Graham Readfearn reports from the battle front.
A victory has been declared in the field of climate change, but the lap of honour is not being run by research scientists or renewable energy bosses, or by coral reefs, drought-stricken farmers or the citizens of low-lying countries.
Rather, if you accept as valid this declaration of victory from one of Australia’s leading thinkers, then those popping the champagne corks are the fossil fuel lobbyists.
Standing by the track cheering this triumph are the conservative think tanks and the free market ideologues that believe the world should be run on their terms.To follow the analogy through to the bitter end, the losers are everyone else.
He is referring to a new essay by Robert Manne in The Monthly.
I suspect it is far too early to declare victory – not with the carbon tax running rampant, but have a read of the comments at The Drum.
Clearly just another step in the process. I think we past bargaining and are heading towards acceptance.
But the whole thing would just be a can-rattle – please support us and/or send money.
Oh, and thanks for making me read some Drum comments. I feel like I need a shower. If you get down far enough there are rants linking the problem of climate change to needing to ‘clean house’.
Look at this gem:
It’s an occupy wishlist! Start with climate change and move through evil property developers and finish on a strong note of peak-everything. All wrapped up in a climate change rant.
The fail is strong with this one.
brc
2 Aug 12 at 8:06 pm
Denialism wins over science ☑
Barack Obama knobbled by the Koch Brothers ☑
Robert Manne a ‘Political Philosopher ☑
Muller a former sceptic owned by the Koch bros ☑
Denialists tightly knit group think and incapable of thinking for themselves ☑
Australia hypocritical bay claiming to be world leader and yet exporting coal ☑
Robert Manne: Denialist triumph is not stable int he longterm ☑
You could not make this childishness masquerading as serious commentary up
JamesK
2 Aug 12 at 8:14 pm
Believe it or not, this Pommy clown who migrated here started out as a proper journalist and got a real job at the Brisbane Courier-Mail. Then he decided to be a propagandist for the climate gravy train, while still pretending he was a journalist. I’ve never seen anything like it in Australian journalism. At least Fairfax’s climate zombies pretend they are obeying journalism’s basic rules, but Redfearn is out there in his Che t-shirt campaigning for the socialist climate solution like some delinquent teenager. I believe he has a young child, who he will not be able to provide for at this rate when the climate money starts running out in the next two or three years. Possibly the most reckless individual I have encountered.
Tom
2 Aug 12 at 8:23 pm
But never, of course, peak stupid, while there are numpties like this wandering this earth.
Rabz
2 Aug 12 at 8:40 pm
That’s impossible, Rabz. Just when you think it’s peak the trendline points up again.
JC
2 Aug 12 at 8:42 pm
Tom,
You’re way, way, way below the belt bringing someone’s children into this, whoever they are and whatever you think of them. It’s scum talk.
Bluebottle
2 Aug 12 at 8:47 pm
….. Manne.
Hansen has a B.A. in Physics and Mathematics and a Masters Degree in Astronomy (Wiki) — he’s an astronomer.
….. Manne.
Schneider had a PhD in mechanical engineering.
Nothing ostensibly wrong with either of those backgrounds, but it illustrates what an inchoate field ‘climate science’ or as it used to be called climatology, is.
manalive
2 Aug 12 at 8:55 pm
I’ve just that deadfearn piece and the idiocy, inaccuracies and downright lies are simply staggering.
Presumably deadfearn at least got the quote correct, which would be the only instance in the whole sad foam flecked screed.
These people are self evidently insane.
Enough.
Rabz
2 Aug 12 at 8:56 pm
I thought Tom was looking out for his kid. As in – his father shouldn’t be reckless in throwing away a journalist career on being a shill for a dying religion.
The point being that doubling down on being a climate alarmist at this point is not the correct path for someone with a young family.
Sound advice if you ask me.
brc
2 Aug 12 at 8:57 pm
I’ve just waded through that deadfearn piece…
Rabz
2 Aug 12 at 8:58 pm
brc and Tom,
When you get too busy being clever at someone else’s expense to notice that you are swimming in the sewer, it’s time to take a good hard look at yourselves. Those are values that I grew up with as an Australian.
Bluebottle
2 Aug 12 at 9:02 pm
Bluebottle, if anything Tom was concerned for the child – its one thing to tilt at windmills when you only have to provide for yourself. Doing so when you have a dependent is a different matter.
Quentin George
2 Aug 12 at 9:06 pm
I’ll say one more thin before I go: this website is named after “‘Catallaxy’ is a word that the great libertarian philosopher and economist Friedrich Hayek coined from the Greek verb “katallattein”, which means not only “to exchange” but also “to admit in the community” and “to change from enemy into friend”.
How do you reckon being a fluffy clever-dick about Graham Readfearn’s children is going to change him into a friend? You certainly lost me as one.
Bluebottle
2 Aug 12 at 9:08 pm
Leaving so soon bluebottle?
And after playing such a nice ‘concern’ card, too.
Winston Smith
2 Aug 12 at 9:14 pm
Peak food??
Jarrah
2 Aug 12 at 9:15 pm
Fluffy Tom? Hey Tom, are you related to Lucky Tom?
Gab
2 Aug 12 at 9:21 pm
Make or break day for the ECB in about 1/2 hour. Draghi said they would act in a way that would surprise the market. Lets see.
He’d better not disappoint or else.
JC
2 Aug 12 at 9:26 pm
This is peak confusing stuff…shouldn’t the warmists be writing about darkest defeat ?
Jack
2 Aug 12 at 9:31 pm
Don’t let the door smack you on your way out bluey.
Mk50 of Brisbane
2 Aug 12 at 9:32 pm
Does idiot Redfearn realise how oxymoronic he is?
Free market ‘idealogues’ and conservative think-tanks are not the people enforcing their religion on the masses.
duncan
2 Aug 12 at 9:35 pm
Steve is still fighting the good fight on the Anthony Watts thread, he must be aiming for 1000 comments. Give him a break guys, leave him alone so he can contribute on this thread.
Poor Old Rafe
2 Aug 12 at 9:36 pm
Read it again. Being concerned for someones family because the breadwinner is being reckless is hardly against Australian values.
I would say the same thing if my neighbour was shovelling money down a pokie machine.
And I don’t think that’s ‘swimming in the sewer’.
There are going to be a lot of people who have ruined their careers on the climate caper by going in too hard. Who is Flannery going to work for in a years time? He has discredited himself, and for his sake, I hope he has been packing it away for the upcoming earnings drought.
brc
2 Aug 12 at 9:38 pm
Give him a break? Never!
JC
2 Aug 12 at 9:38 pm
And after the dreadful way he “conversed” with you, Rafe! You’re a real gentleman and a scholar.
Gab
2 Aug 12 at 9:40 pm
Which stevie-moron are you referring to Rafe?
JamesK
2 Aug 12 at 9:40 pm
Does it matter?
Poor Old Rafe
2 Aug 12 at 10:03 pm
a rational citizen has little alternative but to accept the consensual core position of climate scientists. Discussion of this point should long ago have ended. That it has not is the most persuasive possible example of the feebleness of reason, the futility of argument and the failure of politics.
Once again we are be asked to defer to authority or admit we are not rational. And if we are not rational, of course, no one need listen to us.
Barbara Boxer’s stupider than usual antics yesterday when Field and Christy testified before Congress show just how antsy the political schemers are becoming. The disclosures on IPCC and now Watts’ work mean that facts and reality are getting in the way of the scheming.
The subterfuge of using education to change the noetic system to get political change and a centrally planned and directed economy that way is gradually coming out.
So the tendency is to yell all the louder that there is no valid dispute.
Just cranking up on this dispute.
Robin
2 Aug 12 at 10:10 pm
bluebottle seems to have stung her/him self.
When every f*cking alarmist talks about saving the world for our children, and our grandchildren, and our great-great grandchildren – and future generations ad infinitum.
Then shim has the audacity to get hoiti toiti because a reporters child is mentioned on this blog.
bluebottle are you from getup?
F*ck off bluebottle….
I presume its one of the vodka varieties that you name yourself after because you have no sting!
NoFixedAddress
2 Aug 12 at 10:45 pm
And all I came on here to say was congratulations Sinclair.
Its nice to know that the ‘dark force’ is with you, but kindly don’t let it get too cold, please.
-6.6 in Canberra the other night.
And the people that work there believe that Globble Warming is going to kill us.
LOL
I sit in a place that’s 26-32 all year round, and it rains.
NoFixedAddress
2 Aug 12 at 11:03 pm
Bluebottle, concerned for the children.
Xevram, concerned for wide ranging consultations and discussion.
SfB, concerned that his name is not appearing often enough.
SteveC, concerned that the light from his backside provides illumination.
Monty, concerned that the rest aren’t doing enough, so piles on too.
These are the Denial of Service trolls, all inexplicably and inexhaustively dedicated to cluttering up your blog with nonsense. You’d better hope the lates one is as easy to piss off as first impressions indicate. This place is becoming vermin infested.
Blogstrop
3 Aug 12 at 6:24 am
Blogstrop – I value having CAGW believers come here as I can engage with them and show to anyone looking that their arguments are not logical, are not scientific, and draw from totalitarian blogs which delete comments from sceptics such as I no matter how on topic, polite and scientific.
This is the problem with Dr Manne and Mr Readfearn. Whenever climate sceptics attempt to engage in a discussion they are censored by these people, or debate is refused completely.
The other good thing is a debate here lets us bring up all that science that ordinary people have no easy way of seeing, such as the U.R.Rao paper – a guy who is probably the premier scientist in India. Compare him with James Hansen and who should you be believing, really? And then there are scientists like Svensmark, Friis-Christensen, Lindzen, Spencer and many many others doing work which shows that CO2 is not the foul beast the CAGW’ers say it is.
The CAGW fraternity are losing credibility every day, which seems to be behind Mr Readfearn’s moaning. He has an easy way to overcome this: debate, using science in open fora. Richard Denniss had a chance to do this with Chris Monckton on the ABC. He failed to offer any science, just handwaving about what everyone else was supposedly doing. Why should the ABC not do a series, with one on one debates with actual graphs and data? If the CAGW case is so clear the CAGW representatives should be able to romp it over us types who are “part of an irrationalist movement” as Dr Manne says.
Bruce of Newcastle
3 Aug 12 at 9:07 am
Yes bluebottle it’s despicable to bring children into the debate isn’t it.
Keith
3 Aug 12 at 9:18 am
Actually Bruce, Redfearn debated Monckton but it didn’t go well. Soon after, Redfearn ceased his “climate blog” and quit from the Courier-Mail. Unfortunately, he is attempting a comeback thanks to his regular cheque from the Drum. I guess he thinks everyone has forgotten the public, comprehensive verbal dismemberment that Monckton performed on him. That the ABC thinks he should be given a platform at taxpayer expense is beyond comprehension and reason, but I hope they continue. Readfearn does more to damage “the cause” of AGW than many skeptics.
Keith
3 Aug 12 at 9:28 am
Getting under your skin, Blogstrop?
I hadn’t even posted on this thread, so glad to hear you are thinking of me.
SteveC
3 Aug 12 at 9:39 am
And accurately too
JamesK
3 Aug 12 at 9:40 am
SteveC. Still waiting for the Americans and Chinese to come to the party.
Tiny Dancer
3 Aug 12 at 9:43 am
Keith – Oops I forgot that one. Didn’t see it at the time. Always easier to remember when you’ve watched someone bury themselves on live TV like Dr Denniss did.
Bruce
3 Aug 12 at 10:03 am
Thanks Bruce – I appreciate your contributions, but I’ve noticed (as have most of us) that these trolls are not here to learn, any more than Redfearn or the ABC learn from and adjust to new information (or a drubbing), except insofar as more of their efforts are deemed necessary to stem any slippage towards a more rational view of the climate.
blogstrop
3 Aug 12 at 12:07 pm
Not posting here because your butt has been excised?
blogstrop
3 Aug 12 at 8:24 pm
Enough.
taylor walker is a lobotomised, mulleted, axeville meatoff*.
He knows in which barrels the bodies are dissolving.
*A cross between a meat head and a write off
Rabz
5 Aug 12 at 10:50 pm
One wonders how people like Manne even get up in the morning, when they suffer from such confusion. Stating that every one else is just a moron, not like himself ofcourse, he considers himself to be a genius. Beyond question and beyond rational thought while on the public payroll.
Manne demonstrates the thinking of the left wing lunatics succinctly, as they truly believe that only they are gifted and given the knowledge to know everything. Everyone else is just one snag short of a barbie. The sheer, unadulterated arrogance permeates every writen word but only when the smugness subsides. He is indeed one confused individual who appears capable of cognitive dissonance without ever being aware of it’s debilitating condition.
Misanthrope Fiat
10 Aug 12 at 6:22 am