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Amazon deforestation: Brazil's Bolsonaro dismisses data as 'lies'

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11–20 of 146 posts

Re: Amazon deforestation: Brazil's Bolsonaro dismisses data as 'lies'

#12
post #2

We really live in the age of head-in-sand. How do you do anything about that? Somehow reality has become not just optional and uncertain in our policies, perceptions and opinions, but downright irrelevant. When there's no merit in even trying to be truthful and accurate, well... you get this.

The general lack of ability to engage in logical facts-based discussion is an existential threat to humanity. Even in this civilized forum reasoning not always wins. Things are definitely dire.

Re: Amazon deforestation: Brazil's Bolsonaro dismisses data as 'lies'

#13

What do the EU and USA do? Import more soybeans for their growing livestock industry. No penalties for anything, only rewards.

79% of Brazilian soybean exports go to China. Very very little goes to the US as it’s a net exporter (by a significant margin).

Source: https://oec.world/en/visualize/tree_map/hs92/export/bra/show...

Re: Amazon deforestation: Brazil's Bolsonaro dismisses data as 'lies'

#14
post #2

We really live in the age of head-in-sand. How do you do anything about that? Somehow reality has become not just optional and uncertain in our policies, perceptions and opinions, but downright irrelevant. When there's no merit in even trying to be truthful and accurate, well... you get this.

I think they are relying upon the concept that only a tiny fraction of the people who read Bolsonaro's claim will bother to seek out the websites of the organizations monitoring deforestation via satellite imagery, and bother to check for themselves. For most, it'll be brushed off and then moved on to the next new shiny thing in the news/outrage/propaganda cycle.

Yes, but even if a couple thousand people (among millions) find incontrovertible evidence that it was a blatant and willful lie, that's not surprising and won't spread. The lie will have no consequences. That is the new norm, and it is weird.

Re: Amazon deforestation: Brazil's Bolsonaro dismisses data as 'lies'

#15

What do the EU and USA do? Import more soybeans for their growing livestock industry. No penalties for anything, only rewards.

79% of Brazilian soybean exports go to China. Very very little goes to the US as it’s a net exporter (by a significant margin). Source: https://oec.world/en/visualize/tree_map/hs92/export/bra/show...

Good correction, I meant beef, it's linked. Although USA does seem to avoid Brazilian soybean and beef.

Re: Amazon deforestation: Brazil's Bolsonaro dismisses data as 'lies'

#16
post #12
post #2

We really live in the age of head-in-sand. How do you do anything about that? Somehow reality has become not just optional and uncertain in our policies, perceptions and opinions, but downright irrelevant. When there's no merit in even trying to be truthful and accurate, well... you get this.

The general lack of ability to engage in logical facts-based discussion is an existential threat to humanity. Even in this civilized forum reasoning not always wins. Things are definitely dire.

The problem with facts, though, is that your opponent would nonetheless disagree on what set of facts is actually a good outcome.

Re: Amazon deforestation: Brazil's Bolsonaro dismisses data as 'lies'

#17
post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Lately it seems to be very rewarding in politics. This will only get worse

Lying being rewarding is definitely not a recent phenomenon.

Well the difference is that people used to condemn the author when it got caught lying which doesn't seem to be the case anymore. People no longer pay politically when they lie. It all transformed into a world-wide propaganda machine where people think in war/dictatorship terms(we against them).

Re: Amazon deforestation: Brazil's Bolsonaro dismisses data as 'lies'

#18
I don't have the time or patience to engage, but for the ones that don't have a side in Brazilian politics, the Amazon should be fine.

Bolsonaro is a fool with words, but has shown to be well intended. He'll probably come around on this particular issue (as it has already happened a few times during his government).

Re: Amazon deforestation: Brazil's Bolsonaro dismisses data as 'lies'

#19

I don't have the time or patience to engage, but for the ones that don't have a side in Brazilian politics, the Amazon should be fine. Bolsonaro is a fool with words, but has shown to be well intended. He'll probably come around on this particular issue (as it has already happened a few times during his government).

No his government is one of the most extreme right-wing ones around. I don't think he'll come around.

Re: Amazon deforestation: Brazil's Bolsonaro dismisses data as 'lies'

#20
post #2

We really live in the age of head-in-sand. How do you do anything about that? Somehow reality has become not just optional and uncertain in our policies, perceptions and opinions, but downright irrelevant. When there's no merit in even trying to be truthful and accurate, well... you get this.

I think this is one of the costs of democracy. We could always just take power away from all the uneducated who rely on emotion-based decision making. And then somehow punish the educated who do the same despite being equipped with the tools to parse the facts.

I'm sure this would work out horribly.

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