Columnist totally full of absurdity

Published 2:42 pm Tuesday, June 3, 2008

I agree completely with the Friday Herald editorial, “Foolishness is easy; role models abound,” but I found it ironic that just below your editorial was a column by Charles Krauthammer which illustrates your point. He says he doesn’t believe in global warming. Fair enough. But without any scientific or meteorological credentials, the question is who cares what he thinks? Then he goes on an illogical rant that seems to bounce and careen like the numbered balls in a bingo machine. And, as usual, he regurgitates many of the talking points of the right-wing politicians, oil companies and the Bush administration.

He makes reference to a global warming article in Newsweek claiming it’s an attempt by the “arrogant, unscrupulous … social planners, scientists, intellectuals, experts and their left-wing political allies — (who have) arrogated themselves to rule either in the name of … communism … or socialism.” And later, “two decades ago … socialism and communism died then were buried forever by … capitalism everywhere … (and) lifted more people out of poverty more rapidly than ever in human history.”

My reaction to the first point — I wonder how the Tibetans would react to the news that communism died 20 years ago? What proof does Krauthammer offer to back up these absurdities? He also does not bother to deny the Newsweek statement that ExxonMobil offered $10,000 to any scientist who would write an article undercutting the findings regarding warming by 600 scientists in 40 countries. Now who is being unscrupulous?

Who do you trust, Bush, Cheney and the oil companies or the scientific community? What’s in your best interest?

Doyle Brown