economy as we know it today.

Also notice the inherent resentment of experts. Yes, they got Ph.D’s in hard sciences and dedicated their lives to studying complex problems. They should be praised for this - not resented. It is a uniquely American conceit, that someone with no scientific background or particular education, is somehow equal to an expert in his or her own discipline. A sane person who is not a medical doctor would not, for example, consider himself the equal of a brain surgeon in a discussion on brain surgery. There is no shame in not being a brain surgeon either. However, there is a great deal of shame in having the arrogance and conceit to think one is the equal of a brain surgeon, without having ever been a brain surgeon, let alone having gone to medical school. It is really no different with research in hard sciences.

However, made up numbers with no references, and not so thinly veiled contempt for people who worked very hard to get actual educations is considered by this crowd to be a virtue.

Have they ever listened to their own leftist “experts” who say that spending all that money will alter the alleged climate change only a fraction of a percent? Not a good investment for my money.

Again, an out and out lie. What leftist experts say this or anything like this? Why should any science issue be a matter of left or right? Ice crystals just melt when they get hot. They don’t vote for any parties. The reality, is that we are currently marching towards a number of irreversible climate shifts whose effects will be utterly catastrophic. What all the science says, and all the experts say is that if those points are crossed, it will cause mass starvation, catastrophic reduction of fresh water supplies, massive spread of contagion, desertification, flooding of coasts and wars for diminishing resources. This a nightmare world. No one is saying we are trying to prevent nothing or something ignorable.

If they’re worried about a worldwide flood, don’t. God promised us He would never allow that again after the Noah flood. That’s what the rainbow is for. That’s God’s guarantee. Local floods happen, but a worldwide flood will never happen again.

This is the part where I boggle at how sanctimonious “bible” bangers can’t even get the Bible straight. AGW does not predict worldwide floods like in the story of Noah, rather the massive flooding of coastal cites like NY or LA. Huge portions of the world actually turn to desert. But more to this particular point, the Bible says that God promised that He would not make such a flood again. It says absolutely nothing about us doing awful things to ourselves. This is also ironic since the cause of the flood was that man’s sins had corrupted the very Earth. This is certainly happening now with AGW unless, you consider propping up brutal oil dictators, destroying the environment and exploiting third world labor to not be sinful. The arrogance to say what God will or will not do in terms of judgement is particularly spectacular for a supposed believer.

If you want to save the planet, forsake your arrogance and defiance of God and ask for His forgiveness.

Yes, by all means, understand that from the very opening of Genesis, man is made as a gardener. Don’t have the parasitic belief that destroying God’s creation is doing His will. Forsake the arrogance that makes you believe that a physical universe put in order by a creator follows any physical laws that are not His will. Right? If you believe that God made the universe and the laws that govern it, then you must believe that the results of science are a revelation of the will of God Himself. Part of His will was that CO2 traps IR.

Put prayer back in the schools. Put the Ten Commandments back in public view.

That is as likely to help in this case as cramming people into cathedrals did when they prayed to stop the plague. If you honestly believe in God - and specifically the God of Jacob - and you take an honest look at what our economy does and who it is built on in terms of exploiting cheap labor and resources and propping up brutal regimes, don’t kid yourself about if we have judgement coming.

Stop killing His gift of children; killing infants in the womb is not a God-given right.

And how many children will die in an eco-collapse?

Wake up to the fact that God has said the wisdom of our wise men is foolishness.

So how do you reconcile that with “It is the glory of God to create mysteries and the glory of man to uncover them?”

In other words, our wise men don’t know jack.

But this writer does! Listen to him!

If we turn from our wicked ways and seek God with all our hearts, God will forgive our sins and heal our land.

On this I actually agree… It just means caring about others and our children enough to switch off of burning fossil fuels even if it is inconvenient.