Sunday, March 09, 2008

Vaclav (is not Santa) Klaus

You've probably never heard of Vaclav Klaus, but he's President of the Czech Republic. He grew up in Soviet communist-dominated Czechoslovakia, and his Wall Street Journal article (by BRIAN M. CARNEY, March 8, 2008; Page A9) offers a unique perspective to the "global warming crisis". Here's just one of several points he makes:
He likens global-warming alarmism to communism, which he experienced first-hand in Cold War Czechoslovakia, then a Soviet satellite. While the communists argued that we must all sacrifice some freedom in pursuit of "equality," the "warmists," as Mr. Klaus calls them, want us to sacrifice liberty -- especially economic liberty -- to prevent a change in climate. In both cases, in Mr. Klaus's view, the costs of achieving the goal, and the impossibility of truly doing so, argue strongly against paying a price of freedom.
Furthermore, the fact that there has been some warming over so many years does not, by itself, prove to him that this trend will continue indefinitely. "Undoubtedly there is some warming," Mr. Klaus allows. "But there has never been no change in climate, no change in global temperatures." [Italics mine.]
Here's another:

Cost-benefit analysis and the precautionary principle "are two different methodologies, two different approaches, two different ways of thinking," he says. The less desirable precautionary principle "as used by Al Gore and all his fellow travelers" says that "if you are afraid that there are risks to something, you may prohibit everything." He continues: "This is for me absolutely unacceptable to think about."


Some of his other opinions are a bit disconcerting but, as I said, he does have a different perspective. One very telling point he makes is that "Russia is more free now than in any time in its 2,000 years of history. So to speak about dictatorship is misusing the terminology, devaluing the terms that we use." I'm not sure I completely agree with that, but his is very definitely a non-American (but not anti-American) perspective. Interesting!
--Cliff

9 comments:

DANIELBLOOM said...
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Cliff Raymond said...
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DANIELBLOOM said...

hey fair removing posts. so you are commie dictator too? shame on your.


if you cannot laff, you are not human

http://climatejokeawards.blogspot.com
i created this last week. fair game?

Anonymous said...

Raymond has left a new comment on the post "Vaclav (is not Santa) Klaus":

Mr. Dan appears to fit Chesterton's definition of a "maniac" (scroll to bottom).

Post a comment.

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Posted by Cliff Raymond to A touch of the madman at 11:07 PM

Cliff Raymond said...

I'm sorry...was their something humorous in the post?

DANIELBLOOM said...

Cliff, you know darn well that there was something humorous in that post. Vaclac Klaus is a good man, I make that clear on the website, but his name is being used because he said "climate is a joke." Now THAT's funny, no? That is humorous, no?

Climate is NOT a joke. We might not agree weather the whether is natural or man-nade global warming, and the jury is still out. but in the meantime, Cliff, don't censor. Censorship is what communism was all about, and there you were, doing the same. Why on God's Earth did you use the same tactics as the commies? That is not fair and that is what commie stuff was all about. So if you really dislike commie stuff, don't use their tactics. And also CHINA, don't kowtow to China anymore either. They are as bad as old USSR.

danny

DANIELBLOOM said...

btw, Cliff, didn't you mean SINTA KLAUS......? or not?

this quote from Brain Carney article is good. I emailed him too to tell him about the Klaus joke awards. his email is brian.carney@wsj.com

"Mr. Klaus is also interested in the politics of global warming. He has written a book, tentatively titled "Blue, Not Green Planet," published in Czech last year and due out in English translation in the U.S. this May. The main question of the book is in its subtitle: "What is in danger: climate or freedom?"

He likens global-warming alarmism to communism, which he experienced first-hand in Cold War Czechoslovakia, then a Soviet satellite. While the communists argued that we must all sacrifice some freedom in pursuit of "equality," the "warmists," as Mr. Klaus calls them, want us to sacrifice liberty -- especially economic liberty -- to prevent a change in climate. In both cases, in Mr. Klaus's view, the costs of achieving the goal, and the impossibility of truly doing so, argue strongly against paying a price of freedom."

Cliff Raymond said...

Dan--Your comment followed my original post so quickly that I figured you were just another eco-nut out to trash anyone who's critical of the global-warming religion. Serious, respectful debate is fine, but I have no intention of allowing my blog to be used as a vehicle to further Al Gore's paranoid fantasies. I'm not a communist, but I am dictator of my own website. If I mis-read your intent, I apologize.

DANIELBLOOM said...

Thanks, Cliff, glad you understand me better now, and yes, apology accepted. thanks, sir.

danny