Reference:- Is the concept of hypocrisy useful in a debate ?

Reference :-   Sky News climate expert  , Rowan Dean does bang on quite a lot about " hypocrisy ". 

Dear Rowan , 

                        What with all the disturbing weather news of late , it sure is becoming difficult to discredit those folk ( including tens of thousands of so called scientists ) who have joined the climate change cult . 

We do appreciate your efforts to find a chilly day here and a dusting of snow there , while ignoring heatwaves and the like . But remember , it is important to preserve your credibility as a commentator , which brings me to this observation . 

You have taken pains to mock that climate conference ( COP 27 , I believe it is called ) they are running in Cairo , and that is well and good .  But you must avoid banging on about " hypocrisy " .   The delegates may be enjoying their air conditioning after flying to Cairo in private jets . They may be touring the desert in petrol engined SUVs to view ancient artifacts from the days of Ramesses . They may even be leaving their bathroom lights on all night after a 30 minute shower .  And indeed Rowan , that would reek of hypocrisy .  But to quote Ken junior .... " So what ? " 

A chap can be an appalling hypocrite without being wrong .  It smacks of desperation when you accuse somebody of hypocrisy , because even if you are correct , it means nothing .   In fact , even worse , it makes you look like you can offer nothing better by way of argument  , which I am sure you can .

Anyway Rowan , Ken junior is enjoying seeing Egypt on the tele.  It is a fascinating country with a glorious past that can only be imagined when exploring the various ruins .   I steered Ken junior in the direction of Percy Shelley's poem " Ozymandias " .   I wanted to illustrate that even the most splendid  civilizations eventually disappear , leaving us to ponder , like Mr Shelley , that  " round the decay of that colossal wreck , boundless and bare , the lone and level sands stretch far away  " . 

Of course , due to desertification  there are a lot more lone and level sands now than there were when Mr Shelley was an intrepid traveler .  I guess that's partly why we have millions of refugees . 

Makes you think , hey Rowan . 

Ken junior tells me he is resigned to the collapse of civilization as we know it , but remains somewhat upbeat .  He steered me in the direction of another poem he found in an antique book he bought at the Kooralya school fete years ago . 

             

             The jackals howl , the serpents hiss , 

              In what was once Persepolis  ,

             The fleets of Nineveh and Tyre , 

             Are down with Davey Jones esquire , 

            And all the oligarchs and potentates and kings , 

            Who ruled these things , 

             Are dead , 

            But cheer up , don't be sad . 

           Think what a lovely time they had . 

I guess it is consoling to think that when the likes of Jeff Bezos and Rupert Murdoch die , they will have had a lovely time . 

Ken junior agreed with me . 

" Yes , it is consoling to think that one day Jeff Bezos and Rupert Murdoch will die . ", Ken junior said .

 Your comrade , Ken .