Shame on Suzuki

One of the most hysterical voices in Canadian public life outdoes himself with a most offensive metaphor:  

 

 

If you'd rather not watch the interview, here's a transcript of the relevant portion: 

(EVAN) SOLOMON: And by the way, they're saying because it is, by the way, because the oil sands creates jobs, creates money that is transferred to other provinces, and that's their notion of the balance.

(DAVID) SUZUKI: You know, that's what they used to say in the southern states. We can't give up slavery because it'll destroy our economy and slavery gives us jobs and we have to have slave runners and all of that. Some things you do because they're right. And you know, the problem is...

SOLOMON: But David, just for the record, and I know you're passionate, but is comparing this to slavery, is that fair, to demonize the other side like that?

SUZUKI: We're talking about the fate of all of humankind and the kind of future we're going to leave for our children. Yes, I think this is criminal what's going on now, to act as if the economy. Remember, the economy is a human- created construct.

For the sake of argument, I'll give Suzuki the benefit of the doubt in that he truly believes that drastic action is needed and that he is truly worried about the consequences of not doing so. He probably is genuine and who knows, he may even be right.

 

None of that, however, can justify that kind of comparison - it's not as though he was comparing the struggle to end slavery to the struggle to address climate change as a broad comparison of important historical struggles.

 

Suzuki is clearly and overtly comparing those who disagree with him on this issue to those who supported slavery or opposed its abolition.

 

What seems immediately obvious to me is that if a white conservative were to use slavery as a metaphor in this manner, there would be immediate demands (and rightly so) to apoologize to African-Americans. For a variety of reasons, I suppose, David Suzuki gets a pass.

 

Of course we know full well the horrific impact of centuries of slavery. We don't really know what the future holds with regard to climate. As noted yesterday, prominent economist Richard Tol (whose work was heavily relied upon by the Stern Report - a report Suzuki is fond of mentioning) has argued that the cost of climate change is not nearly as dire as some (like Suzuki) would have us believe.

 

Furthermore, of course, economic growth is crucial to adapting to climate change and being able to develop important new technologies. In that sense, it's hardly "criminal" to be concerned about the economic impact of the sort of policies Suzuki believes in. There are many people who might completely disagree with Suzuki's proposals who do share the same goal of mitigating dangerous climate change and helping the developing world adapt to it.

 

It's arrogant in the extreme to portray one's self as a gallant defender of mankind and those with whom you disagree are "criminals", no better than those who would enslave other humans.

 

I'm sure, then, that Suzuki believes its important for Canadians to take him seriously. That's going to be difficult if he keeps saying things like this.