Letters to the Editor
Xrandadu Hutman
Published Letters: 2714 Editor's Choice: 52
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Sham Scam Sam -- a troll?
[Read the article: Real inconvenient truths]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Sham Sam Scam Green Eggs and Ham:
"We just watched Katrina almost wipe New Orleans off the map and you think WE have power over THE WEATHER? That's just the worst kind of hubris."
Straw-man argument. I didn't say we could control specific instances of the weather (though we certainly could have built better levees). But we might be able to incrementally change it over time.
"While the politicians on the Left have already figured out how to make a buck off it (carbon credits) and (this is insane) wants us to stop driving, stop flying, etc."
Straw-man argument #2. Nobody has ever proposed that anybody stop driving. Some have proposed, however, that we tighten the fuel-efficiency standards for cars, or try harder to develop alternative fuel sources (including electric cars). In any case, there is plenty of room for healthy debate on what should be done about global warming. Just because I am convinced it is a real phenomenon doesn't mean I want to dictate how everybody should change their lives to fix it.
"I didn't mean for you to think "all global warming scientists". (Sorry) I think this because, as I said earlier, of what's happening in almost all fields of medicine and science: cult infiltration. You completely ignored my previous posts regarding homeopathy and TT in medicine. Why?"
I still don't see how you are making the leap from "cultists in medicine" to "cultists in climate science." Why are you so certain that scientists believe in global warming solely out of groupthink rather than because they've reached a credible conclusion based on the best evidence and analysis? As for your posts about homeopathy, what exactly did you want me to respond to? I probably agree with you that a lot of those are bogus or at least worthy of skepticism. I just think they're irrelevant to this discussion (other than as a convenient simile).
"I've answered the Scientology question. I don't believe in it - but THEY THINK IT'S SCIENCE - and they'll do ANYTHING to add it into the scientific canon."
This is just a tangent. Just because "some people believe that silly things are scientific" does not mean "all scientific beliefs are silly." You have to judge each subject on a case-by-case basis. Scientology? Lacks evidence and is rejected by actual scientists. Global warming? Has reams of evidence and is considered real by many scientsts. Quite a difference there. What is your basis for delineating cultish science from real science? If you think global warming is "infiltrated by cultists," then what prevents you from thinking that, say, genetic engineering scientists are also infiltrated by cultists?
"It's no accident that the answers given to combatting GW (sending us back to Third World status) line up PERFECTLY with the historical desires of new agers"
So because some extremist people have proposed radical solutions to a problem, that means the problem itself is not true?
If you broke your arm and some new ager came up and said you should fix it by walking over hot coals, does that mean your arm isn't broken?
"First off, there is no "alternative medicine" - only medicine that's proven to work and bullshit that doesn't work."
That's just a matter of terminology and euphemism. Some alternative medicine at the very least has placebic benefits. You mentioned yoga in your list. I think even most mainstream doctors would endorse yoga as a way to reduce stress and stretch out muscles (if not cure cancer).
"Nonsense. What about the people on the periphery of the believer? The mother with cancer whose daughter gives her homeopathic treatments?"
That's exactly why I said "as long as people do not forgo real medical treatment." Funny how you ignored a key part of my statement there. But yeah, I do think something like acupuncture itself is fairly harmless if a person were to do it in addition to everything recommended by a real doctor.
All of this is ridiculously irrelevant to a global warming debate. I don't see any point in much further debate about new agers. You can get the flakiest people in the world behind an issue, but that doesn't necessarily mean the issue itself is not real. If new agers rallied behind the cause of curing cancer, would you then be skeptical of the existence of cancer?
"Not to be dismissive (honestly) but you don't even know the half of this problem. After all we've discussed, we're just scratching the surface of this HUGE problem."
You're hilarious. Some problems are bigger than others. I guarantee you that the existence of a small niche market of acupuncturists is not going to unravel the fabric of society any time soon.
"I mean, if people can be fooled into believing - passionately believing - that water (H20) is medicine, how can they assess other issues - like the truth about the war?"
The idea that water is "medicine" is just a flaky new-ageism. That said, when I'm sick, I tend to drink a lot of water, so I don't find that statement terribly offensive. If you are sick with dehydration, water is medicine indeed. I wouldn't want to spend big money on it, of course.
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If you read any message in this thread....
[Read the article: Real inconvenient truths]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]....please go read CRL's letter on page 37! It is straightforward, level-headed, and based on the first-hand experience of an actual scientist.
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whoops -- I typo'ed
[Read the article: Real inconvenient truths]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I wrote: "the sun being at the orbital center of the universe;"
I intended to say "solar system," dammit.
I'm not that stupid.