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And the name-calling as evidence and proof of superiority: > Texas is as politically divided as the rest of the U.S., but a recurrent crop of crackpots and ide

by joobus 9y ago

And the name-calling as evidence and proof of superiority: > Texas is as politically divided as the rest of the U.S., but a recurrent crop of crackpots and ideologues has fed its reputation for proud know-nothingism and retrograde thinking. The author is proudly preaching to the liberal New Yorker's choir.

Pxtl 9y ago
There are no polite words for people who deny the existence of global warming and push for reversals on hard-won civil rights.
- whatshisface 9y ago
  There is one, and you used it: people. The closest thing minds have to an immune system is disbelieving anything that their enemies want them to think. That's a painful path to start down when you're trying to convince.
- briandear 9y ago
  Nobody is denying global warming – people are skeptical of the specific causes and suggested remedies. More than that, they are skeptical of the people who propose such remedies and their political motivations. It isn’t about climate – anyone that believes that isn’t paying attention. There was a lot of “settled science” around eugenics too – so excuse us for being distrustful of economically motivated solutions that feature some form of redistribution at the core. Everyone has an agenda. Suggesting that climate change activists are purely altruistic isn’t supported by fact. http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-02-03/un-official-admits-global-warming-agenda-really-about-destroying-capitalism?page=1 http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-02-03/un-official-admits-...
  - Pxtl 9y ago
    > It isn’t about climate – anyone that believes that isn’t paying attention What? The science is very clear that it's real and requires drastic action to prevent. > Suggesting that climate change activists are purely altruistic isn’t supported by fact. http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-02-03/un-official-admits-.. http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-02-03/un-official-admits-.... One woman is not the entire global scientific community and environmentalist movement. Look, I do get disappointed when the far left tries to co-opt the conversation about global warming and shoehorn other issues into the subject. I get that. But it doesn't make it any less real and the changes needed to fight it any less drastic.
    - cholantesh 9y ago
      One woman as quoted out of context in a conspiracy blog, at that.
rndmize 9y ago
When I see articles discussing how Texas has sizable influence on textbook content and their Board of Education pushing for creationist or anti-evolution content to be taught; or when I hear Alex Jones is promoting some new conspiracy theory; or that the actual Governor of Texas has called out the state troopers to keep an eye on the Army's Jade Helm training exercises... Look, maybe the sources I rely on are biased, but I never hear about stuff like this from other states. When your governor starts buying into conspiracy theory material, and acting on it, I start to feel that "know-nothingism and retrograde thinking" may actually fall a bit short.

by joobus 9y ago

Pxtl 9y ago

There are no polite words for people who deny the existence of global warming and push for reversals on hard-won civil rights.

whatshisface 9y ago
There is one, and you used it: people. The closest thing minds have to an immune system is disbelieving anything that their enemies want them to think. That's a painful path to start down when you're trying to convince.
briandear 9y ago
Nobody is denying global warming – people are skeptical of the specific causes and suggested remedies. More than that, they are skeptical of the people who propose such remedies and their political motivations. It isn’t about climate – anyone that believes that isn’t paying attention. There was a lot of “settled science” around eugenics too – so excuse us for being distrustful of economically motivated solutions that feature some form of redistribution at the core. Everyone has an agenda. Suggesting that climate change activists are purely altruistic isn’t supported by fact. http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-02-03/un-official-admits-global-warming-agenda-really-about-destroying-capitalism?page=1 http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-02-03/un-official-admits-...
- Pxtl 9y ago
  > It isn’t about climate – anyone that believes that isn’t paying attention What? The science is very clear that it's real and requires drastic action to prevent. > Suggesting that climate change activists are purely altruistic isn’t supported by fact. http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-02-03/un-official-admits-.. http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-02-03/un-official-admits-.... One woman is not the entire global scientific community and environmentalist movement. Look, I do get disappointed when the far left tries to co-opt the conversation about global warming and shoehorn other issues into the subject. I get that. But it doesn't make it any less real and the changes needed to fight it any less drastic.
  - cholantesh 9y ago
    One woman as quoted out of context in a conspiracy blog, at that.

rndmize 9y ago

When I see articles discussing how Texas has sizable influence on textbook content and their Board of Education pushing for creationist or anti-evolution content to be taught; or when I hear Alex Jones is promoting some new conspiracy theory; or that the actual Governor of Texas has called out the state troopers to keep an eye on the Army's Jade Helm training exercises... Look, maybe the sources I rely on are biased, but I never hear about stuff like this from other states. When your governor starts buying into conspiracy theory material, and acting on it, I start to feel that "know-nothingism and retrograde thinking" may actually fall a bit short.