re: #710 iceweasel

Also, Chris Mooney does a good job on this over at science progress:

[Link: www.scienceprogress.org…]

I’d still recommend the first link for the more thorough takedown.

Thus we find Jessica Palmer claiming that John Holdren was the “third author” and Chris Mooney indicating that “Paul and Anne Ehrlich have also refuted the charges” regarding the so called draconian measures found within Ecoscience. The former reverts to a short observation that some of the examples are based on that of Johnson C. Montgomery. However, upon reading the page see cites continues to endorse the idea of government controlled population control.

Yes, the primary protagonist for zero population growth was Paul Ehrlich. However, as indicated by Mooney they deny that they ever intended to promote government sanctioned population control — even though it is promoted in Ecoscience. John Holdren as the “third author” now has the ability to play a tertiary role. One has to ask what then was the intention of these writings and which of the three authors were behind these theories?

Now, this was written in 1977. At the time zero population ideas including radical ones such as these were very common both in academia and within pedestrian progressive circles. For a time I too felt that population growth was the “greatest threat to ever face mankind. I see no reason why Ehrilch, Ehrilch, and Holdren should shy away from their former beliefs which many in America held. Many of us even at LGF are guilty of having held far-left radical ideas such as these.

Zombie has a legitimate concern and while it might not meet the scientific requirements of analysis it disseminates important information regarding Holdren’s background. The fact remains that he is a political appointee whose impact will be felt beyond social grounds but economic, technological, and industrial grounds. Palmer states that this may be the result of “cynical political opportunism.” The reality may be thus since John Holdren does not represent science as much as he does politics. Any member of the scientific will have to accept that reality regardless of their political ideology.