Quote:
Originally Posted by PepsiFree
Only because I find these “it’s actually the people who complain about complainers” and “it’s actually the people who accuse others of fear” to be really convenient and lazy ways of avoid self reflection of any kind, I’m wondering if you could expand on it to make it more interesting?
Like, in what way is someone who disagrees with people “hopping aboard the fear train” actually guilty of being fearful themselves? On first glance that’s absurd, but curious to hear your reasoning.
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So basically, it was suggested that being concerned about climate change, and demanding that governments around the world take major action to combat it, is just "joining the fear parade".
Here's the problem with that. Correctly identifying that athroprogenic global warming is a real thing that is actually happening, and is caused by human activities, and will have (already is having) catastrophic consequences for humanity... has nothing to do with fear. It has everything to do with correctly assessing reality by using the scientific method, and responding in a justified manner. Scientists who have expertise in this area, and have extensively studied the matter, overwhelmingly agree on what is happening. Trusting what they're saying and responding accordingly isn't "joining a fear parade", it's simply doing what is rational.
If you say that I'm being "irrationally fearful" of climate change, I can say that you're being "irrationally fearful" of burglars, by getting a security system installed in your home, having a gun with you at your bedside, or even for locking your doors at night...
Another example of the hypocrisy of the "fear parade" narrative, was the resistance to the public health measures that were taken in response to the covid pandemic. The anti-vax crowd accused the public of fear mongering and being irrationally fearful of the virus. The irony there is that they themselves were the fear mongers, spreading irrational fears about the vaccine, mask mandates, social distancing measures, and government mandates in general.
How about another example. The world's oceans being filled with plastic and other toxic substances. Am I supposed to just ignore the problem, pretend like it's not real, and find a waterfall to meditate next to? Sorry, but the answer is no. The problem is not fake, it's not fabricated, it's real. And yes it does effect me personally, even if I was to accept the absurd notion that I should have zero regard for anything that doesn't affect me personally. With marine life is laced with plastic (and lord knows what else), the only way to avoid literally eating toxic crap from the ocean is to forgo all seafood. Which sucks, because I like certain types of fish. Then there's the cascading effects of collapsing marine ecosystems, and the unforseen consequences those may have on humanity...