Puppets: What climate change?

Today's edition of the Carolina Urinal, the fount of all wisdom from the John Locke Puppetshow, features a one-two Puppet punch that'll knock your socks off.

First up is Roy Cordato with one of the most bizarre pieces I've ever read from the Puppetshow, which is saying a lot. Bear with me though, because it's worth dissecting the methods of their madness.

Imagine that a commission or study group was formed by the state of North Carolina to consider and evaluate proposals for reforming North Carolina’s business regulations. Furthermore, the state hired consultants to assess the economic impact of the different changes being considered. Now imagine the consulting group was formed by a very conservative out-of-state think tank or advocacy group, known for opposing business regulations – the Cato Institute or the Heritage Foundation. In addition, most of the group’s funding was coming, not from taxpayers, but from four wealthy foundations known for supporting right-wing causes.

Uh, I would have to say that fanciful scenario is pretty much reality here in North Carolina, so it doesn't really require much in the "imagination" department. But that's not the point. Because what Cordato is really complaining about is the fact that the organizations involved in advising the state on climate issues are (gasp) left-leaning:

The only difference is that the issue is not business regulation but global warming policy, and the advocacy groups and foundations are known for their activities on the political left, not the political right.

Look at it this way Roy. Imagine you had a skin cancer. Would you turn to a witch doctor who doesn't believe cancer exists to find your cure, or would you maybe start with a doctor who recognizes that skin cancer is real and understands its risks. Said another way, imagine your hair is on fire, but you're too stupid to know it. Should you get your advice from a person who says "Nice hat!" ... or would you be better off turning to someone who knows what fire looks like and how to use an extinguisher. Simply put, your idea of having "right-leaning" organizations involved in discussions and policy around climate change is nothing more than obstructionist bullshit.

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The other Puppet piece in todays Urinal is a silly little interview with one of the very same witch doctors mentioned above. The author is Mitch Kokai, a so-called journalist who used to cover local trivia here in Chapel Hill. Talk about Peter Principle.

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Longtime BlueNC readers may have noticed that I've mostly stopped commenting on the drip-drip-drip of drivel from the Puppetshow. The organization is increasingly irrelevant and out of touch with reality and deserves scant attention. Their doggedness around climate change is but one example of that trend. Another is their delusional rhetoric about North Carolina having a terrible business climate. In both instances, their hate for government categorically trumps objective insight.

From where I sit, it's both comical and sad. Because the truth is, a "sane" John Locke Foundation could really contribute to developing excellence in public policy in North Carolina. Unfortunately, excellence is not on their agenda. The Puppetshow has one mission and one mission only, and it is the exact same mission as Grover Norquist. They want to drown government in the free-market bathtub.