Given the shameful pedophilia labels that were recently applied to climate skeptics by the Merchants of Hate Robyn Williams and Stephan Lewandowsky on Australia’s ABC radio, I thought this essay from the Chillicothe Gazette (Ohio) said something that needed to be said, so I’m repeating an excerpt here.
Jim Thompson writes:
As a global warming skeptic who never will be in a car pool van or AFV unless forced to do so by the government, it hit me that I now know what it was like to be a black citizen in the South during the height of Jim Crow laws.
You know, when because of your skin color, you were thought to be stupid, ignorant, lazy and dirty. You sat in the back of the bus, were not allowed to use any “whites only” facilities and were sent to segregated schools.
Today, if you do not bow to the global warming/climate change/carbon footprint gods, you are deemed stupid, ignorant, lazy and unenlightened. You don’t deserve to park next to the door, you should feel lucky we even let you in the parking garage. Additionally, there are certain lanes on the expressways in which you are not allowed to travel.
…
All is not lost, however. For by experiencing the discrimination of not swallowing the nonsense, I have been able, in some small way, to experience what it must have been like to have been an African-American in the United States in the first half of the 20th century. The ridicule, catcalls, unfair labeling and so forth that one experiences when they are on the wrong side of a mob’s beliefs are interesting. The only difference is the African-Americans were stuck with their skin color. All I would have to do is abandon all the science I was ever taught to be, once again, accepted.
Full essay here
h/t to Tom Nelson
I fail to see how some people can say “this is not appropriate because treatment of denialists is not as bad as racism was”. Simply put, you have to start somewhere. Jim crow did not spring up overnight, it grew from a start. Making people park in the back of the garage is that start. If you do not nip it in the bud, it will grow, do you not learn from history?
And look at the people who are being denigrated, censored, fired, blackballed (sure sounds like the old racism to me), people who believe in science, also known as reason. The other side, therefor, must be unreason, which leads to the mob. In history, how has that worked out? You don’t have to fool all of the people all of the time, you only have to fool enough to get into power, then it doesn’t matter what the rest believe. If you have right on your side, and I have The Mob, I win!
The important part of this article is it has started.
This won’t end well…
DavidG says:
November 25, 2012 at 5:11 pm
Davidmhofer- you are an ignorant jerk….
___________________________
To help set the record straight
Seems Davidmhofer was correct.
Theo Goodwin says:
November 25, 2012 at 5:53 pm
…. Keep in mind that today if you own a small business that employs more than fifty “full time equivalents” then you are required by law to pay for their contraceptives and all the consequences of their misuse of their contraceptives.
_________________________________
Ain’t that new law great? It means many small businesses will stay small to avoid the hassle and therefore will never pose a threat to the “big Boys” in the future. And if one of the “Big Boys” wants the small guys business or patents it becomes very easy to wipe them out.
Legatus says:
November 25, 2012 at 7:45 pm
“The important part of this article is it has started.
This won’t end well…”
===============
Are you referring to this thread or the world in general ?
Not that I discount your theory, but is there any chance it wouldn’t “won’t end well”,
cus it gives me reason to get out of bed in the morning.
If we must ignore the ugliness of what Skeptics endure from foul-mouthed Alarmists in the present, and delve into the safely-finished past, I don’t see why we need to focus on Jim Crow, when we could look at the example of Churchill, and his warnings about H—-. (Name abbreviated to avoid automatic spam-binning.)
Churchill’s warnings were politically incorrect, for they assured he was deemed a “war monger” by politically powerful pacifists, who had been so horrified by the carnage of World War One they couldn’t conceive a second war was even remotely possible.
With 20-20 hindsight we can now see Churchill’s observations were amazingly astute, but at the time many deemed him laughable. He was deemed old-fashioned, a throwback, a relic of a bygone era, and was called washed-up, finished, and such an embarrassment to his own party that there is evidence his own party sought to keep him from being reelected as a member of Parliament. But he wouldn’t shut up.
At one point in his writings, Churchill hints at something which may have contributed to his uncanny understanding of H—–.
In the 1930’s he was touring Germany, and it just so happened he was staying at a hotel where H—– was also staying. As both men knew of each other, both were curious, and a meeting very nearly took place. H—– sent an aid to Churchill’s room, to ask some questions. However Churchill’s answers ended the chance a meeting might take place. When Churchill wondered, afterwards, what he said which might have spoiled the chance of meeting H—–, the only thing he could recall saying, that might have been offensive, was as follows:
He told the aid he was curious why H—– was so down on the Jews.
Churchill could never know if that was the real reason the meeting never occurred, but the fact he contemplated it was the reason for rejection shows Churchill already knew that there were some subjects H—– refused to be questioned about, (despite the fact Churchill would have to ask such questions, after reading H—–‘s autobiography.)
In the same manner, after reading Alarmist’s writings, there are certain questions we simply have to ask. When they refuse to answer, or even to meet with us, and instead merely deride us, perhaps we should be as wise as Churchill.
Perhaps the writing’s already on the wall.
My first impression was not that being a “person of color” in the days of Jim Crow was a problem comparable with being a climate skeptic these days, but that the FEELING of being treated as inferior (or worse) for something you cannot deny (or could, but will not deny) had some similarity. I was surprised that so many found fault with the simple voicing of the complaint, especially since the complaint was actually an admission of an “aha” moment, similar to walking a mile in another’s shoes.
As a Baby Boomer, I spent my junior high and high school years ever aware of the admonition to “do your own thing”. It seemed that you were only worthy of being looked up to if you wore some badge of individuality or creativity on your sleeve, so to speak. Contrarily, if you were conventional enough to be in ROTC or that sort of thing, people tended to snicker at you behind your back.
The pendulum has certainly swung back the other way, hasn’t it? These days, there is so much pressure to CONFORM to the CAGW meme, in thought as well as deed, that if you have the unmitigated gall to voice a contrary opinion, or even wonder aloud whatever happened to the Medieval Warm Period, say, in certain circles, then you experience something somewhat akin to what happens to chum when thrown to the sharks. Your parentage is questioned. Your motivation is questioned or maligned. Your opportunities might well be limited in the future. Your integrity is smeared. Your professional opinions are evermore denigrated. You might even be fired.
The lack of common sense and lack of good will that keeps cropping up these days keeps me wondering if this is what it was like to live the days of the Salem witch trials, in 1692-1693, in the depths of the Little Ice Age. They say that ergot caused people to have hallucinations. (On another site today, there is a link to this article: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-11-20/u-k-winter-wheat-shows-worst-fungus-symptoms-ever-recorded-1-.html about how bad the fungal diseases are in the current crop of UK grain.)
These days, everyone seems to be in the mood to “shoot first and ask questions later.” And I mean that literally. But I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: It seems to me that the PTB are actually promoting a “Let’s you and him fight” situation.
Power Grab writes:
“Your parentage is questioned. Your motivation is questioned or maligned. Your opportunities might well be limited in the future. Your integrity is smeared. Your professional opinions are evermore denigrated. You might even be fired.”
Things are worse than that. At the vast majority of institutions of higher education, professing a belief in AGW is pretty much necessary, though not yet a litmus test. If you have been hired but not tenured, you will be fired for expressing doubt in AGW. If you are tenured and express doubt in AGW you will be abused. Reminds me of the Thirties in Germany when Jews were being pushed out of their jobs, forbidden admission to university, and similar things prior to the beatings. The wise person watches what he says or writes about AGW.
Anthony: I am a “comment” addict in that I read and comment in the WSJ quite often. I find that I often learn much more from the comments on an article than from the article. That certainly has been the case in this comment section. There has been a wide variety of comments which present many different thoughts, arguments for and against. A thinking mans meat. Thanks for posting the original article.
Stupid article is stupid!
And that article is stupid.
I wish Americans would get off their racial guilt trip. Enough is enough already.
Some of my ancestors were slaves, white slaves in Russia. Nobody gives a damn? All right, then I don’t give a damn about your precious racial sensitivities. And never forget, who actually sold those African slaves in the first place (and have been trading them for centuries on their West African Islamic bazaars before any pale-skinned buyers arrived)? Black African slave masters.
So, maybe skin color really doesn’t matter? Maybe slavery and persecution do? Then how the environmentalist persecution is better than the racial segregation?
We all would do well to be reminded that the hate, ostracisation and vilification has not comes to its end yet. Where this type of unbridled behaviour can lead to should concern everyone.
Lil Fella of Oz
All I would have to do is abandon all the science I was ever taught
That is exactly how I feel. I don’t want to be a sceptic. I really don’t like motorcars nor petrol heads. I’d prefer if everyone walked and cycled more.
But climate alarmism is completely anti-science and it would be dishonest to promote climate alarmism.
… I’ve completely gone off green things when I watch the moronic idiotic vitriolic nasty vindictive insane inane of the green nutters (some even daring to call themselves “scientists”). It doesn’t make me proud to ride a bike knowing that there are people whose behaviour is no better than racists promoting bike use.
Really? Being a sceptic gives Jim Thompson an insight into how it was to be black in the US south of the 1940s? Not within a bull’s roar, pal. Not even in the same time zone.
The posting of Thompson’s article is a faux pas of the same magnitude as the Heartland Unabomber billboard. With this over-the-top nonsense, the warmists have been handed a loaded gun.
When you are fighting a battle and you have the high ground, don’t give it up. Go down to the other guy’s level and you’ve chucked away your main advantage.
Stephen Brown wrote:
“I dread the coming of the Carbon Inquisition. I am doomed.”
You’re not doomed. Just shoot the first carbon inquisitor you see. I’ll do the same.
***
davidmhoffer says:
November 25, 2012 at 10:56 am
I often see this statement made, and it is an exception to the rule. It did not work for:
6 million Jews murdered in Nazi concentration camps
2 million Roma and others murdered in the same camps
8 million Ukrainians starved to death for rising up against the USSR
20 million Russians and eastern Europeans sent to their death in the Gulags for being against Communism.
2 million Cambodians for being from urban centres liquidated by the Khmer Rouge
1 million Kurds and Marsh Arabs murdered by Sadam Hussein for being Kurds and Marsh Arabs
1 million Tsutsis hacked to death with machetes for not being Hutus
****
I think Chairman Mao in China outdid them all w/his Red Guard & cultural revolution….
davidmhoffer says:
November 25, 2012 at 4:29 pm
Ian W;
Jews looked just like everyone else and if they acted like everyone else and supported the political activities of the majority, they could and did avoid concentration camps and the holocaust.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
This is a blatant lie and an egregious anti-Semitic statement. If by intent then it is one of the most racist remarks ever made in this forum. If by ignorance, then allow me to set the record straight:
I am sorry if I have upset you it was not anti-semitic and it was not by intent. Perhaps I am misinformed but read:
http://www.canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/29937
I would be interested if you can correct that article and many similar.
Ian W;
You’re not going to understand holocaust history from a single article on what George Soros did or did not do while he was a teenager in WWII, or the history of Soros since then. Your assertion amounts to accusing Jews of having brought the holocaust upon themselves through their “behaviour”. Such an assertion has no basis in fact, it is repugnant and repulsive to say such a thing. Yet is is a common enough assertion that it has taken on a life of its own, propagated by those who cling to their hatred without fact or reason to back them up, and for purposes of serving their own agenda.
If you think this sounds familiar, it is. Repeated assertions without basis in fact to serve an agenda are the hallmarks of the warmist movement.
It is not me you should be apologizing to for your remarks. It is the millions of dead that you have dishonored by suggesting that they brought it upon themselves.
u.k.(us) says:
Legatus says:
“The important part of this article is it has started.
This won’t end well…”
===============
Are you referring to this thread or the world in general ?
Not that I discount your theory, but is there any chance it wouldn’t “won’t end well”,
cus it gives me reason to get out of bed in the morning.
================================
Neither, I am referring to the start of the pogram against the “sceptics”, usually called “denialists”. This sort of thing has happend many times in the past, and it never ended well. If you want a reason to get out of bed in the morning, I suggest it be that you intend to make it end well. You can only do that by making sure it ends now, before it gets too far advanced.
Graphite says:
Really? Being a skeptic gives Jim Thompson an insight into how it was to be black in the US south of the 1940s? Not within a bull’s roar, pal. Not even in the same time zone.
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And how did that treatment start, did it suddenly spring into existence full bloomed, or did it gradually gain steam? Were the Jews always hated in Germany, or did it start somewhere? Do things have a beginning? What would a beginning of a new hating look like? What does history say?
History says it starts small, with minor name calling (“denialists”), which escalates (“pedophiles”), followed by calls to enforce it by law, followed by the first such enforcements, such as the first law saying you must sit in the back of the bus, or the one pointed out here, where you must park in the back of the garage.
Stop it now, or suffer it again.
hofer, you show your ignorance. I don’t rewrite history, but know enough to do it if I wish to. It’;s just that your ignorance has left you in the dark. I can prove every word I said, and you can’t.
REPLY: Here is a suggestion; if you want to complain about someone else’s ignorance, at least learn to spell and capitalize their name correctly. – Anthony
Don Worley says:
I don’t think the persecution angle serves anyone well. If you are confident in your views, there is no reason to feel persecuted. Feel pity for the ignorant perpetrators.
==========================================
Your feelings are irrelevant. If you are actually being persecuted, if actual things are happening to you, if you are forced to sit in the back of the bus, or, as now, park in the back of the garage, what does it matter what your feelings are? This is what is happening, this is what is.
And remember that the warmists have already compared you to the worst sort of criminal, even called for your death. Do you suppose you will still say it is merely enough to be “ confident in your views” when you are fired, in prison or worse?
Anthony, I know how to spell and I did leave the caps out on purpose. Just the same way he deleted my comment and went on to accuse me of rewriting history, which is a foul accusation.. I don’t criticize people for mistakes made in haste. Your comment is misguided. My words are about content not grammar.
This isn’t school and i don’t jump on you or anyone when you or others do that, even David M. Hofer!
REPLY: Hoffer, two “f’s”. Feel free to be as upset as you wish – Anthony
I think there needs to be some common sense in charge here. You started this thread with your attempt to stir up the hornets’ nest of segregation, and I consider that is valid, if not entirely accurate, unlike many others.
I’m not denigrating any race or group nor minimizing anyone’s suffering. I objected to the post that said the Jews could have escaped the Holocaust by blending in better! What nonsense. But this is today and I don’t demand apologies to dead people
As to this David M. Hofer, who has the nerve to challenge free speech and demand the striking of my factual remarks. What a disgraceful approach and what hypocrisy. If you want to challenge my words, show them in your post unedited so others can judge your competence or incompetence in talking about history. Your approach is as cowardly as those you accuse of such behavior.
[That’s enough. Move on. — mod.]
DavidG says:
November 26, 2012 at 11:08 am
hofer, you show your ignorance
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
This is not the forum to have a drawn out debate of the matter. I’ve stated for the record my opinion of what you said, and I stand by it.