My normal policy when supping with the devil is to use a very long spoon, but on this occasion I heartily recommend you nip down to the crossroads and have a look at the current number one item – Welcome To The World Of The Zealots. I’m not sure who’s running the NZ C”S”C site these days, but if it’s still Terry Dunleavy, he gives this piece high praise:
Brilliant! A must-read!
And indeed it is, but not for the reasons that Terry assumes. Quite had me spluttering into my morning tea – with laughter. The author, a retired British professor of something or other called John Brignell (who pretty much defines “crank” for most purposes), deploys all his pet peeves – second-hand smoking, shonky epidemiology, climate change, left wing conspiracies, and employs his most purple prose to expose this madness to the world. Here’s a sample:
When the world thought that the New Right was in the ascendancy during the Reagan-Thatcher years, it was the New Left that was quietly gathering momentum. Like a snowball rolling down a hill it picked up mass as it went along. The membership was many and various (followers of Rachel Carson, Marxist academics, draft-dodgers, sputniks left homeless by the collapse of the Soviet Empire, idealistic youth etc.) They were characterised by the things that they hated (industry, capitalism, free markets, bourgeois complacency, open science etc.)
There’s more. Much more. The man has a fertile imagination. And the NZ C”S”C apparently espouses this world view. Oh dear.
The Small Faces (and Stanley Unwin) say it all much better than I ever could:
“There’s more. Much more. The man has a fertile imagination. And the NZ Câ€Sâ€C apparently espouses this world view. Oh dear.”
Actually, Gareth, I’d go further and say that a whole lot of right-leaning voters espouse this world view also – it sounds remarkably like what motivates people to whinge about the Nanny State (a lazy and meaningless term if there ever was one).
It may be a characteristic of people with extreme views of all sorts: they have a carefully constructed set of beliefs and opinions, and can’t allow reality to intrude. A bit like Ken, who has so much of himself tied up in his moon madness that he simply can’t recognise he’s wrong.
carefuly Gareth, talk of Ken like that and you will never get rid of him. He is the craziest one yet!
Carol:
“I’d go further and say that a whole lot of right-leaning voters espouse this world view also”
Carol I would suggest it is not that simple. As we grow up and even when adults we are told many things by schooling media etc. Most unfortunately will take it all in as gospel and not question. And to be fair why should they. One should have confidence in one’s schooling, media and most of all ones government. These are all sources we rely upon to keep us informed of the truth of events both locally and abroard.
Sadly though in many cases it is just not so. Too many lies have been told over the years and much misinformation has been spread. Things one grew up believing turn out not to be true.
It may seem paranoid but one really does need to question no matter what the source.
Carol I think you will find that the ones you are referring to are the ones who question.
(PS. I am not taking a dig at AGW here)
Gareth :
“It may be a characteristic of people with extreme views of all sorts: they have a carefully constructed set of beliefs and opinions, and can’t allow reality to intrude. ”
This could be said of anyone depending on which side of the fence one is sitting.
Jonno:
Ah sorry, all the crazies live here :0)
And then some come back!
Whoa hoss! that ‘March of the Zealots’ piece is a wild ride, but with remarkably little about AGW. Not only in the sense that it contributes nothing to the discussion but it just actually has very few words devoted to what is apparently the main topic for discussion.
One phrase that struck me was…..
“It is, however, in the nature of the faithful that they turn a blind eye to the defects of their demagogues.”
Brignell doesn’t turn his blind eye – he celebrates his demagogues. Clearly it can be no embarrassment to have Seitz and Singer on your side.
Do the NZC”S”C really wholeheartedly endorse his world view?? Come on guys own up!!
I’d hoped the Small Faces would get more comments, frankly.
My favourite is where he says:
“…including the appalling crudity and tastelessness of being likened to the holocaust deniers”, after likening the ‘zealots’ to Nazis (the picture above the article, the use of the word ‘verboten’, the lesson from Adolf Hitler).
That’s what I would call a powerful lesson in hypocrisy.
batnv: “It may seem paranoid but one really does need to question no matter what the source.”
Doesn’t seem paranoid to me, in fact I quite agree with you. However, after receiving sound answers, to continue not only questioning, but in fact committedly rejecting–as is the case with people of the sort that this John Brignel seems to be–that is pathological.