What Jon describes is also going on in Virginia where the governor
is trying to muzzle long time state climatologist and UVA professor Pat
Michaels. Jon is also correct in pointing out that using political
muscle to shut down debate and to stifle scientific inquiry is exactly
the tactics used by communists and Nazis.
Part of this “science and economics be damned” cabal is our own North
Carolina Global Climate Commission. Their entire MO for the last year
has been to stifle true debate and analysis of the issues in order to
push through a pre-ordained agenda. Yesterday was round one. Without
providing any of the underlying support that their establishing
legislation requires, the commission went ahead and voted to recommend
a series of proposals including higher taxes on electricity to restrict
CO2 emissions. They thumbed their nose at the law, and those in the media who should be calling them on it are in complete collusion with the cheaters.
But there is a bright side. These are the tactics of people who have
run out of legitimate arguments. What we are seeing with respect to the
debate on global warming is skeptics providing references to academic journals
and rigorous economic analysis and responses by alarmists full of
unreferenced hyperbole and personal attacks. And if it appears on an
alarmist blog it is also accompanied by foul language and name-calling.
This is the reaction of people who have no confidence in their own
position. We can be confident that if they had actual arguments they
would use them.
