#TimetoCallOut the Impressive McCarthy-Hypocrisy of the #WebofDenial Response

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This is a guest post byย ClimateDenierRoundup

In response to the 19 Congressional climate hawks deciding that it is #TimetoCallOut the fossil fuel industry for its use of tobacco and lead-industry PR tactics, the #WebofDenial proves its efficacy even while trying to dispute their very existence. For example, theย Koch-operative-createdย Washington Free Beaconโ€™sย initial coverageย of an email outlining which speakers called out what groups wasย quickly echoedย at theย Koch-partneredย website,ย The Daily Caller. That story also features quotes from an ALEC spokeswoman making the free speech defense- a common thread in the #WebofDenial. (One that Sen. Whitehouseย called out last week.)

These references to criminalizing dissent can be found alongside the โ€œassault on free speechโ€ language inย a piece in Reason, a publication, of course, funded byย ExxonMobil, the tobacco industry and the Kochsย (and David Koch even sits on its board.) The same phrasing featured prominently inย an opinion pieceย in US News and World Report. This piece defends the webโ€™s denial activities as being well within the right โ€œto propagate an opinion running counter to the political interests of the powerful.โ€ We didnโ€™t recognize the author at first and were surprised that someone who hasnโ€™t taken money from fossil fuels was defending the #WebofDenial, and in a mainstream outlet to boot! But lo and behold, the authorโ€™s byline states that in addition to being a contributing editor at US News, Peter Roff is also a senior fellow at Frontiers of Freedom –ย an Exxon funded operation. And to illustrate how the web works in real time, Roffโ€™s piece wasย tweeted outย by theย Koch, tobacco and Exxon-fundedย Heartlandย Institute.

A slightly different tact was taken byย Koch and tobacco-fundedย CEI, who accused Sen. Whitehouse of โ€œMcCarthy-style Tactics.โ€ They were apparently unaware of the deliciously ironic fact that it is Lamar Smith, the Senator defending Exxon and CEI, who is quiteย literally and intentionallyย embracing McCarthy. Continuing with that line of thought, over at Breitbart (the โ€œGo-To Outletโ€ for hired deniers),ย James Delingpoleย claims that McCarthy โ€œwas absolutely rightโ€ because โ€œAmerica really was riddled with Communist agents.โ€ Delingpole though, sees โ€œno evidence whatsoeverโ€ of a denierย conspiracy.

But evidence of the #WebofDenial is obvious, and there is more proof every day. For example, the Republican National Committee has just adopted language in its platform that comes straight from the coal lobby. Literally the same words, just in a slightly differentย order.

Rebecca Leber at Gristย writes about how the RNC platform calls coal โ€œan abundant, clean, affordable, reliable domestic energy resource.โ€ The American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity,ย refers to its productย as โ€œan affordable, abundant and increasingly clean domestic energy resource that is vital to providing reliable low-cost electricity.โ€ Since coal is responsible forย thousands of deaths annually and $500 billionย in related health costs, calling it clean is is yet another example ofย how propaganda works.

With the GOP picking up the exact language of the fossil fuel lobby, itโ€™s no wonder other fossil fuel operatives are simultaneously speaking up to defend the #WebofDenialโ€™s right to โ€œpropagate an opinion.โ€ But when your opinion is wrong, on purpose, solely to protect profits, then itโ€™s no longer just an opinion. Itโ€™s fraud. And considering how many of the climate-denying organizations were also tobacco-defending organizations, youโ€™d think theyโ€™d have learned that by now. Then again, this same playbook was also used by the lead industry, and memory loss is a symptom of leadย poisoningโ€ฆ

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