Month: June 2007
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Denialists’ Deck of Cards: The King of Clubs, “I’ll Sail Away”
Believe it or not, I’ve heard industry lobbyists say that they’d stop doing business in California/America if certain consumer protection regulations passed. It’s totally implausible, but still a high-value card.
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The Penitent Paris
As Paris Hilton gets ready for her short stay in jail, she increasingly is photographed carrying Jesus books. And today, she appears on my favorite blog wearing a “Faith” hoodie, and carrying Count Your Blessings, Spiritual Warrior, and some others. Her behavior recalls Machiavelli’s advice: …a prince ought to take care that he never lets…
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Denialists’ Deck of Cards: The Queen of Spades, “Big Government”
The denialist can always raise the specter of “big government.” As in, the proposal at issue will create bigger government, complete with appeals to fears of world government and stuff like satan. This is a high-risk card because big business loves big government.
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Formation of a crank: A case study
Readers of the Nation are probably by now familiar with the lunatic ravings of Alexander Cockburn on global warming. What is bizarre, is that, before he traveled down this road, he seemed able to identify other crank ideas – like 9/11 conspiracy theories, and criticized them. Further, it’s unusual to see a left-winger become a…