The more deluded climate deniers are, the more certain they seem about their information. I see it every day. But it’s not limited to the climate denier community. We have a larger problem – the cancerous growth of a self reinforcing, right wing echo chamber media that has no anchor in reality, and no rationale other than political expediency in deciding which rumors, factoids, falsehoods and conspiracy theories it spreads.
Moreover, what, I am sure seemed like merely a great venue for disseminating one sided political propoganda, the Fox news, talk radio axis – has become over time an overwhelmingly powerful reality distortion field. It insures that not only are we as Americans divided by ideology, but that we functionally live on different planets in terms of what is accepted as true and false accounts of history and current events. Saddam attacked us. Those WMDs are still out there. Obama is a Kenyan smuggling muslims into the country. There is no climate change.
Ronald Reagan said you were entitled to your own opinions, but not your own facts. In 2010 America, those who claim to honor him have decided that, no, you are entitled to your very own fabricated reality.
Is this sad or just really, really scary. When we start measuring reality what becomes the test? How do you research through all of the propaganda? People tend to hear what they want to. They fear what they do not know. Funny, I grew up reading science fiction where social control was the norm for the future demise of the human race. Religion was always used as a control or a “right/rite”. I would hope that the true spirit of man in any religion would know that reason is not evil because it doesn’t rely on faith. Ugh…what legacy do we leave for our children.
I agree with your overall sentiment but you should check your facts. An imbecile like Ronald Reagan, who’s trickle down theories can be directly held responsible for the economic meltdown of the past couple of years couldn’t hope to understand the nuances of a statement like “you were entitled to your own opinions, but not your own facts”.
The original quote is from Bernard M. Baruch (1870-1965), who said “Every man has a right to be wrong in his opinions. But no man has a right to be wrong in his facts”. James R. Schlesinger, United States Secretary of Defense from 1973 to 1975, is credited with saying: “Each of us is entitled to his own opinion, but not to his own facts” and Daniel Patrick Moynihan rebuffed a fellow Senator in on the floor with “You are entitled to your opinion, but you’re not entitled to your own facts” and is often erroneously credited with being the originator of the quote.
doesn’t surprise me that the Gipper cribbed his note cards from someone else.
Reagan also said, “That’s one of our sacred rights—to be stupid.”