Occasionally I get drawn into a political debate with one of my co-workers. He's a decent enough fellow, but he's the worst sort of right-wing nutjob. He's not particularly interested in a thoughtful approach to conservative political thought- he just likes to listen to Rush Limbaugh and then use what he hears to piss me off.

So, earlier this week he came at me with a classic old chestnut- "Global warming is a fraud, a socialist conspiracy intended to undermine capitalism." I was particularly proud of my retort, which went something like this:

"Look, I know you won't be convinced by anything as boring as evidence or rationality, but consider the following. Environmentalism, and global warming in particular, are being used as a marketing tool by major corporations to sell us a new and improved products. Consider that hybrid cars are flying out of dealerships. Hybrid SUVs are sold at premium prices, high profit margins, and nevertheless, there are lists of people waiting to buy them. Isn't it just as likely that global warming is a conspiracy of capitalist corporations, intended to get us all to buy new cars, new houses, and new lightbulbs?"

Tags: environmentalism, stupid debates
Current Mood: amused
Current Music: Memories Of Green - Vangelis