Republicans, how can they deny global warming exists?

[Dpm12]

It's like not believing in books. It's ridiculous.

[ELI BOY 1950]

1. They live in a bubble

[Champion Jack]

2. They do what their corporate masters tell them to

[d_r]

3. the earth would have to be global

They believe it is flat

[immoderate]

4. Here's an example.

I have a friend who's a committed Libertarian, Objectivist, Ayn Rand worshiper. And that is what reality looks like to him. We all live in our own consciousness.

He has constructed rationalizations and rhetoric that cast doubt on the motives of anyone who disagrees with him. In his mind, global warming is a conspiracy, perpetrated by left wing scientists, to pad their research grants. Only the corporations are not driven by greed. (Forget that nobody goes into science to get rich.)

We have been debating for 3 years. Recently he acknowledged that temperatures are rising, but not from CO2, it's from "natural variation" so we don't have to mess with the "free market."

Anything that would contradict the notion that "the free market solves all problems" does not pass his internal censors.

--imm

[nadinbrzezinski]

5. We had a friend like that

He stopped talking to us when he started taking about getting a gun... We dared to throw the reality check that he'd have to realize he was willing to take a life well before he filled the NICS paperwork.

He looked at us like a hurt puppy... He said, what about a knee shot.

Me, the medic, told him quite flatly, center of mass, double tap, reassess.

But...

That's reality.

Funny, he has not talked to is in years. No loss there.

[immoderate]

12. I have a gun, but it's not for shooting living things.

It's mostly for plinking, and if anyone should ask, to qualify me for that "well-regulated militia."

My friend argues like a libertarian idiot, but except for arguing, AFAIK treats people well. Go figure.

--imm

[nadinbrzezinski]

14. Yeah, but he wanted it for home defense

And had this magical thought...process...it was unreal.

[tabasco]

6. By having a financial interest in doing so

or by being stupid, gullible imbeciles who believe propaganda.

[siligut]

7. ^This^

[randome]

8. Because they know it won't affect them personally.

And they don't care about anyone else. Not even their own children.

[Flashmann]

9. It's like not believing in books.

They believe in books.......Books make hella nice bon fires!!......Bad books!!!......Bad!!

how can they deny global warming exists?

They're PAID to....Simple!!

[Berserker]

10. Because rush say's it don't exist

And to them he is next in line to that voice in the sky.

[longship]

11. Republicans believe only in one book. nt

[librechik]

13. same way they deny that racism exists, sexism exists, electoral fraud by GOP officials

happens, that the 2000 election was won by Gore, there are too many guns, the church can be wrong, war by invasion is wrong, that US healthcare system sucks, and 1000 other things they are happy to deny.

It suits them.

[spanone]

15. they deny science, makes it easy.

[LeftInTX]

16. It's the easiest way for them to deal with it.

It costs money to deal with it, so they just deny.
If they admit it exists, then they will need a plan.

[raouldukelives]

17. Would it make a difference if they didn't?

We supposedly have a few people who believe it is real representing us now. I still see acquiescence to Wall St, fossil fuels, the MIC and to the continued expansion of practices and industries that brought us here being the plan of attack.

[Nevernose]

18. They stopped dealing with reality a while back

Same as Obama will take their guns, destroy the health care system, and declare himself king. That's the problem: most liberals prefer to deal with real problems with real world options, and the Republican core currently lives in a fantasy world, totally devoid of facts or reality, in which black helicopters are coming for them, building a bunker to protect themselves from a "magnetic pole inversion," and in which truthiness replaces the truth.

It's one thing to deal with people who have different philosophical leanings. People with different viewpoints can get along, find a common ground. But dealing with an effectively amoral group (Republican politicians) who actively deny objective, provable, and demonstrable reality? Impossible.

Scientific inquiry, and the conservative approach to it, seems to be a microcosm of the fundamental political issues of our day. Scientists see an observable phenomenon and wonder what causes it, whereas the conservative already knows everything and looks for evidence to support their preconceived notion. Granted, confirmation bias affects everyone, but conservatives take it to an art form.

[davidn3600]

19. Most of them do not deny it. They don't believe humans are causing it.