Over the years, Progressives have had a love-hate relationship with Free Speech. They love it for themselves, and despise it for anyone who dares have a divergent viewpoint and actually speaks up. The same could be said of the Fourth Amendment, in which people shall be “secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects…” Quite frankly, their not big fans of the original Bill of Rights at all, except in the cases where it helps themselves, then they are all about screaming about their Rights. And the Washington Post’s Robert Post is very vexed over Exxon Mobile
Exxon-Mobil is abusing the first amendment
Global warming is perhaps the single most significant threat facing the future of humanity on this planet. It is likely to wreak havoc on the economy, including, most especially, on the stocks of companies that sell hydrocarbon energy products. If large oil companies have deliberately misinformed investors about their knowledge of global warming, they may have committed serious commercial fraud.
The operative word is “if”. See, here’s the thing: you have to prove fraud, and you cannot legally do it on a fishing expedition, using the power of the Government to violate 1st and 4th protections. Heck, 5th Amendment, as well, since Government is violating due process.
But, first you have to prove that the assertion that Mankind is mostly/solely responsible for the Modern Warm Period, and will create massive harm in the future, is real. Is scientifically proven.
Of course, Post brings up, as Warmists like to do, the tobacco lawsuits. Was there fraud? Sure. It was easily proven that tobacco was bad for people, especially with all the chemicals put in cigarettes. Anthropogenic climate change has not been proven to any degree. Yammering that the science is settled is not proof. Circumstantial evidence is not proof. Saying that because CO2 has risen and man drives fossil fueled vehicles, therefore it is Mankind’s fault is not proof.
The obvious point, which remarkably bears repeating, is that there are circumstances when scientific theories must remain open and subject to challenge, and there are circumstances when the government must act to protect the integrity of the market, even if it requires determining the truth or falsity of those theories. Public debate must be protected, but fraud must also be suppressed. Fraud is especially egregious because it is committed when a seller does not himself believe the hokum he foists on an unwitting public.
You cannot have robust debate, nor public debate, when one side attempts to use the power of government to shut down other viewpoints. Even within the scientific community, including the IPCC, there has been much uncertainty. Since that is the case, how can one prove fraud when the Cult of Climastrology cannot even prove that their Beliefs are 100% verifiable? They don’t care, because this is political, not scientific. It is a witch hunt, going after a company they love to hate.
It may be that after investigation the attorneys general do not find evidence that ExxonMobil has committed fraud. I do not prejudge the question. The investigation is now entering its discovery phase, which means it is gathering evidence to determine whether fraud has actually been committed.
But, there must be evidence of fraud prior to any investigation, and this is a fishing expedition. You see the position of the Warmist: no prejudging, which means “damn the torpedoes, full steam ahead” in trampling Constitutional protections in favor of cultish beliefs.
It is grossly irresponsible to invoke the First Amendment in such contexts. But we are witnessing an increasing tendency to use the First Amendment to unravel ordinary business regulations. This is heartbreaking at a time when we need a strong First Amendment for more important democratic purposes than using a constitutional noose to strangle basic economic regulation.
Damn that pesky Free Speech clause! How dare anyone use it in a way that Leftists disapprove! They’re involved in Wrongthink! They must be stopped!
The tobacco companies knew their products were dangerous. Climate change? 95% of the models failed. Doesn’t sound like science to me, more like a difference of opinion. One thing you can always count on Liberals for is their belief that THEIR priorities require that others give up their Rights.
Crossed at Right Wing News.
Read: Washington Post: How Dare Exxon-Mobile Stand On Their First Amendment Rights! »
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