My Own "Random Thoughts"

By Rich Kozlovich

Thomas Sowell is one of the finest thinkers and writers in the nation today. He has the unique ability to make very complex problems understandable. That… is no small skill. On a regular basis he writes a column called Random Thoughts on the Passing Scene. I love reading his insights and his basic common sense, thought provoking and sometimes humorous approach about the real world. This has inspired me to publish my own “Random Thoughts”. Probably just this once….because much to my surprise…..it isn’t as easy as it seems.

I have noticed over the years that the trade journals that support our industry are filled with advertising. Many of the advertisers are pesticide manufacturers and distributors. It amazes me that the industry’s trade journals work so hard promoting “green” pest control and IPM, which is promoting the elimination of pesticides. If that happens - who will advertise in the trade journals? It kind of reminds me of those churches and ministers that went around saying that God was dead, and the Bible is a myth, and then expected the churches to be full.

It seems to me that “green” pest control and IPM are largely indefinable and must be taken as an article of faith. Should the EPA be promoting this “faith based intuitive”?

Our state and national trade associations are also working hard to promote “green” pest control and IPM. If we give in to the green activists and become “green", will we need trade associations, or will the Sierra Club sufficiently fulfill that function?

Socialism has been an abject failure everywhere in the world where it has been tried - yet we hear socialist concepts being touted as the answer to our problems. Why? If it has failed everywhere else, why would we think it would prosper here?

When environmental policy has seriously influenced or been imposed by green activists and organizations on the third world, it consistently produced misery, squalor, disease, death and suffering. Yet we insist that these are the very same concepts and programs that we should adopt here. Why? If environmentalism promotes dystopia everywhere else in the world, why would we think that it will be different here?

If creating green jobs cost 2.2 jobs for every “green” job elsewhere in the world, why would we think it would be different here?

If green policies increase costs and reduce the quality of life everywhere else in the world, why would we think it would be different here.

Michael Mann’s Hockey Stick Graph has been shown to be fraudulent. James Hansen’s climate figures had easily discovered “mistakes” and the IPCC has shown itself to be thoroughly corrupt. Why do those who promote anthropogenic climate change still cite them as sources?

When the leaders of the environmental movement make misanthropic comments about humanity and how the Earth would better off without mankind - why do we believe them when they say that we should adopt their policies “because it is for the children”?

The greenies are against nuclear power. Then they are for it - then they are against it again. They loved wind power - then the hated it. They loved solar power - then they hated it. Why is it greenies are always hot for technology that doesn’t exist? Why is it that they hate that self same technology when it has the potential to become reality?

The green activist organizations have no command and control structure. That means they can be for and against something at the same time and still be right. Must be nice!

We have a real problem with words in this country. We love the words fair and sustainable. We just can’t define them, and yet we wish to make them the basis for programs that also can’t be defined and are therefore open ended. Much like green pest control and IPM!

We have had the “best” and “brightest” tell us that everything we have done for 60 years is all wrong. We also have had more people live longer, healthier, happier lives than ever in human history.  I find that strange - don't you?  It seems to me the evidence is clear "someone" must have done "something" right!

No matter how much technology we develop to make life better we keep hearing and believing that it is making us sick. Why then are we living longer?

I am convinced that the “best” and “brightest” amongst us believe that as long as they keep dumping more and more horsepucky on us that eventually we won’t notice the smell. Or worse yet we'll think that the smell is normal.

There really isn’t anything quite like a good epidemic to get things started.

If “green” is so much better, why did anyone abandon it in the first place? If “green” was so good, there wouldn’t have been pest problems…right? How then did manufacturers convince anyone they needed pesticides?

For years I have noticed activists in the green movements don’t seem to have jobs. If they never had a real job how did they become so expert in everyone else’s business?

Thomas Sowell once commented - “One of the painful signs of years of dumbed-down education is how many people are unable to make a coherent argument. They can vent their emotions, question other people's motives, make bold assertions, repeat slogans— anything except reason.”

I was once told to not focus on the negative aspects of a program, but rather focus on the positive aspects. I said I would if they would just explain to me what they were. I never got an answer.

Why do we keep trying to find a third way? Clearly, in order for there to be a third way, there had to already be two different ways. It seems likely that one way had to be right and one had to be wrong. Why can’t we just take the right way?

Why is it that someone who pays twenty thousand dollars in real estate taxes won’t pay the exterminator five hundred dollars for pest control services?