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News & ArtsFriday, November 2, 2012
2012 / Enviro Republicans Cheer for Sandy
Posted by Paul Constant on Fri, Nov 2, 2012 at 3:26 PM
This video is brutal, but you really should watch it:
(Via Glenn Fleishman on Twitter.)
1
I couldn't watch it. I gave it ten seconds and my brain threatened to have my intestines strangle me if I watched any more.
2
As I watched it, I was worried I'd feel emotionally manipulated by the end. But the closing message actually brought it all together. No, climate science is not a joke. But Mitt Romney is.
6
The headline is really misleading, as is the video.
Look, I think Romney is as much of a tool as anyone else. I even stopped serving on my church council because of how much the president reminds me of Romney, both in manner of speech and body language and in ideology. But the people in that crowd were not cheering the hurricane. They were cheering what was likely disingenuous promise to take care of those people and their families.
Those of us on the left hate it when the right take things out of context or manipulates video or otherwise distorts a message. Why are we doing it?
Look, I think Romney is as much of a tool as anyone else. I even stopped serving on my church council because of how much the president reminds me of Romney, both in manner of speech and body language and in ideology. But the people in that crowd were not cheering the hurricane. They were cheering what was likely disingenuous promise to take care of those people and their families.
Those of us on the left hate it when the right take things out of context or manipulates video or otherwise distorts a message. Why are we doing it?
7
Lay off Mitt; he no doubt helped a lot of families with $5K worth of Dinty Moore stew, peanut butter and rolls of buttwipe.
8
Yes, let's all listen to the idiot who uses that hideous Romney logo as an avatar about "silliness" and "independents".
9
Ha ha you stupid liberals care about the future! Sarcasm is so becoming in a Presidential Candidate.
10
"They were cheering what was likely disingenuous promise"
Disagree. They were cheering for today's conservatism, defined thusly: "Today’s conservatism is the opposite of what liberals want today: updated daily."
Disagree. They were cheering for today's conservatism, defined thusly: "Today’s conservatism is the opposite of what liberals want today: updated daily."
11
@6 No. Romney was clearly expressing the basic Republican principle, which is I Don't Care About the Rest of You As Long As I Get Mine. Global Warming is an issue they *have* to mock, because it implies that we're all connected, and that what you do has consequences for everyone. They hate this idea, they're terrified of it, because if that's true, their economic ideals become meaningless.
So he mocks Obama was discussing global climate change, which involves everybody, even blacks, Mexicans & gays, and promises to help 'you and your [white, Christian, straight] family.'
So he mocks Obama was discussing global climate change, which involves everybody, even blacks, Mexicans & gays, and promises to help 'you and your [white, Christian, straight] family.'
13
Climate change is a pretty serious issue but I'm not going to cut a rhetorical video against hydro fracking the next time we have a serious earthquake on the West coast.
15
@4 I hope by independents you mean people who are embrassed to admit they vote Republican. Cuz you're right, this video will turn them off.
But if you want to have an honest conversation about the environment, which is in dire need of having, mocking it is a dumb way to go. We can't blame blame Sandy on human activity but we can certainly look at the sad shape of the sound and the harm done to the shellfish industry due to our irresponsible industry output.
I really hope the GOP grows up and realizes the environment doesn't just affect hippies. Barren lands and seas will greatly harm America's greatest asset, our food production.
But if you want to have an honest conversation about the environment, which is in dire need of having, mocking it is a dumb way to go. We can't blame blame Sandy on human activity but we can certainly look at the sad shape of the sound and the harm done to the shellfish industry due to our irresponsible industry output.
I really hope the GOP grows up and realizes the environment doesn't just affect hippies. Barren lands and seas will greatly harm America's greatest asset, our food production.
16
@15: Read the last paragraph of @6.
Video/audio juxtapositions of unrelated events (no matter what the content) are inherently sophomoric and really only serve "preach to the choir" targeted audiences.
Video/audio juxtapositions of unrelated events (no matter what the content) are inherently sophomoric and really only serve "preach to the choir" targeted audiences.
18
I mostly agree with @6, not as much @16.
You can't say the events are "unrelated", as there's plenty of context and evidence to at least warrant & justify an examination of the events relative to one another. But to overlay the audience applause of an ignorant and idiocy fueled statement with those graphic images seems a bit much in terms of extrapolation.
Not that the idiot right isn't frequently guilty of the exact same on a regular basis. Still, we're better than that, and them.
You can't say the events are "unrelated", as there's plenty of context and evidence to at least warrant & justify an examination of the events relative to one another. But to overlay the audience applause of an ignorant and idiocy fueled statement with those graphic images seems a bit much in terms of extrapolation.
Not that the idiot right isn't frequently guilty of the exact same on a regular basis. Still, we're better than that, and them.
19
I don't understand those of you claiming it's unrelated or a cheap shot. Romney mocks Obama for wanting to slow the rise of the oceans and heal the planet, Republican crowd eats it up, monster storm is used to demonstrate why the planet might need healing and the Republican crowd is at best clueless, at worst both clueless and heartless.
After all, these are the people who practically worship a dude who said, "The nine most terrifying words in the English language are: 'I'm from the government and I'm here to help.'"
I wouldn't call it unfair to juxtapose that Reagan quote against footage of the Coast Guard rescuing people.
After all, these are the people who practically worship a dude who said, "The nine most terrifying words in the English language are: 'I'm from the government and I'm here to help.'"
I wouldn't call it unfair to juxtapose that Reagan quote against footage of the Coast Guard rescuing people.
20
@15- "We can't blame Sandy on human activity "
"The answer to the oft-asked question of whether an event is caused by climate change is that it is the wrong question. All weather events are affected by climate change because the environment in which they occur is warmer and moister than it used to be."
http://www.springerlink.com/content/0008…
"The answer to the oft-asked question of whether an event is caused by climate change is that it is the wrong question. All weather events are affected by climate change because the environment in which they occur is warmer and moister than it used to be."
http://www.springerlink.com/content/0008…
21
@20 my apologies. I was trying to reason with the unreasonable.
I wish you had included the full context of my sentence. Oh well.
I wish you had included the full context of my sentence. Oh well.
22
@21 My apologies too for I didn't mean to put you specifically on the spot. I picked up on ambiguous phrasing that has been the standard for the better part of a decade now, including on the part of most climate scientists I must say. Fortunately, as shown by Trenberth, Hansen and others, there is a new willingness to put forward the scientific arguments that connect in no uncertain terms climate change to the new weather norm. The most unreported aspect of the climate change debate has been that some experts find the consensus, as expressed by the IPCC, errs too much on the side of caution (underestimates of future sea level rise are a notorious example of this defensive posture). It looks as if we are about to witness a breakthrough in this respect. Let's hope it is permanent.
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