As has often been said, PowerPoint is sure proof of Satan’s existence. I agree. This is why I eschewed that excruciating, demonic contrivance and instead read a paper. The benefit to you, dear reader, is you can download it and read it at your leisure, or you can watch the video below. I start at around 18 minutes in.



Broadcast live streaming video on Ustream

Proving the contention of my speech—almost as if I had arranged it—an earnest young man from the cult-like Greenpeace repeatedly tried crashing the conference so that he could take photos of participants, doubtless so that they could be circulated among Greenpeace operatives so that they could put faces to their inchoate hate.

The young man was ejected from the hotel and took up position across the street, camera in hand, trying ever so much to look like a spy. When I emerged to head for the train he whipped up the camera with vigorous enthusiasm. Since I am an obliging fellow, I stood at attention and delivered a perfect salute. I was Air Force, you recall, so I was sharp. Look for this on Greenpeace fliers everywhere.

The one question upon which people were split was whether George Orwell or Aldous Huxley was the superior prophet. I side with the Huxley crowd, though I admit the Orwellians have a strong case. As somebody said, “Cooling is warming.”

Yet Orwellian tactics are the easy stuff. Anybody could lie, and people like being lied to, especially when they think they’ll get something for accepting the lie or when the lie, as I say in my talk, confirms their identity.

One gentleman quoted Mark Twain: “It’s easier to fool people than to convince them that they’ve been fooled.” Huxley is the long game, the sly and subtle and softening up of a supine citizenry. Huxleyite tactics are accepted for the sake of the children, or because we are convinced they are good for us.

Both systems lead to doom.

Not today, but perhaps later we’ll have a contest about this. I have second copy of Climate Change: The Facts that I’ll give away. The first was signed by the many authors, including Mark Steyn who is not only a scintillating speaker but is a sweetheart of the first order.

That’s it for the 10th Heartland conference. We’re all praying there won’t be the necessity for an 11th.

I’m off to Ithaca tomorrow for two weeks.

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