Having achieved its political goals in the recently completed domestic campaign (if not, necessarily, as a business concern) the New York Times has turned it focus abroad, hoping to poison the public opinion well for the latest president in the European Union’s rotating premiership:
In the 1980s, a Communist secret police agent infiltrated clandestine economics seminars hosted by Vaclav Klaus, a fiery future leader of the Czech Republic, who had come under suspicion for extolling free market virtues. Rather than reporting on Marxist heresy, the agent was most struck by Mr. Klaus’s now famous arrogance.
“His behavior and attitudes reveal that he feels like a rejected genius,” the agent noted in his report, which has since been made public. “He shows that whoever does not agree with his views is stupid and incompetent.”
Which might normally be taken as high praise, given the source. But Mr. Klaus, whatever his other virtues might be, is a heretic on the issue of climate change. And that will simply not do:
Human-caused climate change is being “promoted with religious zeal … there are fundamentalist organisations which will do anything to silence critics. They have their holy books, their prophet [is] Al Gore. And they are promoting a story which is frightening us witless [using] guilt [and urging] penance.”
It is difficult for non-scientists to engage in the debate over what causes climate change and whether or not it can be stopped by new taxes and slower growth, because dissenting voices are shouted down by true believers in the scientific community who claim they alone have the authority to speak.
Quadrant is under fire for publishing articles by sceptics but, as its editor, Keith Windschuttle, said on Monday night, “People who are really confident [of their facts] relish debate.”
The Times is not really interested in a debate on climate change, its causes, consequences or remedies. After all, the J-School boys there understand that all this is “settled science.” Settled scientists having told them so. And if the a sceptical new EU president can not be silenced, he can at least be slighted. The campaign continues.
“Progress” is never complete.
Seeing how we had record cold tempetures for nearly a month, and the wifes home town of Frostburg, Md, has had 3 FEET of snow already, I kinda doubt that warming thing. Seem to have heard a tidbit that the icepack had grown by 30%.
I’m currently in Prague, sightseeing. The English language paper published two different editorials lambasting Klaus-and some of your text is lifted directly from the one editorail in the Prague Post.
According to the paper he is a well known Euro skeptic and does not want Czech to endorse the Lisbon treaty.
Which only goes to show that its not a conspiracy-but a question of sourcing of the material.
Its also cold as all get out here-but the city is beautiful, especially at night.
“Frostburg?!” “Three feet of snow” Pretty apt name, eh Byron? Did the town’s Founding Fathers know something in advance?
As Joe Friday said, “The facts, ma’m, all we need is the facts”:
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_L6pDyjqqsvY/SRswIWvI4SI/AAAAAAAAW5U/3cT2w-Qe3yA/s1600-h/climate+2.JPG.
Global warming seems to be on vacation here too, Skippy.
PeterGunn, did you notice that all of the “above normal” counties are exactly where our overlords live? Almost without exception.
Skippy, heading north tomorrow, first to Milan, then over the top to Germany. Regrets Prague isn’t in this round, or I’d join you.
Right, Zane… I’m sure you’re referring to those reptilian, lizardy types who cruised the Galaxies searching for Battlestar Galactica.
http://scifipedia.scifi.com/index.php/Cylon.
One would think they were well adapted and actually like the warmer climes…
Frostburg, MD reminded me of the fabled Frostbite Falls, Minnesota.
Byron,
Hunted for Rufus Umbellus yesterday in Frostburg area (around Deep Creek a little higher). Day before general free-fire zone called rifle deer season. 31F (warm) and about 6-10″ on the ground. Tough doing that 11 miles around the swamp and up/down Appalachian ridges..Workout city, tougher for the dog. Several good points for the memories- couldn’t connect- my failing. Woodcock long gone for wormier environs! Bear tracks visible- they haven’t gone to ground yet. Many turkey moving and scratching.
If there is global warming I ain’t seeing it..I hold all Algore has to say as suspect..full o’grits, full o’$hits!
b2
I’ll have you know, b2, that your comment is the number one find on Google for “Rufus umbellus”.
For what that’s worth.
It’s beautiful up there in the summer, this Southern boy won’t get caught dead up there in winter. I remember Deep Creek Lake from 15 years ago, only a handful of the DC zampolits and mafia had found it by then. If you really want to know what Frostburg is like in the winter, simply go to Youtube and do a video search: “Frostburg” and “Winter”. There’s an amazing video there. Also, 6 years ago, the city just to the east, Cumberland, had the continental US record for snow in one season: 156 inches.
I knew there was a good reason why the in-laws stock two weeks supply of food and a coal/gas furnace
Apologize. Me Latin no good. What does rufus umbellus mean?
That’s Bonasa Umbellus, the king of the gamebirds and a beady eyed, thorn apple and pricker denizen, known for his terroristic flushes- 0-40 in 1.3 seconds! They have that Klingon cloaking device operational, too.
b2
Curious that the NYT should be privy to Communist secret police reports.
Rufus Umbellus is Cletus Umbellus’s first cousin (-1st removed)