About Me
- Russell Blackford
- Australian philosopher, literary critic, legal scholar, and professional writer. Based in Newcastle, NSW. My latest books are THE TYRANNY OF OPINION: CONFORMITY AND THE FUTURE OF LIBERALISM (2019); AT THE DAWN OF A GREAT TRANSITION: THE QUESTION OF RADICAL ENHANCEMENT (2021); and HOW WE BECAME POST-LIBERAL: THE RISE AND FALL OF TOLERATION (2024).
5 comments:
The journalism on the carbon tax has been horrible. All we hear about is the cost it will have to individuals with no concern about the benefits. It's "the equivalent of doing your household finances by adding up your expenditures while ignoring your income" (http://www.skepticalscience.com/co2-limits-economy.htm).
My news reading is slowly moving over to The Conversation (http://theconversation.edu.au/). They actually know something about the issues they're talking about.
The ignorance of the public is deplorable, but not as deplorable as the cynical willingness of politicians and journalists to exploit it.
Today, some greens supporter was harrassed out of a 'public' meeting that Abbott held. Guys like Alan Jones, Andrew Bolt and others are playing from the Teaparty book and polis like Abbott are all to happy to use slogans like 'people's revolt'. End result, greens and politicians who favor this rather mild policy are said to be deserving of torture or execution. I can't see Abbott or Bolt putting their hand up and saying 'mea culpa' if someone gets attacked or worse. It's mindlessness. It's vicious. It's sad.
I posted this link of my facebook page too Russell. Thanks. :)
The problem I have with a carbon tax being used as a wealth fund to pay out victims/minimise climate change related damage is that it is too easy for politicians to dip into when they need money for something else. Or increase when they need additional revenue.
There is also the problem that the US, China and India don't really care and so reductions in our use will be minuscule on a global basis - which is not to say we should do nothing, I'm just saying that all we can do in real terms is lead by example.
"Perversely, part of me wants to see what would happen if the sea levels rise a couple of metres, the coastal cities get swamped, the rainfall dries up, the power goes out, the militias take to the streets. Part of me would love to see the squawking indignant right-to-luxury crowd learning how to live in the dust, scraping out dried plants from the earth and hoarding their remnants from the Beforetime."
No resentment here, no siree. No irrational death cult apocalyptism. Just calm objectivity. That's the ticket.
If you read this kind of crap from a rabbi or an imam or a fundamentalist priest you would rightly regard them as a dangerous nutter. Why does Green lunacy get a free ticket? How has environmentalism managed to fool so many people who can see through other religions so clearly?
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