Menu
Categories
I Used to Be More Considerate
December 3, 2011 Flotsam and Jetsam

And then I woke up. Robert Bradley shares an intellectual experience with us:

And of course there is John Holdren, now science advisor to President Obama, who graciously rejoined as follows when I asked him to critically review my essay evaluating his 2003 criticism of Bjorn Lomborg, “The Heated Energy Debate.” Holdren responded:

What exactly entitles you to the evidently self-applied label of ‘energy expert’?  …. You are of course entitled to (verbally) attack me in any legal way you like, but please don’t then pretend in personal notes to me that we are colleagues, each doing our best to get at the truth…. [Y]ou appear to be … lacking both discernible qualifications in the real world and the ability to tell a good argument from a bad one. I want nothing further to do with you.

I’ve been told by several readers that I ought to be more considerate toward “progressive” opponents. Sure. I have had exchanges like Bradley illustrates above. Maybe I need to find better company – it sure as heck isn’t finding me. Have a lovely weekend.

"8" Comments
  1. The problem isn’t that you aren’t considerate (meaning that you consider things from “the other person’s” point of view), it is that you weren’t polite (meaning that you adhere to formulaic pleasantries).

    As an example, consider a passenger about to exit from a city bus. A considerate passenger would exit through the back door, allowing new passengers to board and pay unimpeded. A polite passenger would insist on going out the front door smiling and saying goodbye to other passengers and the driver while at the same time delaying the entire bus and thus potentially causing other passengers to miss connections.

    Personally I am irritated when people get these two ideas confused.

    If you were to be more polite to people who oppose your efforts you might spend more time with people you don’t even like and because of that have less time to spend with your loved ones or doing things you find interesting.

  2. If you were really a concerned scientist, you’d have a portrait of Carl Sagan on your office wall, next to the Che poster.

    Dismissing your arguments because you are not a colleague is a perfect example of the fallacy of appealing to authority. Along with economics, elementary logic ought to be a required course for any bachelor’s degree, don’tcha think?

  3. A great piece by Robert Bradley.

    Wintercow is considerate of his readers by providing good links, should readers wish to pursue the question.

    Mr. Holdren protests that Mr. Bradley is beneath him. Rod got it right about ad gerundum.

    I just turned on my local PBS station, and saw a clip of Gracie Slick and the Jefferson Airplane, who were famous back in Mr. Holdren’s salad days. The PBS station is begging for contributions, hoping we are nostalgic about the Earth people.

  4. A great piece by Robert Bradley.

    Wintercow is considerate of his readers by providing good links, should readers wish to pursue the question.

    Mr. Holdren protests that Mr. Bradley is beneath him. Rod got it right about ad gerundum.

    I just turned on my local PBS station, and saw a clip of Gracie Slick and the Jefferson Airplane, who were famous back in Mr. Holdren’s salad days. The PBS station is begging for contributions, hoping we are nostalgic about the Earth people. Louie, Louie just came on. Why does that song remind me of Doctor Holdren?

  5. But I repeat.

    Not wanting to start a food fight, are you sore, Mr. Davila?

  6. Alarmists have gone well beuyond merely condemning the pedigree of their critics. They are quite open about it — they seek to portray their critics as the equivalent of racists:

    http://dailycaller.com/2011/08/28/gore-global-warming-skeptics-are-this-generations-racists/

  7. Amen, jb. We are not going to invite Al to our party. (see above)

    If it is my party, jb is invited. We do not want to impoverish the Rizzos with losing bets, but Mike can afford a few hundred if Obama loses. If Obama wins, I will pay Mike.

  8. It would be fun to actually meet you guys. Rochester (or are you in Penn Harry?) is a haul but well worth it I am sure.

Leave a Reply
*