Dan Rather has absolutely no sense of self awareness. The disgraced ex-CBS Evening News anchor on Friday posted video of a keynote speech he gave to the American Geophysical Union. In it, the man who lost his job at CBS over the use of phony documents, attacked the “ignorance” of climate skeptics and praised himself as similar to a scientist: “I believe we journalists and scientists are in many ways kindred spirits. We both try to get as close to the truth as is humanly possible.”
Again, the man who used forged documents in a bid to derail George W. Bush’s presidential reelection campaign, stated this: “We both work with imperfect tools and high levels of uncertainty. We both must constantly challenge our own assumptions. And we both must have a rigorous acknowledgement of our errors.”
Just how has Rather acknowledged his own errors and assumptions? Rather continued with his self-congratulatory hype:
Yet, we journalists and scientists are both under siege beset by accusations of fake news, self-interest and bias. Much of this comes, and let us mark well, through coordinated attacks from powerful actors who have a vested interest in the truth remaining hidden. Confusion and false equivalence are their weapons. Journalism and science, when practiced to the highest standards, are rooted in nuance and fairness. Those who seek to undermine our purpose play by no such rules.
Rather displayed the “highest standards” and has been rooted in “nuance and fairness?” What world is he living in?
On the subject of global warming, Rather fretted of the danger:
Are we going to guide our future by science, reason and knowledge or are we going to succumb to superstition, ignorance and propaganda? The fate of our very planet is at stake. Something on which so many of you in this room have been sounding an urgent alarm.
The video was just added to Rather’s Facebook page on Friday. However, the speech took place in New Orleans on December 11th.
Click "expand" to read more of the speech.
Dan Rather: The Importance of Science Communication
American Geophysical Union Keynote
December 11, 2017
DAN RATHER: But now we find ourselves in a moment of reckoning, especially here in the United States. But there are echoes of it around the globe. Are we going to guide our future by science, reason and knowledge or are we going to succumb to superstition, ignorance and propaganda? The fate of our very planet is at stake. Something on which so many of you in this room have been sounding an urgent alarm.
Earth is warming. Human activity plays a major role. We can, if we act with speed and purpose, likely mitigate some of the harm. But, will we? Can We? And what does our failure to confront climate change say about our ability to handle other crises?
...
In many ways, the story of climate science should be seen as a great triumph. Look at how much we’ve learned and how quickly we learned it. Look at how a global and diverse community of researchers have collaborators to put a complex puzzle together. These are the forces that give me optimism. I look out at this audience and see a can-do spirit that hopefully save us from ourselves.
...
I believe we journalists and scientists are in many ways kindred spirits. We both try to get as close to the truth as is humanly possible. We both work with imperfect tools and high levels of uncertainty. We both must constantly challenge our own assumptions. And we both must have a rigorous acknowledgement of our errors. Yet, we journalists and scientists are both under siege, beset by accusations of fake news, self-interest and bias. Much of this comes, and let us mark well, through coordinated attacks from powerful actors who have a vested interest in the truth remaining hidden. Confusion and false equivalence are their weapons. Journalism and science, when practiced to the highest standards, are rooted in nuance and fairness. Those who seek to undermine our purpose play by no such rules.
