So this Al Gore fellow...

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jason's picture
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So what's with Al Gore? I just got an e-mail about some Al Gore franchise/cult for climate change educaters - sounds like fun. But I don't get Gore's motivations: does he A) really care and is just working through the channels he knows/believes in, B) using all this bizz to relaunch an attempted White house career or C) own shares in Nuclear power? Does it really matter? I think I'm more curious than anything, but also trying to put it all in context.

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You need to know one thing: Al Gore will never ever show up in your e-mail, doing something because he really cares about it more than politics and money. He's not some innocent commoner who works through bureaucracies. (He is a bureaucrat) Besides, there's a theory that global warming is a good thing!

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From watching the movie, I'd say he does care, dunno about running for white house, and rather than owning shares in nuclear power I'd imagine it's more about plaforming himself to make a bit of easy money touring.

JDMF's picture
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its not difficult to believe that he does believe in it, the career of giving some small lectures here and there are not quite comparable to a cushy job in the next democrat led administration, which he is unlikely to get after positioning himself so strongly on this issue.

But since he is in a position of power he can get something done within the capitalist framework.

With the world full of much stronger enemies, i would see his work on the issue as a positive thing.

Joined: 23-01-04
Quote:
its not difficult to believe that he does believe in it

if the guy believes in the existence of a "half man, half bear, half pig" creature then he'll believe in anything. The guy is delusional.

JDMF's picture
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Vaneigemappreciationclub wrote:
if the guy believes in the existence of a "half man, half bear, half pig" creature then he'll believe in anything. The guy is delusional.

meaning?

Joined: 23-01-04

have you not seen his "Proposal for the eradication of ManBearPig in America and Beyond" eek the guy is cerial, he's super cerial!

sorry, lame south park joke roll eyes

JDMF's picture
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lol, ok, i missed that grin

(have seen like two SP episodes ever)

Joined: 23-01-04
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(have seen like two SP episodes ever)

eek

*pitties JDMFs sheltered existence*

drop your dumbells right away and go and download series 7-10

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smashing wrote:
Besides, there's a theory that global warming is a good thing!

So you won't trust Al Gore because he's a pollitician (valid, I'll admit), but you'll trust the bullshit pseudo-science put out by Shell and the rest of the oil industry?

madashell's picture
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Vaneigemappreciationclub wrote:
Quote:
(have seen like two SP episodes ever)

eek

*pitties JDMFs sheltered existence*

drop your dumbells right away and go and download series 7-10

Or better yet, watch them online and save the weeks that it'd take to download three series of a TV show:
www.allsp.com

(that 9/11 conspiracy one was class grin)

Joined: 23-01-04
Quote:
(that 9/11 conspiracy one was class )

cheers mate, i watched that the other night but owing to a nasty dose of short term memory loss had completely forgotten what it was about! the bush government were the ones spreading all the 11/9 conspiracy theories right? Why were they doing it again?

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Vaneigemappreciationclub wrote:
Quote:
(that 9/11 conspiracy one was class )

cheers mate, i watched that the other night but owing to a nasty dose of short term memory loss had completely forgotten what it was about! the bush government were the ones spreading all the 11/9 conspiracy theories right? Why were they doing it again?

Because if they could pull off the bizarre and elaborate scenarios described by 9/11 conspiracy theorists, they must be all powerful and all knowing.

Joined: 23-01-04

thats the chesnut-brilliant!

Lazy Riser's picture
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Hi

Quote:
(have seen like two SP episodes ever)

Oh man that is so gay.

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With the world full of much stronger enemies, i would see his work on the issue as a positive thing.

Communists, gotta love 'em, they always defend the runt of the litter.

Love

LR

jason's picture
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But what about Gore's role in Clinton era foreign policy? How do people reconcile that with his new found love of Planet Earth?

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he a) does believe it, has been banging on about it for years; b) is not running for office again, his mockery of trent lott on SNL took care of that; c) is not into nuclear.

not that i voted for him, mind.

star green black

jason's picture
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But since he is in a position of power he can get something done within the capitalist framework.

But this is what worries me. He's boosted awareness immeasurably. Which is good. But my suspicion is that one party will sooner or later tap into this sentiment and present itself as the green party of choice next election (both Oz & US) by promising something that I percieve as quite superficial, probably signing Kyoto in Oz's case. If it wins, which I suspect it will, it will institute a series of minor reforms, but then have these brownie points for green issues for the next decade. Meanwhile, everyone will be happy that "something has finally been done" and the sentiment will drop off massively and it will be business as usual, literally. Basically what I am saying is that its like popular sentiment has been rising to a critical mass recently, over the last couple years or so, so some establishment figure has stood up to appropriate and coopt it into the appropriate channels. What exactly are Gore's solutions?

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jason wrote:
But this is what worries me. He's boosted awareness immeasurably. Which is good. But my suspicion is that one party will sooner or later tap into this sentiment and present itself as the green party of choice next election (both Oz & US) by promising something that I percieve as quite superficial, probably signing Kyoto in Oz's case. If it wins, which I suspect it will, it will institute a series of minor reforms, but then have these brownie points for green issues for the next decade. Meanwhile, everyone will be happy that "something has finally been done" and the sentiment will drop off massively and it will be business as usual, literally. Basically what I am saying is that its like popular sentiment has been rising to a critical mass recently, over the last couple years or so, so some establishment figure has stood up to appropriate and coopt it into the appropriate channels. What exactly are Gore's solutions?

i dont think your scenario is very likely. The only thing european "succesful" green parties have managed to do is pressurise other political parties to include some greenwash elements in their political agendas. I guess that is a result of sorts...

So rather than worrying about these things happening and how people would be fooled about that something has been done, better to just be ready with your argumentation and analysis on the shortcomings of this kind of approach.

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madashell wrote:
So you won't trust Al Gore because he's a pollitician (valid, I'll admit), but you'll trust the bullshit pseudo-science put out by Shell and the rest of the oil industry?

I'm not trusting that global warming is good for life's productivity on this planet, and I don't know the pseudo-science put out by Shell and the rest of the oil industry.

jason's picture
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I've just been recommended "Al Gore: A User's Manual" (2000) by Cockburn & St Clair. I've read a few chapters and its quite interesting.

I haven't actually seen the movie, and am not in a hurry to, but I'm interested in what exactly Gore suggests we do about the problem. Can anyone summarise?