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I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve been speechless. As a professional communicator, that’s probably a good thing. However, when the following headline: Heartland Institute compares belief in global warming to mass murder, reached my inbox this morning, I sat staring at my computer screen, with my mouth gaping, completely at a loss for words. Seconds later, after finally recovering from my initial shock, the words “now I’ve seen it all” came to mind.
While the Heartland Institute is known for its outlandish propaganda against climate change, this is a new low and might I say ill-advised attempt to win over the hearts and minds of Americans. A recent poll from the University of Michigan and Muhlenberg College Institute of Public Opinion shows that 62% of Americans believe climate change is real. This number is significantly higher than polling from just two years ago. The trend is linked to respondents acknowledging their own personal experiences as the main reason they believe the earth is warming.
Aside from the fact that solid scientific evidence and public opinion are not on their side, the Heartland Institute decided to plow ahead with comparing the majority of Americans (myself included) to Ted Kaczynski (the Unabomber), Charles Manson (a mass murderer) and Fidel Castro (a dictator) in their new ad campaign in Chicago. If, like us you don’t really identify with those notorious figures, you’re in luck. Future ads may feature Osama bin Laden. Seriously. I wish I was making this up.
There comes a time in all political discourse that someone must say “enough is enough” and this simply “goes too far.” The Heartland Institute should be ashamed of this type of extremist gamesmanship, which as the NRDC Action Fund previously blogged, “No one actually wins this kind of game. Instead, we end up with one big loser: the American people.”
What the American people want and need is a real dialog about how we can work together to invest in clean energy, while protecting our precious resources and the health of our kids. It’s time we all drew a line in the sand and told the likes of the Heartland Institute to stop these types of outlandish ads.
16 Comments
Any of u paid the $25 and walked through the so called Newseum in DC lately? Ted’s shack is there. In fact Ted’s a big deal in there, so is 9/11. I have to admit the place gave me the creeps. It’s right wing tilt to history and Corp. displays were very PRAVDAesque. The weirdest display was the big World map of where they thought the Press was and wasn’t free. Of course the US was Free! Surprise Surprise!! Italy and Mexico didn’t make it to that list. A whole floor was dedicated to 9/11 considering that was when EVERYTHING changed. Hmmmmmm. Anyway, we didn’t leave any flowers at the neatly displayed Office of the sainted right wing Cable TV reporter TIM RUSSERT.
I thought the whole purpose of advertising was to be more obnoxious & shriller than the last ad, otherwise no one will listen. I was informed of this by some one who was briefly thinking about majoring in advertising at Pratt many decades ago before he figured out the formula. Thus, this was predictable.
You paid $25?
Heather, thanks very much. IMHO, an un-reported part of this story is Heartland’s dependence on the uber-wingnut Bradley Foundation in Milwaukee.
“Leaked documents detail ‘Operation Angry Badger’ Institute cries foul, says some memos may be faked”
sad to say, the dead fossil fuel industry wins this game, like it or not
The Heartland Institute is NOT a “think tank” as they portray themselves. They are what is known as a “belief tank” that takes logic and academic research and twists them into knots to support their preconceived beliefs of corporate, unregulated crony capitalism today, tomorrow and forever.
great post
OT but if anyone wants a concrete example of Dems worshiping at the altar of the cult of personality check out the HP. It’s an object lesson in hero worship. And people thought Republicans were insane in their blind support of GWB. I’ll even give you the short cut.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/05/obama-2012-rallies_n_1483491.html#comments
hp?
ah, huntington post, you left a link, got it
Oh please, the left declares that the world will end if I keep driving to my golf club. Children are having nightmares about Armageddon and you’re complaining about a billboard? Thank goodness we have the right of free speech and your authoritarian impulses are checked by the Constitution.
Why don’t you find some children and tell them how they’re going to die.
shooter? Was the circle jerk canceled tonight?
What “Golf club?”
Here’s yet another reason not to believe the climate crowd…
http://fakegate.org/new-evidence-released-in-fakegate-global-warming-scandal/
Shitter claims to be a 1%er. I believe him, too. It’s the source of his fundamental disconnects with economic reality and human decency.
The 1%ers certainly show how desperate they when it comes to any discussion of the global warming they’re causing.
They’re even paying the trolls overtime to put down the Bacardi bottle and fire up the computer late at night on Cinco De Mayo.