Discussion > Everybody knew..
After at least one European country has already shown that it is fully prepared to jail scientists for up to six years for failing to properly communicate risk ... who will be the first to freely admit that they chose to remain silent while "everybody knew" that risk was being overstated?
That billions of euros were being frittered away as a result, billions more directed away from life-saving research, medical advances and road safety improvements into green jobs, wind turbines, eurocrat's pockets and insurance companies?
matthu
I suppose you were really trying to tempt conspiracy theorists out into the open ...
Everone knew that there had never been any evidential support for the effectiveness of flu jabs?
Everyone knew that Europe had been totally bust years ago?
Everyone knew that Hillsborough had been a bipartisan government cover-up?
Everyone knew that the UK had been intimately involved in illegal renditions?
Everyone had personal knowledge of a large number of higher paid colleagues who had been avoiding their taxes?
Everyone assumed that Huhne was always being economical with the truth - whether he was talking about lower gas bills for consumers or speeding points for the driver.
Nobody had ever been surprised to hear that Mitchell had referred to anybody or everybody as morons or plebs?
Everyone had been certain that the UEA investigations would be cleverly constructed piles of old shite?
Everyone presumed that the housing bubble would inevitably create problems further down the road?
Everyone talked openly about a certain PM's tendency to send embarrassing missives to female journalists?
Everyone knew why David Kelly's inquest had needed to be abandoned?
matthu
This is not a climate post. Or possibly not, at least. Leaving aside the most recent example how often do we hear 'everybody knew' in relation to some story which has emerged? I recall when the erstwhile leader of the Libdems was revealed to be an alcoholic. It turned out that 'everybody knew'. Never mind that they had allowed the sot to stand in an election where he had a (theoretical) chance of being the PM without telling the rest of us. It just makes me wonder how many other things of which I was blissfully unaware will turn out to be 'everybody knew'?
Or is it what we are going to hear when climate science is finally rumbled publically? Everybody knew the science was iffy, but the aims were so noble and desirable that we treated it as if it was unassailable.