I like to peruse the Climate Skeptic blog from time to time. It is a well thought out and rational voice that puts the skeptic’s case. Not everyone agrees, though. Yesterday, there was a post detailing an email the blogger received from a 17 year old reader. I am copying the email here because it illustrates just what has happened three generations after we fought a war against fascism and two generations after we had a stand-off with the Soviet bloc. This, then, is it in all its glory:
hello.
this is a (hopefully) reasonable and (hopefully) well thought out message.
firstly i will say that i am 17 years old and not under the sway of any goverments/NGOs.
i believe that what you are doing with your climate skeptic blog is dangerous.
dangerous not only to yourself (in a minor way), but to my generation(in a much bigger way)…. [portion snipped out here basically talking about the writer’s view of what science is beyond dispute and lecturing me on the precautionary principle]you’ll probably think it’s rich, being lectured on ‘responsibility’ by a mere 17 year old, but hear (or read ;)) me out…
by publishing your blog i believe you are infringing upon successive generations’ fundamental basic human right to life.
denying climate change is fine if you just hold these veiws and keep them to yourself and don’t overtly act upon them.
it does however become infinitely more dangerous to my generation to preach these views as fact(or even air them in a serious manner).
as far as i see it, this is an issue of life and death.
the way i see it, you’re going along the ‘more likely to be death’ route, and please, if only for the sake of your children, or your children’s children, stop updating your blog.
There you have it. Not only has this person been completely propagandised to the point of repeating utter twaddle, their lack of critical thinking extends to wishing to silence voices that say things they don’t like. Of course, it ain’t going to work as the blogger will continue to publish his blog and quite right too as this is the most appropriate response to such a request, but bear in mind, this generation will be running the show in a few years time.
Climate change science does seem to be given a special free ride, particularly among the (traditionally more rebellious) younger generations. Speaking from experience, people look at me as if I’ve just shat on their grandmother when I suggest that climate change science might be a bit dodgy. Usually among people I’d previous considered to be quite bright and curious.
.-= My last blog ..New rhetoric? Not likely. =-.
Have you read Stephen King’s ‘Under The Dome’?
You should. Not because it has anything to do with climate change (other than incidentally) but because it perfectly describes what frightened humans, like that 17 year old, are capable of…
.-= My last blog ..News To Me… =-.
I haven’t, but I’ll look out for it.
Obviously no-one has told this Ed Miliband clone that the only way – not merely the best way – to reach sensible conclusions about disputed issues is to debate them as openly and fully as possible. At his/her age I had read and taken on board J.S. Mill’s arguments for free speech in the “Essay on Liberty”. I don’t suppose this twit has even heard of it.
As for the “global warming is man-made” brigade, these people live in cloud cuckoo land. There has always been climate change. There always will be climate change. Obviously some of it is due to the existence and activities of the planet’s human inhabitants. But what proportion, and precisely what activities? Even if the global scientific community’s answer to these questions were rock-solid – which they aren’t – the political and economic consensus and ability to take even the minimum steps necessary to make a significant impact upon human contribution to climate change are totally lacking, and will remain so however many Copenhagen-style grandstanding jamborees are staged for the edification of the gormless masses.
Typical 17 year old; telling other people what to think.
Our two were just the same at that age. He’ll grow out of it.
I can now understand why the headmaster at my old school told me education is wasted on the young. It is no longer education, it is indoctrination. As you say LR, no critical thinking. No evidence either of intellectual rigour or questioning.
We can expect more of this as millions of our tax pounds are spent indoctrinating ‘international climate champions’ around the world (see EU Referendum). Youngsters will soon graduate to lecture and harangue us about their beliefs while the concept of evidence remains notable by its absence.
.-= My last blog ..Jones continues the climate change deception… =-.
The worry is that un-educated but indoctrinated chimps such as this specimen WILL be in charge if and as I reach my dotage in 10-15 years time. And with quality thinking such as he displays, black will be white and 2+2 will be whatever they tell us.
Fuck-‘in’ hell!!!
Now you know why Brown wants to lower the voting age to 16.
Some one should tell the little twat where the “Caps” key is as well.
Notice the wee bastard had no troble capatalising NGO, though even though arse face DID miss out the full stops in between.
Perfect example of wht they are “teaching” them at school.
.-= My last blog ..Food For A Tom-Fool World =-.
The inability to find the shift key was mentioned in the original piece. While we have become used to the dire standards of grammar, spelling and usage of late – if one wishes to be taken seriously, a little effort with the basics tends to help.