An assault on reason

In today’s National Post, Peter Foster applies his trademark sharp wit and logic to a review of Al Gore’s new book “The Assault on Reason”.

The title ... says it all. Illogicalities, non sequiturs, false analogies, fallacies, ad hominem ... arguments all tumble forth in profusion from its pages.

Apparently Gore is still fuming over his defeat in the 2000 election:

...but isn't piling on to George Bush a little like flogging a dead duck?

On Gore's bemoaning television as a “one-way” medium in the service of Bush’s evil agenda, Mr. Foster observes:

However, a newspaper seems pretty "one-way." As does -- come to think about it -- a book. Sure, you can scribble "BS!" in the margins, but you soon run out of lead with a book like this.

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...presumably, you would never find Al Gore getting on, say, Jon Stewart or David Letterman. And you'd never find the publishing subsidiary of a giant corporation (say, Penguin) from publishing a book by him. OK, well maybe the theory falls down there.

[...]

...Gore's thesis of a massive threat to free speech is, well, crap...

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The most stunning -- and frightening -- aspect of Gore's bipolar book is that he constantly calls for more discussion and public input, but when it comes to his obsession, man-made climate change, he declares the debate closed.

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The suggestion that there can be no intellectually honest opposition to Mr. Gore's alarmism is disturbing, to say the least.

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But the fact is that Mr. Gore does not want a debate; he wants a chorus. He is a much bigger threat to freedom than George W. Bush ever was, or ever could ever be. [my bold]

Thank you Peter. That’s one more book I won’t waste my time reading.