One of the more Orwellian concepts of the Twenty-First Century has to be the so-called "Precautionary Principle". The harmless-sounding concept is described by proponents as a simple extension of 'better safe than sorry', and is most commonly explained as actions taken in the absence of complete scientific proof when there is significant risk of serious harm if the action is not taken. Such advocates point out that this is similar to the reasoning for insurance, locking doors and inoculations - a small action taken to ward against more serious possibilities if you do ignore the danger. The disciples of Precautionism claim that they represent a reasonable sense of caution. And President Barack Obama has been an eager acolyte for the cause, whether the venue is Climate Change, American Imperialism, the Corporate Greed Culture, or the Need for More Guilt among Ordinary Americans. President Obama is all about "We Can't Wait".
The main problem is that the Precautionary Principle is self-contradictory in practice. The stated premise for the Precautionary Principle (PP for short), is that once a reasonable argument exists that a certain action is necessary to prevent a serious danger or likely event which would cause serious harm, it is necessary to act immediately to mitigate that danger. The reader may note that key words are 'reasonable', 'necessary', and 'serious' - all words which have subjective meanings. As a result, the decision on just when an argument is reasonable rather than merely an opinion, what defines the necessity of an action rather than its advocacy, and when the possible consequences of continuing on the present course are serious enough to require change are variables that even the most intelligent people may differ upon. Conclusive evidence has been the standard for many years, precisely because demonstrated proof of cause and effect, not only of the problem but of the proposed solution, is the only valid means for establishing a valid consensus. Anything else is no better than mob psychology. PP is self-contradictory, because in actual practice it is invariably applied to demand radical and risky change, on nothing more than emotional contention. It's not that conclusive proof is not used in the theory, but that no real tipping point exists at all; the activists decide what they want to do and make what amounts to a mix of Chicken Little paranoia and Hitlerian thug tactics to get what they want.
PP's self-contradictory practice can seen in how activists in the Ecology and Trade Regulation debates are demanding radical action with no substance whatsoever to either their claim of imminent danger, or that their demanded actions will have the effects they claim. Climate Change radicals, for example, not only refuse to provide defense of their sweeping claims of imminent catastrophe if humans don't abandon their cars, living standards, and capitalism, they become apoplectic if anyone suggests they demonstrate how their proposed actions will actually improve the Earth's climate to any extent - the theory of Climate Change is practiced as Modern Fascism, and there's just no pretending otherwise. In fact, every major social effort based on PP is practiced in the Fascist mode, where government acts in thuggish manner to demand compliance, where evidence which contradicts the party line is suppressed and opponents marginalized and harassed, and where the true focus of the effort is political gain.
The Precautionary Principle guides Barack Obama in his major decisions. Rather than go to the trouble of weighing all of the rational options, their costs and known or likely effects, Obama simply chooses policies which benefit his friends and crafts his argument to support what he wanted to do in the first place, as was the case with the first Stimulus Bill - almost a trillion dollars stolen from the American people in order to help his cronies. When he does not have a chosen plan, Obama listens to the people who can make or break him to make his decision, which is why he is having such trouble coming up with a plan for Afghanistan or how to address consumer confidence. Like the Precautionary Principle, Obama is not concerned with the evidence in any major issue, nor with the cost of his intended actions, since he plans for others to pay for his policies.
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Comments (14)
Had the American public exe... (Below threshold)1. Posted by Justrand
| November 21, 2009 2:24 PM | Score: 7 (9 votes cast)
Had the American public exercised prudent precautions in November 2008 this closet-Marxist wouldn't have gotten into the White House except on the standard tour!
But instead, despite ALL evidence that he was anything BUT a "Moderate", the American people bought into "Hope & Change"! Now more and more people are hoping FOR a change...from him!
2010 & 2012...I pray America won't be fooled again!
1. Posted by Justrand
| November 21, 2009 2:24 PM |
Score: 7 (9 votes cast)
Posted on November 21, 2009 14:24
2. Posted by 914 | November 21, 2009 2:30 PM | Score: 4 (8 votes cast)
Barry knows His one term money grab tour has caused him to toss all roadblocks and enablers under the poverty bus whenever they threaten his looting the treasury at our exspense.
He knows he is a deceptive one trick pony that wont work again.. So pillage and plunder while He can, than head for Bermuda or the 72 virgin islands he hopes.
2. Posted by 914 | November 21, 2009 2:30 PM |
Score: 4 (8 votes cast)
Posted on November 21, 2009 14:30
3. Posted by GarandFan | November 21, 2009 6:07 PM | Score: 5 (5 votes cast)
Who knows, by 2012 Barry might make a decision on Afghanistan.
3. Posted by GarandFan | November 21, 2009 6:07 PM |
Score: 5 (5 votes cast)
Posted on November 21, 2009 18:07
4. Posted by Gmac | November 21, 2009 8:11 PM | Score: 4 (4 votes cast)
Nah GF, he's president 'present' and doesn't have the mental capability to make leadership decisions.
"better safe than sorry" fits BHO to a 'T' when it comes to risk aversion. Any decision he does make are going to favor people that got him where he is now, in the hopes that they will be able to keep him there once the initial firestorm is over.
4. Posted by Gmac | November 21, 2009 8:11 PM |
Score: 4 (4 votes cast)
Posted on November 21, 2009 20:11
5. Posted by Brian Richard Allen
| November 22, 2009 5:30 AM | Score: 2 (2 votes cast)
I doubt, Justrand, given his past and present associations, the mobbed-up murrtadd-Moslim'd been able to make the once white house on a tour.
And I'd suggest, also, it requires a bit of license to call him a closet Marxist.
Nah.
He's a Mussolini-modeled modified Marxist.
That is, a fascist by any other name.
5. Posted by Brian Richard Allen
| November 22, 2009 5:30 AM |
Score: 2 (2 votes cast)
Posted on November 22, 2009 05:30
6. Posted by 914 | November 22, 2009 8:36 AM | Score: 0 (2 votes cast)
« PBS Shill-man Moyers Calls It
"Who knows, by 2012 Barry might make a decision on Afghanistan."
Highly doubtful.... politicians hate to commit to any position too early...
6. Posted by 914 | November 22, 2009 8:36 AM |
Score: 0 (2 votes cast)
Posted on November 22, 2009 08:36
7. Posted by 914 | November 22, 2009 9:11 AM | Score: 0 (2 votes cast)
"The Precautionary President"
Otherwise known as worst presidente evah!
7. Posted by 914 | November 22, 2009 9:11 AM |
Score: 0 (2 votes cast)
Posted on November 22, 2009 09:11
8. Posted by bacaangel
| November 22, 2009 9:41 AM | Score: -4 (4 votes cast)
Since Pres. Obama is an Advanced Soul, a lot of things he does are not understandable.
The GOP Congress has indeed become the best Congress money can buy! Healthcare cries out for Change and Reform and their only answer is No!
Saturday night's Senate Vote Just to have a debate on Healthcare, was a small victory for the "agents of change" (democrats) and reflects very poorly on the state and mindset of the Party of No & Fear that they stood solid and refused to even allow a debate on this issue to move forward -- thereby belying the title of being the greatest deliberative body on earth!
It is also noteworthy, that the Party of No & Fear, also fought against Social Security Reform and Medicare, and true to form or color, they are fighting against healthcare reform today!
In this Age of Aquarius the age of Brotherhood, humanity must be taught that "As money has in the past ministered to personal and family need, so in the future it must minister to group and world need. The time has now come when money must be re-valued and its usefulness channelled into new directions. The voice of the people must prevail, but it must be a people educated in the true values, in the significance of a right culture, and in the need for right human relations. It is therefore essentially a question of right education and correct training in world citizenship - a thing that has not yet been undertaken." [Money, The Medium of Loving Distribution, A Compilation from the books of Alice A Bailey ]
Thank God for the Agents of Change whose intentions are to uplift people and to serve the people...., because in all reality we really do need Change for Science teaches us that to be static and to do nothing, is to die!
8. Posted by bacaangel
| November 22, 2009 9:41 AM |
Score: -4 (4 votes cast)
Posted on November 22, 2009 09:41
9. Posted by epador | November 22, 2009 11:07 AM | Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
If only he would follow my favorite command:
Just don't do something, stand there!
No, this fellow isn't precautionary. His actions are deliberate and thought out. He is opaque on his reasoning, however, and as Western society has become so weak at reasoning and proper deductive method, so many still refuse to see his goals.
9. Posted by epador | November 22, 2009 11:07 AM |
Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
Posted on November 22, 2009 11:07
10. Posted by JB | November 22, 2009 11:50 AM | Score: 2 (2 votes cast)
"Since Pres. Obama is an Advanced Soul, a lot of things he does are not understandable."
One man's Advanced Soul is another man's Conceited Dope.
10. Posted by JB | November 22, 2009 11:50 AM |
Score: 2 (2 votes cast)
Posted on November 22, 2009 11:50
11. Posted by JB | November 22, 2009 11:58 AM | Score: 3 (3 votes cast)
The snarky, smug elitist leftists on this site are bad enough. I don't think I can take the new agers, though.
Hey, shitheads, your pseudoreligion is just warmed over communism using the language of real religion. Get your kool-aid peddling ass out of here.
11. Posted by JB | November 22, 2009 11:58 AM |
Score: 3 (3 votes cast)
Posted on November 22, 2009 11:58
12. Posted by GarandFan | November 22, 2009 12:00 PM | Score: 2 (2 votes cast)
"It is therefore essentially a question of right education and correct training in world citizenship...."
So you're advocating "re-education camps" for those who hold a different point of view?
12. Posted by GarandFan | November 22, 2009 12:00 PM |
Score: 2 (2 votes cast)
Posted on November 22, 2009 12:00
13. Posted by JB | November 22, 2009 4:50 PM | Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
"So you're advocating "re-education camps" for those who hold a different point of view?"
These crystal-wearing, chakra-clearing, zodiac-consulting creeps want to teach their "spirituality" to your kids in school. Bet on it.
13. Posted by JB | November 22, 2009 4:50 PM |
Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
Posted on November 22, 2009 16:50
14. Posted by jim x | November 23, 2009 7:55 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
"One of the more Orwellian concepts of the Twenty-First Century has to be the so-called "Precautionary Principle". The harmless-sounding concept is described by proponents as a simple extension of 'better safe than sorry', and is most commonly explained as actions taken in the absence of complete scientific proof when there is significant risk of serious harm if the action is not taken."
Ah. I see.
You mean like invading Iraq when there was no actual evidence that they had weapons of Mass Destruction? And in fact, invading when multiple inspections by impartial international teams found ***no evidence** of any chemical, biological or other WMD's?
Interesting.
14. Posted by jim x | November 23, 2009 7:55 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on November 23, 2009 19:55