This past winter and spring I spent a good deal of time dissecting Jim Steele’s malicious game of deliberate deception in his Pacifica Tribune’s “What’s Natural?’ column and it was taking its toll.
On the one hand, I like the work of studying others’ writings - investigating and searching out new information, double checking my own assertions and recollections, learning, relearning and taking the time to examine, recognize and expose the ‘mechanics of deception’ in action. In that way it’s my classroom and a positive exercise.
On the other hand, it’s profoundly depressing coming face to face with these real life intellectual zombies that never ever seem to change. They pompously cry for debate, yet try having a serious constructive dialogue with them. First comes the attitudes of superiority, then the dismissal, then avoidance, then insults and derision, then they run and hide, but never an adult discussion.
And no one seems to care much! Free pass for all. So they get away with it, over and over like a spreading pathogen, and no one seems capable of doing anything about it.
And no one seems to care much! Free pass for all. So they get away with it, over and over like a spreading pathogen, and no one seems capable of doing anything about it.
Ask questions, make challenges, explain the simple and well understood science of Earth’s climate. Write and rewrite, present evidence, teach, reason, strive till you're blue. Yet not a word is heard, not a lesson is absorbed. Absolutely nothing gets incorporated into their understanding. Utter hopelessness.
Contrarian arguments today are exactly the same as they were ten, twenty and more years ago. It’s like the immortal words of Homer Simpson: “No Marge, I didn’t learn a thing.”
So instead, of serious debate, we get Steele’s type of sophomoric mean spirited derision, villainizing scientists and facts alike, dismissing, pretending that geophysical facts can be ignored - or the Robert Holmes 1000frolly types with their bizarre threats and hideously dishonest YouTube channels.
Steadfast Straw Men Warriors one and all, living in an Mental Landscape of their own fabrication, endlessly repeating a mantra of lies and self-deception. Each getting parroted dozens of times over. With little opposition, a clear playing field.
I needed to distract myself, get back to a little sanity, so, perhaps too flippantly, I challenged myself to rewrite a previous essay about the Pageant of Evolution and submit it to the Four Corner’s Free Press, since it had been a while.
In the few days I had left for writing it, I also started watching some excellent lectures and it dawned on me how out of date I’d allowed myself to get regarding evolution and origins studies.
I also listened to David Quammen’s “The Tangled Tree: A radical new history of life” during a few long solo drives. I mean I was familiar with Dr. Hazen’s work and books, but that’s just one piece of the pie. Information overload and no place to put it.
My column was finished and it read well enough and I submitted it, it was published, but I knew I had to take another shot at it, which is how I got to watching more lectures on YouTube and deciding to finally start sharing some of those over here. And that's why I broke the ice this month with four long time favorites and a newbie.
Next month I’ll be sharing those FCFP Pageant of Evolution columns, which number three with another one in the pipeline. In between I’ll also be featuring a number of lectures on YouTube that provide substantive supporting information for the perspective I share. After all, you'll never really understand Earth's climate system without appreciating Earth's Evolution.
Then perhaps September it’ll be time to get back to examining science delusionals, starting with this Holmes character and his YouTube monstrosities, along with questioning why rationalists allow them to get away with their juvenile bullying and dishonest agenda.
What am I trying to accomplish? Sadly, nothing anymore. Too many unwitting accomplices. The fear is too palpable. Substantive change will come from nature running her course, humanity is proving itself to be immobile and impotent. The only real question is how are we collectively and individually going to face the changes as they roll over us.
All that's left for me is living my life today and appreciating memories and all I have and to continue learning about this planet Earth I love with a passion, my place in it, and perhaps striving to be as elegant a witness as possible given my experience of this world.
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Why do rationalists let them get away with their con-games ?
The Dr. Holmes, 1000Frolly PhD, Method of Dialogue:
{ Turns out all this was a fiction. So, what's the good doc's game I ask? And my 'game' you ask? }
fyi - https://confrontingsciencecontrarians.blogspot.com/2019/06/holmes-aka-1000frolly-threatening.html
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The Jim Steele 'Challenge and Hide' Method of Debate:
Jim Steele responds to my challenge to debate his confusion strewn “What’s Natural?” column.
FEBRUARY 26, 2019
Jim Steele Responds To Citizenschallenge
from: Jim Steele |
to: Sherman Frederick, Editor of the Pacifica Tribune | cc: citizenschallenge
Feb 23, 2019, 7:20 PM
"Sherm I am sorry that you will be hounded by Peter Miesler as he attempts to denigrate me and every skeptic.
Twice replied to his website and corrected his dishonest distortions. He deleted my posts. Thus I promised him I will not ever again bother engaging him. He has twisted that for 4 years always suggesting I am afraid to debate him.
Hmmm, ironic.
Look at what I received,
(After posting this comment I was surprised to notice the date was before I’d written the
Pacifica Tribune for the first time. But the bigger point, Jim’s easy with the fibs.)
"He is infamous on the internet for dishonest and relentless attacks. He has hounded colleagues at SFSU and other experts who have supported my opinions.
Since learning I have the What's Natural column he keeps emailing me all sorts of dishonest BS so I am no going to block all his emails. (I’ve been showing him the courtesy of copying him on my submissions to the Pacifica Tribune. Why this hysterical reaction?) So I will no longer be privy to his attacks that he emails you. (i.e. diving deep and running silent) He is simply an obsessed internet sniper. Sniping at me somehow gives purpose to his wretched life."
Jim
Mind you, this is the same guy who wrote:
You sound defeated and tired regarding the rise of irrational and unscientific thinking. I am too.
ReplyDeleteBut the fact you feel what I feel, makes me feel better, so thanks for writing about it.
It seems that the stupider people are, the louder they are. This means the most heard voices are not necessarily the most common, just the stupidest. So don't despair, smart people are simply, on average, quieter.
Keep up the good fight.