Opinions: Climate-change deniers are a danger to our security

The Washington Post ^ | December 18, 2018 | by Jennifer Rubin

[Oldeconomybuyer]

Imagine during the Cold War that one political party, in the face of overwhelming evidence that the Soviet Union was engaged in espionage against the United States, had a nuclear arsenal pointed at the United States, kept Eastern Europe under its thumb and imprisoned dissenters, refused to consider the Soviet Union a danger - of any sort - to the United States or other Western democracies. And they would offer no credible evidence to the contrary, but rather assert that it was all a hoax. Besides, they’d insist (with no evidence) that it was too expensive to address the challenge posed by the Soviet Union, a danger which they claimed didn’t exist (So how expensive could it be? Don’t ask!). Actually, you don’t have to imagine this scenario. Many on the left have made arguments along these lines, and many on the right have responded by saying they were fuzzy-headed, in denial or captive of interest groups.

That is essentially what is going on, only with the parties flipped, in the climate-change debate. Climate-change denial has become as necessary to one’s right-wing identity as aversion to immigration, opposition to most abortions and a disbelief that sexual harassment and assault are widespread. Just as rejecting geopolitical reality became a requirement of inclusion in far-left circles, climate-change denial is a must for those who want to remain in the Trump fold.

At some point, maybe in 2020, Democratic candidates are going to start running on the very sensible conclusion that climate-change deniers are a menace to Americans' economic well-being, comfort and security. It is long past the time to challenge, confront, debunk and frankly, embarrass, adults who’d rather adopt some tribal identification than solve a pressing and all-too-real danger to the country.

[z3n]

“in the face of overwhelming evidence” == onslaught of media propaganda.

The espionage of the soviet union was indeed undeniable, and didn’t even require modeling to “prove”. Just because the media says it’s settle science a billion times doesn’t make it true. A crappy metaphor about the cold war doesn’t make it true either.

[pgkdan]

Oh goody...more ‘conservative’ commentary from WAPO’s resident ‘conservative’.

[DesertRhino]

Good analogy Jennifer. Let’s talk about when we were terrified about a missile gap. It turned out we had something like 150 ICBMs. Today we know the USSR had a grand total of 4 missiles.

Global warming is fake news

[John Milner]

Talk about a flawed analogy!

What part of the Cold War threat was scientific-theory driven?

It was based on human activity observable to the naked eye.

There is nothing about climate hoax theory truly viewable by the lay person.

She’s a freaking idiot.

[Agatsu77]

Yet another brainless libtard.

[KC Burke]

She mentions that the left was wrong about world communism and says it was alright for the mainstream conservative to call that “fuzzy thinking.” Instead of now having the left call the right fuzzy thinking because we won’t give socialists in Paris our billions in new Taxes she wants us condemned, vilified and re-educated (I’m assuming in Bill Ayer’s camps.)

Real balance there.

[JBW1949]

Key word: “Imagine”...

Every story about “Climate Change/Global Warming” has these words very early in the tale: Imagine-Maybe-Could be-What if-If-Somewhat-Possibly.......

NEVER anything definitive...It is NOT science...It is totally guesswork to try and extort money...

[RatRipper]

I worked outside my whole life. I know climate change is real.

In the summer it was hot. But then in the winter it got really cold. And it happened every friggen year.

LOL!!!!! Classic, well-deserved ridicule!! Perfect!!!

[Vigilanteman]

Imagine during the Cold War that one political party, in the face of overwhelming evidence that the Soviet Union was engaged in espionage against the United States, had a nuclear arsenal pointed at the United States, kept Eastern Europe under its thumb and imprisoned dissenters, refused to consider the Soviet Union a danger - of any sort - to the United States or other Western democracies.

You don't have to imagine it, because it actually happened.

The same political party which drones on endlessly about what a danger Joseph McCarthy was to our "democracy" in a brief era which extended little beyond Eisenhower's first term is strangely silent about the Communist influence in Hollywood during World War II. Hint: it was so bad people couldn't even get leading work unless they were a party member or already well-established and led to Ronald Reagan's surprising secret ballot election as president of the Screen Actor's Guild, after John Wayne was brave enough to second his nomination.

They were playing the same games when the same Ronald Reagan became president nearly three decades later.

FWIW, I did "duck and cover" in elementary school and attended school in the 1970s when they told us about "global freezing" and the threat from the Soviet Union was downplayed by them then just as much as the same crowd dismisses the threat from radical Islam with nukes today.

[Gritty]

This is just another made-up excuse for American Fascists to first de-humanize and then lock up or murder their political opponents.

[steve8714]

You don’t understand. The next ice age is BECAUSE of global warming. Didn’t you see the movie? Earthquakes and Sharknaoes also.

[red-dawg]

all-too-real danger to the country.

That's the real problem with these eco-flake environazis.
They MADE UP THIS BS, THEN PRESENT IT AS ABSOLUTE FACT that is indisputable, when all of it really is JUNK SCIENCE.

Computer Models that THEY PROGRAMMED.

Settled Science my wrinkly a$$.

[yoe]

It is long past the time to challenge, confront, debunk and frankly, embarrass, adults who’d rather adopt some tribal identification than solve a pressing and all-too-real danger to the country.

Never mind those pesky (volcano) or earth quakes....Oh for the good old days when America carried most of the CC/GW load $$$$$ for others in the world now President Trump wants all countries to clean up their fair share.....

[central_va]

Wait, what? gloBULL warming will cause another ice age? Is there nothing CO2 can’t do?

[I want the USA back]

The old hag would gladly put us in prison for thinking the way we do.

[red-dawg]

I posted this on another forum and got NO challengers.

[ConservativeWarrior]

Jenn is a good little totalitarian socialist.

When she feels like breaking the rules, sometimes she puts a soda can in the regular trash can.

Moron.

[USS Alaska]

Imagine during the Cold War that one political party, in the face of overwhelming evidence that the Soviet Union was engaged in espionage against the United States, had a nuclear arsenal pointed at the United States, kept Eastern Europe under its thumb and imprisoned dissenters, refused to consider the Soviet Union a danger - of any sort - to the United States or other Western democracies.

I don't have to imagine, that was the position of the demonRAT party, which was then about 70% communist and is now about 96% communist.

What is this bitch's point?

[AlaskaErik]

Misleading headline that also tries to pin a label on those the author disagrees with. Climate change is real. It’s been going on since the earth’s beginning. What I don’t believe in is anthropogenic climate change. And I don’t appreciate being called a denier just because I disagree with those who massage, manipulate and just outright manufacture data used to bring about policy that is designed more to achieve political goals than any meaningful response to this so-called anthropogenic climate change.

[Rebelbase]