tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1974689037579445239.post1104779376486761552..comments2023-12-22T19:56:34.485-05:00Comments on The Dake Page: Merchants of Doubt: How a Handful of Scientists Obscured the Truth on Issues from Tobacco Smoke to Global Warming by Naomi Oreskes and Erik M. Conway The Dake Pagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01624426335390949151noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1974689037579445239.post-48103164188883399612015-08-29T13:28:18.634-04:002015-08-29T13:28:18.634-04:00If it were that easy to do it would have happened ...If it were that easy to do it would have happened long ago. It's part of the state of being human; many of us live in fear of reality.<br /><br />That said, another trait of us humans is the need to feel like we "belong" among our peers, defined as friends, family, or however we self-segregate. When "public opinion" within our self-designated realms change, we change. The Dake Pagehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01624426335390949151noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1974689037579445239.post-44311577257721875682015-08-29T12:35:14.559-04:002015-08-29T12:35:14.559-04:00Your diagnosis of a major social problem is on-tar...Your diagnosis of a major social problem is on-target. Can you suggest any achievable (not 'these people should') behavioral or life-style changes that will result in people being less controlled by and responsive to "irrational fears"?Mr. Richardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08476557601438577285noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1974689037579445239.post-43643475935908189802015-08-29T09:36:48.646-04:002015-08-29T09:36:48.646-04:00It's not just lobbyists that lie, it's the...It's not just lobbyists that lie, it's the lying to ourselves. When you can deny man-made climate change because "it's just a hoax by liberals to tax us to death," you are actively deceiving yourself. You have to actively ignore clear facts, actively seek out any source that will confirm your false conclusion (even if it means your source is a paid lobbyist or a conspiracy The Dake Pagehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01624426335390949151noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1974689037579445239.post-70196872622350128562015-08-27T13:12:30.274-04:002015-08-27T13:12:30.274-04:00Although few can be expected to act against their ...Although few can be expected to act against their short-term interests, one of the major weaknesses of our society is that structurally it permits people to knowingly lie for money and profit. Given that deception is a fundamental primate behavior with survival benefit, I don't know how this very harmful condition can be prevented from continuing to disastrously affect public understanding Mr. Richardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08476557601438577285noreply@blogger.com