Jonathan Ferrell: Killed By Cops While Looking For Help

I think that a lot of the energies of the 19th century, that could fairly be called democratic, have really ebbed away. That can alarm me. The tectonics are always very complex. But I think there are limits to how safe a progressive society can be when its conception of the individual seems to be shrinking and shrinking. It’s very hard to respect the rights of someone you do not respect. I think that we have almost taught ourselves to have a cynical view of other people. So much of the scientism that I complain about is this reductionist notion that people are really very small and simple. That their motives, if you were truly aware of them, would not bring them any credit. That’s so ugly. And so inimical to the best of everything we’ve tried to do as a civilization and so consistent with the worst of everything we’ve ever done as a civilization.

When This Man Is Your Hero I'm Proud To Be A Pariah

He's made millions, spouting sciencey-sounding malarky, and all because they'd eat it up:

“However, instead of completely melting away, the polar icecap is at now at its highest level for this time of year since 2006. 

Satellite photos of the Arctic taken by NASA in August 2012 and August 2013 show a 60 percent increase in the polar ice sheet, more than half the size of Europe, despite “realistic” predictions by climate scientists six years ago that the North Pole would be completely melted by now. Instead of shrinking, the NASA photographs clearly show that the Arctic ice sheet is much larger than it was at the same time last year. 

The thick layer of summer ice, which currently stretches from Canada to Russia, is preventing ships from using the North-West Passage.”

I remember almost being thrown out of someone's house, for trying to calm a woman as she screamed about the polar bears - a result of misinformation, few consider, as the claim it's all so harmless revolves. It's not. These fools think they're just talking but, in ways large and small, society stops working. Lives are put in peril.

Ha! Listen to me. I forgot - this is post-Syria America now:

Nobody has to care about any of that anymore,...

 

Instapundit/Ann Althouse/Rand Paul/Tea Party: All Wet

Can we now call this the Instapundit/Althouse approach to politics?

“Rand Paul knows the Republican Party needs to broaden its base. He knows that few other Republicans are willing to reach out, and that many members of the party are content to hunker down with older, white voters. And he knows it's personally beneficial to his political career to do the reaching out. 

So why is he so bad at doing it?”

Oh, I don't know - because it "works" for his wallet? Anyway, yes, yes we can call this the Instapundit/Althouse approach to politics: 

After that "personally beneficial" break-down, it's now perfectly legit,...