Bill Nye Tells Maher: They’re not Skeptical. They’re Deniers.
February 22, 2015
Here, here.
I still see discussions here and there, suggesting that it is somehow impolite to refer to climate deniers as climate deniers. Calling a tumor or a turd something other than it is does not clean it up or cure it.
More than disgusted by the attitude of Fran Lebowitz here, and Maher’s failure to stomp on her.
But Bill Nye makes it relevant.
February 22, 2015 at 11:44 am
Sorry, being a Brit I had not heard of Fran Lebowitz so looked her up. I see she has been described as being known ‘…for her sardonic social commentary…’ (Wiki) but all I saw was a flippant boor, an irritatingly ignorant flippant boor. Not at all funny.
February 22, 2015 at 1:29 pm
“….but all I saw was a flippant boor, an irritatingly ignorant flippant boor. Not at all funny”. So true.
Welcome to what all too often passes for celebrity and intellectualism in America. But you Brits should not be pointing fingers—-after all you HAVE inflicted Omnologos on us.
February 22, 2015 at 1:29 pm
The “cool” pseudo-intellectual-ironic-hold-everything-at-a-distance mindset is a disease.
February 23, 2015 at 4:10 am
Yes, it’s an aspect of the Wetiko disease. Andy Fisher has some very interesting and deep things to say about it in his book “Radical Ecopsychology: Psychology in the Service of Life”.
February 23, 2015 at 8:57 am
Thank you for bringing this up. I remember reading some references to wetiko disease a long while back and thinking it smacked of “new age Native American mysticism” (i.e. semi-hippie BS). I googled to refresh my memory and found a ton of good references. I’m going to look for Forbes’ “Columbus and Other Cannibals” on my next trip to the library. The talk of it being a “disease” or a “virus” may be a bit sci-fi, but there is no doubt in my mind that the behavioral patterns that mankind has evolved that led to “civilization” get us to the dame place and are likely to destroy us.
“….this disease, this wetiko (cannibal) psychosis, is the greatest epidemic sickness known to man.” We, as a species, are in the midst of a massive psychic epidemic, a virulent collective psychosis that has been brewing in the cauldron of humanity’s psyche from the beginning of time. Like a fractal, wetiko operates on multiple dimensions simultaneously — intra-personally (within individuals), inter-personally (between ourselves), as well as collectively (as a species). “Cannibalism” is the consuming of another’s life for one’s own private purpose or profit.” Those afflicted with wetiko, like a cannibal, consume the life-force of others — human and nonhuman — for private purpose or profit…”
http://realitysandwich.com/75652/greatest_epidemic/
February 24, 2015 at 10:38 am
Eckhardt Tolle uses words much like yours but I don’t recall him using the word “Wetiko.” Well said, by the way.
February 24, 2015 at 10:12 pm
Here is a new link for the video:
February 24, 2015 at 10:27 pm
thanks!