The subject under discussion is not science, but who to trust on scientific issues that affect politics. People act out this argument dramatically by repeating

The subject under discussion is not science, but who to trust on scientific issues that affect politics. People act out this argument dramatically by repeating the arguments of the people they think should be trusted. This is not a good thing -- as usual, when people aren't explicitly talking about what they're really arguing over, the debate goes nowhere fast -- but at least you can comfort yourself with the thought that the public discussion about global warming has nothing to do with the process and progress of science.