Introducing the Denialist

Posted on September 19, 2006 in Paranoids

I’m spending much of the day reading science blogs.

A denialist might be described as a person so overwhelmed with the facts that s/he must invent counter-truths to feel balanced:

Topics of denial include the holocaust, HIV causing AIDS, global warming/climate change, evolution, the necessity of animals in research, cigarettes causing cancer, embryonic stem cells aren’t as good as adult stem cells, the government blew up the WTC on 9/11 not terrorists etc. Despite the incredible disparity between these areas of resolute denial and the motives behind them, the tactics used by denialists are remarkably similar. In today’s Guardian, for instance, George Monbiot has an excellent description of the methods used by high-priced denialists bought and paid for by Exxon Mobile to prevent climate science from being believed.

More at Give Up Blog.