The Discerning Texan

... That is the title of James Lewis' spectacularly-reasoned piece headlining the Pajamas Media today. I hope Mr. Lewis will forgive my liberal quoting from his piece here; it is so well argued that I think it needs to garner the widest possible audience.

The fraud that is being perpetuated on us in the name of "saving the planet" simply MUST be understood by the masses, before we really do engender a catastrophe--and chaos.

And, as Lewis himself states, enormous damage is being done in the name of Science that has nothing whatsoever to do with real science, and the people's faith in "science" may never recover from what is being peddled to the clueless in its name (emphasis is my own):

Like famished swine shoving each other aside to get to the trough, self-proclaimed scientists and real politicians are again launching headline upon headline to claim yet another disaster in the name of utterly unproven global warming. Did you know that the flock of geese that flew into US Airways jet engines this month in New York City were put there by global warming? And that London fogs, or rather their absence, are making global warming worse?

Yep. It’s right there in the paper, Maud.

As scientific skeptics are finally discovering the courage to speak out, the hype machine is faltering just a little.

But President Obama just appointed a True Believer to be science czar in the White House. So we can expect the politicians to keep hammering on this little piggy bank until the last golden coin drops out. You’ll be paying for the biggest false alarm in history for years to come.

But what worries me most is that the credibility of science may never recover — and perhaps it shouldn’t. Credibility has to be earned, and once it’s squandered may never be recovered. By now far too many scientists have knowingly colluded in an historic fraud, one that would put Bernie Madoff to shame. We are seeing political larceny here on a truly planetary scale.

Why should scientists who’ve gambled their own reputations on this fakery ever be trusted again? They shouldn’t. Would you entrust your life savings to Bernie Madoff? Right.

I’m not a climatologist. Like most scientists I rarely judge what others do in their fields. And yet it’s been flamingly obvious for years now that the hypothesis of human-caused global warming violates all the basic rules and safeguards that protect the integrity of normal, healthy science. That’s why AGW (anthropogenic global warming) looks like a massive fraud, the biggest fraud ever in the history of science.

If that’s true, anybody who cares about science should be outraged. Even if you don’t care about that ask yourself if you want your next medical exam to be honest. Or the next time you drive across a traffic bridge, do you want the engineering tests to be falsified? If scientific corruption becomes endemic, we risk losing one of the great jewels of our culture.

So here are some fundamental violations of scientific integrity that any thoughtful person should recognize. I’m not going to touch on climatology — the case against the warming hypothesis has already been made very well by experts. I just want to talk scientific common sense.

Threatening the skeptics.

Scientists get seduced by enticing ideas and bits of evidence all the time. That’s why every scientist I’ve ever known is a thorough-going skeptic, even about his or her own data. Especially about one’s own data, because one’s career is on the line if it doesn’t check out. So we need skepticism in ourselves and others. Good science honors the rational skeptic.

Which is why it’s beyond outrageous that AGW believers are publicly attacking thoughtful skeptics – not on the facts, but on their sheer temerity in doubting their precious orthodoxy.

According to the Guardian:

James Hansen, one of the world’s leading climate scientists, will today call for the chief executives of large fossil fuel companies to be put on trial for high crimes against humanity and nature, accusing them of actively spreading doubt about global warming in the same way that tobacco companies blurred the links between smoking and cancer.

That is Stalinism; it is never, ever done in real science. Stalin shot real scientists and promoted scientific frauds who helped to kill Soviet food production. Right there we know we’re looking at political corruption and not real science.

Albert Einstein and Nils Bohr spent decades debating quantum mechanics. Neither side tried to criminalize the other. Einstein’s stubborn skepticism actually led to spectacular new findings. Skepticism turned out to be one of his great gifts to the world.

Today’s public attack on skeptics should trigger loud alarm bells in the minds of scientists. It is indecent as well as dangerous.

Pop media hype.

AGW is heavily promoted through the popular media. But the pop media are utterly incompetent when it comes to any scientific or technical question. An English or journalism degree just doesn’t prepare you; nor do news editors want you to tell the truth. In the media a good story always beats out technical facts.

But in reputable science nothing is published without careful peer review, and the more spectacular the hypothesis, the more intensive the reviews are going to be. That’s why peer-reviewed journals are so vital to a healthy science, and why the constant evasion of peer review by global warming fanatics is a sign of their scientific weakness. If the evidence was solid, they would not have to run to the nearest headline-hunting journalist.

Bad data without apology.

In AGW bad data has been very widespread, and judging by past performance, it may still be endemic. Thermometers are placed in hot areas in the cities, and the data is shamelessly generalized to the whole world. The infamous “hockey stick” temperature diagram has been exposed. James Hansen has brought NASA to its lowest point ever by repeatedly endorsing false data.

In any healthy field of science, that disastrous empirical record would have discredited the hypothesis. But while the data seems to crash periodically, the models don’t change in their catastrophism.

[.....]

Al Gore is a sick joke. The same can be said about the establishment media, and yes, even about scientist-politicians. [This added link is my own -- DT]

Scientists are as corruptible as anybody else. Good scientists do have a conscience, but it’s the double-checking mechanisms of science that makes it trustworthy. We routinely see corrupt accountants and clergy in the news, and the news business itself is deeply corrupted and untrustworthy. The question is, do you build in checks and balances? Reporters are always rushed and deadline-driven, and they always trade off their integrity against the daily pressure for headlines.

All this affects you personally. Don’t doubt that your life and mine depend upon healthy science and medicine, and yes, even on honest journalism.

[.....]

AGW therefore looks to be the biggest fraud in the history of science. The AGW hype machine may signal the worst breakdown ever in the normal, healthy process of open debate and endless testing that makes for good science. It’s pathological science — which is not science at all.

What’s happening today is very dangerous. It can infect other parts of the sciences, medicine, and technology. If honest scientists cannot stand up to the pressure we are in deep, deep trouble as a society. Bad science kills people.

Read the whole thing.

More on the corruption of science, environmentalism as religion, and the overhype of AGW--all from the late Michael Crichton: here (video of lecture), here and here.

AGW--the science therein--debunked thoroughly here (also Crichton), here and here (astoundingly good video). And more is coming soon.

Ladies and Gentlemen, boys and girls: you are being sold a bill of goods by politicians who depend heavily on the multi-billion dollar environmental lobby to get elected and/or rich. That's Multi-billion. And then you have snake-oil salesmen like Al Gore (who is has earned hundreds of millions himself from the very misinformation and fear he is spreading).

With all that is going on, with our economy on the brink, we are witnessing this week in the halls of Congress the largest proposed RAPE of the taxpayer in US history. They are selling us a "stimulus" package which has nothing to do with stimulus whatsoever, and which amounts to a 30% increase over our already out of control budget.

The thing that I find to be most troubling about this: the Socialists "leading" us are now openly advocating "taxation without representation"-- i.e. by proposing that taxpayers in fiscally responsible, growth-oriented States subsidize with their own money the fiscal corruption, irresponsibility, utter failure and bankruptcy of States where high-taxation, free-spending, pro-union, big-government "leaders" have caused financial ruin (e.g. Michigan, New Jersey, New York and California...and 9 other States asking for a Federal bailout).

Have you been to Detroit lately? I have...

The policies by these power-hungry Governors/Legislatures have caused private business to flee those particular states like rats from a sinking ship. Yet they seem to have convinced the United States Congress that taxpayers in States like Texas--people that elected representatives who DID handle their affairs responsibly; and people that have had NO say or voice whatsoever in selecting who governs the irresponsible states which are going belly-up.

This not only IS "taxation without representation"--it encourages the irresponsible States to continue to be irresponsible!

And THAT my friends, is the very same dynamic that led the American Colonials of the 1770's to decide that enough is enough.

Back in those days they dumped Tea into Boston Harbor--and risked execution by doing so.

Today things are not so dire--not yet, anyway... Today we can at least start pushing back by working tirelessly to overload the switchboards of Congress and the Senate until this abominable "stimulus" is killed. And we must give as much time, money and energy as we possibly can to rebuilding a nation where reason, the basic principles of market economics and common sense are allowed to prevail over tyranny, Marxist ideologues, cronyism, pork-hogging politicians and other rogue elements which are actively working to destroy our economy and society.

Read the Declaration of Independence. Read the Constitution. Understand how and why both came about. And then look me in the eyes and try selling me with a straight face tell me that these apparatchiks in Washington are any more morally justified in their proposed THEFT of our private property to bail out their cronies in failing States (i.e. the fruits of our labor) than were the British of the 18th century in levying heavy taxes on Colonies which had no vote in Parliament.

Here is the sad truth: Barack Obama is in his first real job that carries with it any responsibility in his entire life--and it as President of the United States! Yes he is bright, charismatic symbol--and he is a good communicator. But he is also a green, inexperienced, untested Marxist ideologue who from all indications does not have a clue to the extent of damage this "stimulus" can do, or even the damage his clumsy handling of Gitmo, Iran, etc., has already done.

It is up to We the People to stop this runaway train, before Stalinists who want to crush dissent try to silence us and those who speak for us. This is not merely a "cult of personality"--it is a real cult. And so far, Americans seem all too willing to drink the Kool-Aid. Get on your phones and get those emails humming: tell your Senator that if he/she votes for this bill you will do everything in your power to see them defeated when they come up for election again. And mean it.