Yesterday, Tim Blair pointed to some editing of an article at the Times:
The London Times, five hours ago:
Al Gore today compared the battle against climate change with the struggle against the Nazis.
And subsequently rewritten:
Al Gore invoked the spirit of Winston Churchill today by encouraging political leaders to follow the example of Britain’s wartime leader and unite their nations to fight climate change.
And Andrew Bolt picked it up too:
Alas, Tim Blair notes that the Timesabruptly rewrote the hyperbole to make Gore seem saner.
“Winston Churchill aroused this nation in heroic fashion to save civilisation in World War Two. We have everything we need except political will, but political will is a renewable resource.”
…
“The level of awareness and concern among populations has not crossed the threshold where political leaders feel that they must change,” he said. “The only way politicians will act is if awareness raises to a level to make them feel that it’s a necessity.”
So, Gore makes reference to Churchill as an example of a political leader uniting the populace to address a challenge. No mention of the Nazis – certainly no “comparison” of global warming to the Nazis, just a recognition that action on climate change will take the political will to strive for unity. But certain commentators prefer the earlier version because it makes Gore seem more silly.
There’s plenty of hyperbole and distortion out there that you can criticise and mock – both in Gore’s speeches and others’. And there’s good reason to question the unacknowledged editing of a published story on a newspaper’s web site. But that doesn’t make it any less absurd to suggest that the inaccurate reporting was better or shouldn’t have been corrected.
ELSEWHERE: Media Matters for America has covered the way this was picked up by American conservative coverage as well.
19 Comments
Well we know that Bush etc. actually did compare Saddam Hussein to Hitler (insinuating that everybody who opposed the war was a Chamberlainite appeaser), were Bolt and Blair blogging at the time in order to correct such stupid hyperbole?
Winston Churchill aroused this nation in heroic fashion to save civilisation in World War Two.
Gee, the analogy is all about the war, incidentally a war against the exterminationist Nazis used by the hyperbolic twit and you find fault with Blair for alluding to the image the fat idiot was trying to create. Interesting.
So, Gore makes reference to Churchill as an example of a political leader uniting the populace to address a challenge.
Yes, the 2000 election loser did do that, didn’t he?
No mention of the Nazis – certainly no “comparison” of global warming to the Nazis, just a recognition that action on climate change will take the political will to strive for unity.
Oh, I get it; Gore didn’t actually equate the Nazis with AGW. So if he didn’t mention it specifically anyone would be wrong to see where the analogy is leading.
Perhaps people are beginning to understand why the electorate was right not to send him to Pennsylvania Ave. in 2000. (He couldn’t even win his own state). But I digress. Gore stretches to reach Godwin’s law but Blair is the idiot for pointing it out. How cute.
But certain commentators prefer the earlier version because it makes Gore seem more silly.
Nonsense. It’s impossible to make the bolivating twit sound sillier than he already does.
There’s plenty of hyperbole and distortion out there that you can criticise and mock – both in Gore’s speeches and others’.
Honestly, good point and thanks for making it, especially pertaining to Gore.
Shorter Daniel.
It’s Bush’s fault again. Lol
Hell, Bolt compared the Greens to the Nazis. And everyone else he doesn’t like.
Then again, these people live in a parallel universe where reason, restraint and consistency are subversive characteristics. And hypocrisy is a good thing, at least when practised by themselves.
You’re not good at reading things, are you tee?
I mean, even the most blinkered fool would realise my original post had very little to do with Bush, but was concerned with the reaction of Bolt and Blair to a similar situation to this one. (People comparing modern day challenges with Hitler, Nazis, Churchill etc).
were Bolt and Blair blogging at the time in order to correct such stupid hyperbole?
no, they were reinforcing it. Tim did a post last year actually comparing Obama with Hitler when obama went to germany. To the best of my knowledge it didn’t get amended despite being a frankly stupid piece of writing.
..”Winston Churchill aroused this nation in heroic fashion to save civilisation in World War Two”… ???
THIS nation being Australia? No offence tee but how old are you? If Winston Churchill had had his way, you would now be speaking Japanese.
There were reasons why England abandoned Australia in WWII, notably, they had the most powerful military force in the world camped across the Channel 20 kms away, and preparing to invade, but England DID abandon Australia in WWII. She had to.
And btw I’m a Pom by birth, and I have a degree partly in this stuff.
tee was quoting Gore in that bit, bert.
Ah. Sorry.
And btw I’m a Pom by birth, and I have a degree partly in this stuff.
Bert, did the degree require good comprehension skills?
Ironically the nazi party where ardent environmentalists. The only good thing about them. Hitler youth went on tree planting days, and they where into very hippyish jungian theory about getting back to nature- the value of a clean natural environment, fresh air, food and lots of exercise for the master race. They also used alternative fuels extensively. A friend from greenpeace told me this years ago and I did not believe him. However with a little research it all proved to be true. Entire forests have been planted out in shwatsticker designs using different colour trees in Eastern Germany. They are a chilling reminder of danger of fundamentalism, and can be seen from the air in the Autumn. There is an article in the australian about it today. Pity Gore is an under-educated man who does not know his history.
Ironically the nazi party where ardent environmentalists.The only good thing about them
There was nothing good about the Nazi’s, coote you incredible twit. Even if they loved the forest they were essentially in love with the “Arian” forest and they would have blown up most of that fighting with and killing people. Nothing, not one thing good came out of those murderous lunatics.
Hitler youth went on tree planting days, and they where into very hippyish jungian theory about getting back to nature- the value of a clean natural environment, fresh air, food and lots of exercise for the master race.
So, you’re suggesting the leadership would have made ideal Byron bay residents? Lol.
They also used alternative fuels extensively.
Yea, they sure did seeing their supply routes were cut off. But I guess it was wonderful they had “green” fuels, hey, coote.
A friend from greenpeace told me this years ago and I did not believe him.
Interesting, especially about the Greenpeace critter knowing all this.
This is a parody, right?
tee, you’re a man with an incredible amount of time for arguments where you seek out INSTANT FAIL, aren’t you? Shit, I’m not even referring to you bitching about the Times doing the logical and decent thing—I’m talking about you calling Gore a “fat idiot”.
That disrespect an important part of that ‘responsible scientific inquiry’ that ‘disproves’ AGW, eh? (Also, I dig the fact that you disagree with the poster @ 12 who is making similarly cranky anti-Gore arguments as yourself. Solidarity forever, indeed. This is good for real knowledge.)
Nick:
Gore is fat and Gore is an idiot. So combing both descriptions is perfectly acceptable in the English language.
Gore is a charlatan who abuses good science to further his own ambitions. In other words someone like me can think AGW is a real friggen problem down the track and still think Gore is a fat twerp.
Notwithstanding that, what do you think of Coote’s comments about what nice little environmentalists the Nazis were?
“Gore is fat and Gore is an idiot. ”
He’s fat, big deal, many Americans and Australians and other rich westerners are. He’s an idiot? Why, because you disagree with him?
“Gore is a charlatan who abuses good science to further his own ambitions”
That doesn’t make him an idiot, a prick maybe but not an idiot. But, if the abuse of science for whatever ends is such a sin you need to get your arse over to Bolt’s blog, there’s loads of fodder for you there.
“So combing both descriptions is perfectly acceptable in the English language.”
If it were correct.
“Notwithstanding that, what do you think of Coote’s comments about what nice little environmentalists the Nazis were?
”
I know it’s not directed at me, regardless of Nazis being environmentalists and Hitler a non-smoking vegeterian, they were very evil, the evil they committed makes any good points totally and utterly irrelevant, a Nazi utopia wouldn’t be many people’s idea of a utopia.
tee—Oh, climate-change deniers always come back to their mess, so I know you’d provide us with a defence of your off-the-cuff ugliness towards Mr Gore.
As to your disagreement with the chap above you, I’m surprised you were able to refrain from agreeing with his “Pity Gore is an under-educated man who does not know his history.”
But maybe that was just too well phrased for someone who’d rather go with the ‘fat idiot PWNED’ chant of the anti-science wingnuts.