Obviously Marco Rubio is getting a lot of attention because of his latest bs on global warming not being caused by human beings. I have only read Meteor Blades’s fine diary on the subject, so I don’t know what everyone else is saying. I only know what I think about it.
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I was always impressed by George Lakoff’s idea that frames trump facts, and that things not fitting in conservatives’ world view are simply left ‘outside the frame,’ made non-existent, for the sake of discussion, and for all those easily duped by their manipulations and intellectual dishonesty and cowardice. This framing dishonesty is clearly visible in Rubio’s latest incoherency.
I do not believe that the laws that they propose we pass will do anything about it, except it will destroy our economy.
(Quotation from CNN’s
political ticker.)
What is it that tonight’s subject is leaving out of the ‘frame?’
It is the simple idea that the consequences of global warming will not destroy our economy. It has the capability to essentially destroy the economy of every country on earth. He suggests that our economy should be the priority. That is always the case with conservatives. They won’t say it outright, but money is more important than people. Always.
Lakoff calls it placing things outside the frame, I call it a straw man argument. With conservatives it is that terrible faith in the ‘wisdom’ of the ‘market.’ But this is global warming. By the time the ‘market’ appreciates the desperate state of affairs, it will be far too late to significantly diminish the impact, if, indeed, it is not already too late.
He pooh-poohs the idea that measures we take can influence the environment. I see it just the opposite. Every measure has an impact, from every one of us. None of our individual actions are large enough to make a detectable change, any more than one of our votes can elect a president. But collectively our actions carry great weight, and are critically important. Since we cannot SEE the full consequences of any of our acts, he concludes that there ARE no consequences, which is a straw man argument. He makes the same conclusion historically. Since our actions cannot influence something on the scale of the global climate, none of the actions of our ancestors (and ourselves earlier in this lifetime) can have influenced it, either.
It is one of the stupidest, most dishonest and most dangerous arguments I have seen in a long time.
This is the unexpressed sentiment at the heart of Rubio’s statement:
I believe the way I believe, not because of any evidence, but, rather, because, politically, that is the way I desperately need things to be.
I am sorry, Mr. Rubio. That is just not good enough. And the worst part is, you aren't going to pay the price for your absurd 'beliefs.' Every human being on the planet would.
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From zenbassoon:
In BFSkinner's late late diary asking the deep question I Dream of Jeannie or Bewitched, Dave in Northridge makes his preference known and then tarkangi is right there with the ultimate "Oh no you didn't" reply.
From Chrislove:
In my diary about a hilarious video on how to talk to your kids about openly gay NFL player Michael Sam, FogCityJohn nails it on why the Sam draft is a perfect storm of right-wing racist and homophobic rage.
From brillig:
In Meteor Blades' diary This #@!!&%%$ is what Indians still have to put up with, that I really wish didn't need to be written, ivorybill has this excellent comment on alcohol metabolism and ethnicity.
And a comment flag!
Flagged by A Bleeding God, this comment by LeftHandedMan is a diary-quality rant on Benghazi.
Top Mojo for yesterday, May 11th, first comments and tip jars excluded. Thank you mik for the mojo magic! For those of you interested in How Top Mojo Works, please see his diary FAQing Top Mojo.
1) North Carolina did the same thing and now by Rock Strongo — 104
2) A worthy successor to Ted Kennedy by Dallasdoc — 91
3) Warren is an old school New England Democrat. by LaFeminista — 86
4) Dis fat belly not gonna rub itself! by Fordmandalay — 80
5) Will IS a fossil! n/t by JeffW — 77
6) Oh Hai Whoknu! And Mom Always Made Sure We Look: by leonard145b — 71
7) No. It's one way or the other. by Steve Simitzis — 69
8) Wait A Minute, so Is Will In Favor of by Gooserock — 67
9) Thanks JnH! by Fineena — 65
10) The best summary is from Pierce: Idiot America by xaxnar — 64
11) Bonus Map by Pluto — 63
12) Islamic responses by Denise Oliver Velez — 63
13) To answer the question in the diary title: by zenbassoon — 62
14) Oh Hai Kossacks! Yes, Sekritarmy Never Tells Tails by leonard145b — 62
15) Professor Milo approves this diary by BOHICA — 60
16) i knew not to view this diary by live1 — 56
17) Those guys were actually laughing! by JoanMar — 56
18) All you have to do is look at FAUX News by Fordmandalay — 55
19) afternoon snack by newpioneer — 53
20) Unexpected only by dishonest pols. by Ian Reifowitz — 48
21) not unexpected - HGTV will lose its LBGT audience by pasuburbdem1 — 48
22) Stella Damascus, Nigerian film star speaks out by Denise Oliver Velez — 48
23) They had their little victory by kpelligra — 47
24) That knife holder has been around for years. by ColoTim — 45
25) And trust me, there IS an LGBT audience by commonmass — 45
26) This woman is absolutely by Keeping it Simple — 45
27) "defensive gun uses" by indycam — 44
28) If You Are Attending Netroots Nation by JekyllnHyde — 44
29) hey its the New Bigotry where people who by entlord — 43
30) And, of course, Chuckles Krauthammer by hatrack — 43
31) Thanks, whoknu and all, by carolanne — 43
Top Pictures for yesterday, May 11th. Click any image to be taken to the full comment. Thank you jotter for the image magic!