In his latest presentation, Al Gore argues that we can't just talk the talk; we have to walk the walk. Mr. Gore is leading the way on this matter. In 2007, we learned that Al Gore's home in Tennessee consumed more than 20 times the national average in 2006. But he turned that around by replacing light bulbs and installing solar panels. And now we've learned that his usage ... went up more than 10%. Wait ... wait ... what's up with that, Al? You're telling us to "walk the walk" while you walk all over the thing yourself?
You see, the best indicator of what someone believes is what they do. If I tell you, "There is a bomb in this room" and I don't act on that information, you can be fairly sure that there is something wrong. I'm either lying ... or I'm psychotic.
So I ask myself, is Al Gore wrong or psychotic? I don't doubt that he's wrong. There are a growing number of scientists that are coming out and saying, "Well, maybe we're getting warmer, but there's no way that this doomsday report about human-caused end-of-the-Earth stuff is real." Still, Mr. Gore has that same information and he holds his position. Why? Perhaps his latest presentation has the clue we need to answer this question.
According to Mr. Gore, we need to invest heavily in alternative energy companies. He includes a list of companies that he recommends. And then he makes the telling admission. "Here are just a few of the investments that I personally think make sense. I have a stake in these." Now wait a minute. Here is Al Gore's message. "I have invested heavily in these companies. I think we ought to mandate that the government subsidize these companies, and I think you should invest in them, too." How can we not conclude the obvious corollary? "I really want to make a lot of money. If I can get all that money flowing into these companies, I'll be filthy rich." It would appear, then, that while he is probably wrong, he isn't psychotic. He's sly.
There was a movie that came out in the '90's titled Wag the Dog. In it, the president was caught in a nasty scandal shortly before election time. To get the public view off the scandal, they drummed up a fake war and, with judicious use of the media, convinced people that there were bigger problems than some crummy old presidential faux pas. Now we have Al Gore waving his hands about and shouting, "There's a war on against environmental catastrophe and if you don't invest in the companies that will make me big money now, we're all doomed." In the meantime, he still drives his SUVs, still rides in private airplanes, and produces more greenhouse gases than ever. So ... is this the tale that will wag the dog?
3 comments:
I vote that he is "wrong and psychotic". But if it keeps him out of the White House, it's not all bad.
Wow! I can't believe you used the Wag the Dog reference without exploding from hypocrisy!
Reread what you wrote in the that last paragraph and add in the name Bush and his stake in the oil industry and I think you will see what I mean. Unless, of course, you are still too drunk from the Kool-aid Bush is serving.
Well, okay, you're surely entitled to think what you want. So, you're suggesting that President Bush has manufactured a gas price crisis to benefit his own interest in the oil industry?
Just for a quick language refresher, "hypocrisy" requires that I say I have some sort of virtuous character that I don't actually have. I don't think I said anything at all about my character nor about President Bush's. If you disagree that there is a problem with Al Gore's intentions, then we may have something to talk about. I didn't suggest any defense of the President. You didn't offer any defense of Mr. Gore. I don't know where you're going with this.
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