Algore's Assault

Looks like Algore isn't getting the best press from all corners. It's pretty easy to find reviews giving him accolades on his crusade, but less easy is those who analyze his arguments in context outside of the global warming constituency.

Robert Tracinski:

Early coverage of Al Gore's new book, The Assault on Reason, has focused on the fact that the book is largely an assault on the Bush administration. But they have glossed over the most significant and alarming theme that Al Gore has taken up: his alleged defense of "reason" includes a justification for government controls over political speech.

Judging from the excerpts of Gore's book published in TIME, his not-so-subtle theme is that reason is being "assaulted" by a free and unfettered debate in the media--and particularly by the fact that Gore has to contend with opposition from the right-leaning media.

And Thomas Mitchell:

You have to give Al Gore credit for one thing: Truth in labeling.

His new book, "The Assault on Reason," is precisely that -- a relentless assault on reason, as well as science, history, Republicans, news media, the president, corporations, the wealthy and any ignoramuses who do not fall in line with his soft-core socialist friends.

The former veep makes sweeping generalities such as "hardly anyone now disagrees that the choice to invade Iraq was a grievous mistake." Reminds one of the liberal journalist who was shocked Richard Nixon got elected because she didn't know anyone who had voted for him. That's what you get when you surround yourself with sequacious lefties.

I like this quote from the book:

"This coalition gains access to the public through a cabal of pundits, commentators, and 'reporters' -- call it the Limbaugh-Hannity-Drudge axis," Gore declares. "This fifth column in the fourth estate is made up of propagandists pretending to be journalists."

So he's ranting against the media propagandists who work against him, but seems to ignore the media propagandists that support him. Funny that debate that disagrees with him is solely defined as propaganda. Petulant? I think so.

I suppose the thing that these reviews tell me is that Algore's book isn't so much a scientific look at the topic but a political tirade. With that in mind, I suppose he has every right to profit from his opinion, even if it is of questionable value.