Re: Living in a state of politicized fear.

And in a neat twist I should add that the Industrial Revolution was financed
by the Slave Trade so slavery has been our downfall.


--
Douglas Clark ..................... Bath, Somerset, UK ......
http://usergroup.plus.net .......... http://www.dgdclynx.plus.com


"Douglas Clark" <dgdclynx@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
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"Robert Peffers." <peffers@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
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"Douglas Clark" <dgdclynx@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
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"The Highlander" <micheil@xxxxxxx> wrote in message
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When I was a youngster, we lived in an atmosphere of confidence and
the knowledge that no matter what happened we could contain its
consequences. We had just fought a second world war and had emerged
somewhat scathed but unbowed. The Empire was still intact and apart
from rumblings from Russia, we were ready to enjoy the fruits of
peace.

From then to now the western world's perceptions have changed
completely. We live in constant fear of new disasters; global warming;
carbon dioxide increasing; dangerous weather patterns; new diseases
from Asia and Africa; inadequate pensions; attacks by religious
madmen, worries about the economy; fears of resources running out;
changes in the make-up of our countries as aliens pour in; threats to
our ways of life; crime; germs; chemicals; additives; pollutants;
worries about nuclear war; cancer; - in other words, everything that
gladdens the heart of a disaster junkie.

Why is this?

For example, I have been doing some serious reading about global
warming and am slowly beginning to think that it is pure nonsense.

Everything I can find that comes from a "reputable" source suggests
that we are in the middle of a natural warming trend which has been in
business since 1850, following a 400 year-long cold spell known as
"The Little Ice Age". Examples are the Great Frost of 1683-4, when the
River Thames froze over and a fair was held on the Thames ice. The
last great frost occurred in 1825 and this engraving below shows
people walking on the River and again holding a fair:

http://www.georgeglazer.com/prints/citytown/thamesfrost.html

I think that there now exists an alliance between science and politics
which is not to our advantage, but very much so to politicians and
scientists. Not all scientists have caved in to political pressure -
Hans Blix, the UN inspector who swore that there were no WMDs in Iraq
and was promptly rubbished as incompetent; Dr. Kelly who told
journalists that the evidence for WMDs was being cooked up by the
Blair government and was leaned on so heavily that he committed
suicide, but people who depend on government grants for their research
are very vulnerable to suggestions that their funding might be cut off
unless they go along with political perceptions.

Who does this benefit? Well, just think about the draconian reactions
to terror attacks like 9/11. The US swarming with beefed-up and new
aggressive police agencies like Homeland Security; British civil
rights essentially tossed out of the window as police and spy agencies
combine to paint a terrifying picture of bombers on every bus; much of
it thwarted by your eagle-eyed government springing to your rescue,
but forced to impose certain rules and remove certain rights for the
protection of the realm. Rights like the right to proceed about your
lawful occasions without let or hindrance by the police; now the
subject of an insane ID system which had cost billions and still isn't
working.

Back to the pensions funds for more money to spend on the problem!

Am I an alarmist? I don't think so; a cynic would be a much better
description. I don't think politicians are wonderful; my view is that
most of them couldn't find their own arse without a map, and whether
Cicero was correct in saying that politicians are not born but
excreted, most seem to be full of what the elder George Bush called
"doo-doo".

Politicians thrive on ordering other people around. It's what the job
is about. Do you walk with the aid of a cane? Some politician will
eventually cram through a law saying that you must register it at the
post office as a potentially deadly weapon.

Does your malt whisky taste peatier than usual? Another five million
will be laid aside to study the effects of carbon dioxide emissions on
peat, while your whisky will be "unavailable" until further notice.
Government-approved scientists will wallow in the trough for as long
as the bounty lasts before emerging to reassure the public that their
peat is safe and they can resume drinking Talisker.

Phew! Saved again by science and our friends at Westminster!

I have taken note that those scientists who claim that global warming
is crap, are also those who have retired and no longer need to worry
about grant renewals. Meanwhile, the media shows pictures of ice-free
Arctic regions with no explanation that such "leads" as they're
called, are and have always been commonplace. Would you believe that
Antarctic ice thickness is increasing? And have you noticed how many
environmental agencies there are, constantly asking for funds to
support their huge staffs?

The fact is that governments now use fear to control their citizens.
Afraid of microwaves giving you cancer? Your government has ordered
microwave oven manufacturers to cure the problem. You are now safe as
never before! Guess who you vote back into power at the next election.

The whole Iraqi scam has been a classical example. Saddam made one
mistake while trying to impress his neighbours with what a big mover
and shaker he was; he spoke about being able to fire rockets into
Europe.

Instant reaction from Europe - "Stop Saddam at any price!" The UN
says, "Hold it - we'll make sure Saddam is telling the truth!"
Inspectors work night and day and find nothing - Saddam cooperates
fully; he is already aware that he went a step too far and could be in
serious trouble. He may have been a ***, but only a guy with lots
of street smarts stays in power as long as he did in a country like
Iraq.

The UN says, "No WMDS!" but Bush isn't listening as he wants to avenge
the attemptyed assassination of his father during the celebrations in
Kuwait after Desert Strom, while Blair sees his chance to be another
Winston Churchill. Saddam pays for his boast with his life; Blair get
tossed out of power for being Bush's poodle and Bush is now being
nailed to the cross as the man who's responsible for the deaths of
3,610 American as of this morning.

9/11 was a different matter. In the US, paranoia is a way of life.
Bush announced that Canada is seething with terrorists, all desperate
for a chance to blow up the United States. Fences are built to keep
out Mexicans and people from unfriendly countries. The US Airforce
runs bombing exercises on the very edge of the International Boundary
between the US and Canada. Festung Amerika (Fortress America) is
established. When the US government shouts "Jump!" 299 million
Americans jump with the promise that the one million radicals who
don't will be dealt with later... The citizens are totally under the
thumb of the Administration.

The UK can't command quite the same response. Three car bombs fail to
do their job; the English keep partying in the same neighbourhood; in
Glasgow, a Scottish hero is born and the Scots say, "Bring 'em on,
Osama; we'll do the bastards!" Thirty years of IRA bombing have
hardened the Brits as far as terrorism is concerned.

Even so the governments in both countries keep raising and lowering
the danger levels like a whore's knickers at a Shriners' convention
but the effect is wearing off. We haven't heard from Osama for a
couple of years now and there's an excellent chance that he's no
longer with us. Of course, it's in no one's interest to make that
official; Al-Qaeda keeps issuing threats and the various governments
keep responding. Eventually it will all come to an end when the public
gets bored with the whole charade, but in the meantime, a wonderful
time will have been had by all.

If only rhat other Blair - Eric, aka George Orwell, could have lived
to see his prophesies come true...

The Highlander
Tilgibh smucaid air do làmhan,
togaibh a' bhratach dhubh agus
toisichibh a' geàrradh na sgòrnanan!

Highlander's credibility goes down a chunk for me with his views on
global warming. Even the FT devoted its Saturday magazine to explaining
the situation a few weeks ago. That issue seemed to be based on Fred
Pearce's book which I recommend.


Let me put it to you this way -
Ever since this old planet Earth came into being its entire history has
been one of, most often, violent changes. We Scots were reaping the
benefits of the Industrial Revolution from the results of these changes
by coal mining, gravel & sand extraction, shale oil and, now, North Sea
Oil. These benefits would not have been there if it were not for the
violent changes in the past.

Our entire landscape bears witness to those violent climatic changes in
the past. I look out my window and see Benarty Hill and the shape of this
hill is typical of much of Scotland. These hills are slow rising slopes
on one end and steep cut away slopes on the other end. That cut away was
due to the ice movements of past Ice-Ages and that was what exposed all
those Fife coal-fields, gravel pits, brick clays and sand quarries that
were the former wealth of Fife. So you tell me - what formed the White
Cliffs of Dover? What caused the Gulf Stream to start? What caused
Doggerland to sink below the North Sea? Why did Britain rise further from
the sea as Doggerland sank?

So you see it is most normal for planet Earth to have constantly changing
weather patterns and totally abnormal if she ever stops doing so. Are we
so stupid that we should expect it to remain static just to please
Home-Sapiens? In the grand scheme of things we are just not that
important and nature will take her course NO MATTER WHAT WE DO.
Like rape, if it is inevitable, just lie back and enjoy it.
--

Robert Peffers,
Kelty,
Fife,
Scotland, (UK).


Robert
The current problem was caused by ourselves having an Industrial
Revolution which has been gradually warming the planet up with the gases
released. So it is caused by our Western Civilisation and the inevitable
consequence, cos I dont think people are willing to drastically change
their lifestyles and no politician would dare ask them to, means the end
of our Civilisation in a hundred years or so. Things may get very nasty
but man will survive.

I am your age so wont live to see it and should be dead before the
nastiness starts to arrive. I subscribe to New Scientist and Scientific
American to keep up with the science world in which I have spent all my
life.

It shouldnt affect anybody over sixty so leave the young ones to it.




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