[FreedomPoster]

A somewhat long read, but an interesting viewpoint to apply to enviralmentalism and enviralmental whackos.

[djwright]

I came to the same conclusion a short time ago. That the only way to understand environmentalists (including vegans etc) is to see it as a religion. A true vegan won't eat honey (it oppresses bees don't you know). If you can expain that rationally I will give you all the nectar you can eat (although I would have to oppress flowers to get it).

[aruanan]

Meanwhile, all during this time New Guinea highlanders in the 20th century continued to eat the brains of their enemies until they were finally made to understand that they risked kuru, a fatal neurological disease, when they did so.

No, they were eating the brains of their dead relatives as part of death rites to show closeness and respect. They still contracted kuru, though.

Otherwise, great article. Reminds me of Dixie Lee Ray's book Environmental Overkill: Whatever Happened to Common Sense?

[nicksaunt]

Excellent read. Thanks for posting.

Did Michael Crichton actually read this speech in front of the Commonwealth Club in SAN FRANCISCO?

I would have loved to have seen the audience reaction. Crichton has probably seen his last invitation in front of that group. I am sure by the end of the speech there were about five people left in the room.

[Bernard Marx]

Bookmark bump.

[Southack]

Outstandind!

[Vinnie]

They never recognize that their way of thinking is just one of many other possible ways of thinking, which may be equally useful or good. On the contrary, they believe their way is the right way, everyone else is wrong; they are in the business of salvation, and they want to help you to see things the right way. They want to help you be saved. They are totally rigid and totally uninterested in opposing points of view.

Why do I think Democrat when I read this?

I have a dear friend that this describes to a tee.

[Billthedrill]

BTT for a thoroughly enjoyable read. I have an altered view of Crichton now. And I wish I wrote this well.

[Snuffington]

Very good article.

There is no Eden. There never was.

That was one of the major themes of Jurassic Park.

[Samwise]

So it's time to abandon the religion of environmentalism, and return to the science of environmentalism

Great read. Thanks for posting.

[Dan Evans]

Crichton's comments on primitive man and religion reminded me of this remark from P.J. O'Rourke:

"Greenpeace fund-raisers on the subject of global warming are not much different than tribal wizards on the subject of lunar eclipses. 'Oh, no, the Night Wolf is eating the Moon Virgin. Give me silver and I will make him spit her out.' "

[Doctor Stochastic]

This article is as bad as his novels. His misunderstanding of environmentalism makes him less than helpful in fighting junk science.

[Argh]

Bump.

[knews_hound]

BTTT

[syriacus]

I hope Crichton hasn't had to go into hiding after making this great speech.

We need more bright and brave souls like him

[Rummyfan]

Bump for this!

[GatekeeperBookman]

I just sent the following e-mail to some correspondents, over the article:

I beg you to read the article below my commments.

I am sure any reader of my 'reply' email, thought me quite rude & perhaps a little insane to speak as roughly as I did a few weeks ago, to the news & comments surrounding the 'assasination' of a Whooping Crane here in North Texas. They were in the forum known as the Bird Nerd Network.

Here, a Harvard trained medical doctor, who has written perhaps a dozen extremely popular books which became movies ( Jurasic Park the most well known ), addresses our modern confusion.
This 'confusion' about what is truly important caused my reply of about two weeks ago.

We, our culture, seems entirely lost-when one considers that the parts of babies are literally harvested for profit-after they are assasinated ( carefully, so as not to damage the most valuable tissues ). I can give you referrence for this activity-I assure you that this is common-place & constitutes an industrial process. http://www.prolife.com/HarvestingAbortedBabies.html
"...at least 5 companies are in the business of procuring babies’ in-tact bodies, bones, blood, organs and tissues for profit. One company, Opening Lines of West Frankfurt, Ill, published a brochure in which they listed charges for various body parts including $999 for a brain, $500 for a trunk, and $325 for spinal cords. They claim they are within the letter of the 1993 law which allows for the above-mentioned reasonable payments. The hearings, which are to be scheduled by Congressman Tom Bliley (R-VA), chairman of the Commerce Committee, are expected in January when Congress returns from its recess. They will look into whether these tissue retrieval companies are violating the law."

We pay sports figures ( almost all of them ) in six figures & now, last week I heard on the local radio, in Casper, Wyo that a gathering in the public park was to open the 'season' with hot chocolate & cookies for the children with festive lights to liven the event. For some ten minutes I entirely mis-understood what 'season' they were opening! Hunting season, outdoor sports, hot chocolate & cookie season?
Only later did I realize they were forbidden to NAME the Christmas Season! It was in a public park & they could only mark a point in time which was 'generic'-chronological & non-religious.

What wonderful changes we see all round. The remarks below are from a most intelligent fellow. I read some of his books before he was 'famous'.

[Prodigal Son]

Outstanding read. Thanks for posting this.

[farmfriend]

Rights, farms, environment ping.

Let me know if you wish to be added or removed from this list.
I don't get offended if you want to be removed.

[Freedom4US]

Excellent, very concise. I sort of figured a lot of this on my own, but of course he ties it all together very succinctly.

It's only rich white "liberals" who fret about all this stuff, and it is inexplicable why so many who are so unqualified are given so much power over the rest of us. Of course, they are sooooo much smarter than all of us and know what's best for us.

I've hiked thousands of miles over wilderness trails. I didn't do it naked with a pointy stick. The modern hiker or "backpacker" lives better than probably fully half the world's population - freeze-dried shrimp cocktail, titanium cooksets, ingenious (gasoline!!) stoves, nylon tents, sleeping bags and parkas, goose down, synthetics, GPS, Cameras, Binos.

Come to think of it, a big part of my conversion (or reconversion really) to the right side of the aisle was my discovery that enviromentalists and other lefty outdoor users are the most fascist bastards on the planet. Initially I thought we all had something in common - love of the Great Outdoors. But curiously, they didn't hunt, smoke, drink and never had anything good to eat in their backpacks. They complained about horses "ruining the trails" When I pointed out that the trails were BUILT by guys on horses and predated carrying your house on your back by 200 years, they changed the subject. Talk about micromanaging beeyatches, I go to the wilderness to get away from people like them.

I'm planning on a several month long trip starting in the spring. I need it.

[AmericanVictory]

Shades of the Fort Fisher hermit.