"Usually, terrible things that are done with the excuse that progress
requires them are not really progress at all, but just terrible things."
by:
Russell Baker
(1925- ) American Pulitzer Prize-winning writer
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Pretty much, yep.
 -- Mike, Norwalk     
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     -- Anon      
    Like the polluting of our streams and rivers to improve profits and the bottom line or the filling in of our wetlands (waste lands to some) like the Everglades. And the ever popular pumping of carbon dioxide and acid rain into our atmosphere in the name of industrial progress. Where Oh! where is Al Gore when we need him. Come home Al, come home!
     -- Waffler, Smith     
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    ... or, alternately, they are not truly terrible things at all but rather the correction of a more terrible condition...
     -- Anonymous, Reston, VA, US     
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    Yeah Waffler, like Al Gore invented the internet. His necessary mansion and private jet cause a lot more pollution than you may figure.
     -- cal, lewisville, tx     
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    Who's idea of progress are we talking about? Hitler, Stalin and Mao had some thoughts on progress that lead to some very terrible things. Roosevelt came up with social reforms and the New Deal that opened the door to wide open socialism in the US. Funny isn't it? How progress always amounts to the same old thing...more control over people by their rulers...a terrible thing. (And Al Gore is the biggest hypocrite on the ever cooling planet)
     -- J Carlton, Calgary     
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    Waff, Al "The Bore" Gore is off somewhere spouting bilge about global warming or some other nonsense. We need Gore like Custer needed more Indians.
     -- jim k, austin     
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    The internet was started by the military establishment and Al Gore was there at the beginning and had input in its development. He never said that he invented it, that was just cynical politicking by his opponents, When technical issues confronted Congress, like battlefield nuclear weapons Al Gore was the most knowledgeable, and prepared legislator. This is fact and is on record. Check it out. Al was there when the internet was being started and was a player. Check it out. Al Gore is also spounting stuff about global population that no one is courageous enough to touch. We need Al's courage and intelligence rather that the head in the stand profit at any cost right wingers.
     -- Waffler, Smith     
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    The internet was started by a group of scientists and researchers for in house use for the exchange of information from university to university. Al (F*#@ing) Gore had nothing to do with it. He is quite simply just another political parasite.
     -- J Carlton, Calgary     
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    Terrible things are not progress unless you are a 'progressive.' Gore is a profiteer just like Cheney -- haven't you guys figured out politics yet? They do not give a shit about you!
     -- E Archer, NYC     
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    Exactly right Archer...exactly right.
     -- J Carlton, Calgary     
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    Here is the complete story Carlton. I truly hope and pray that you humble yourself for once to truth, and get Warren on board also. The internet should be used for truth not lies, try it sometime. You can find this article at snopes.com. "Despite the derisive references that continue even today, Al Gore did not claim he "invented" the Internet, nor did he say anything that could reasonably be interpreted that way.......A spirited defense of Gore's claims to having taken initiative in advancing the internet is made by Vint Cerf (often referred to as the "father of the internet") when he noted "that as a Senator and now as Vice President, Gore has made it a point to be as well-informed as possible on technology and issues that surround it". It is true that Gore was popularizing the term "information superhighway" in early 1990's (although he did not coin the phrase himself) when few people outside academia or the computer/defense industries had heard of the Internet, and he sponsored the 1988 National High-Performance Computer Act (which established a national computing plan and helped link universities and libraries via a shared network) and cosponsored the Information Infrastructures and Technology Act of 1992, which opened the Internet to commercial trraffic. In May 2005, the organizers of the Weekly Awards for online achievements honored Al Gore with a lifetime achievement award for three decades of contributions to the Internet. "He is indeed due some thanks and consideration for his early contributions," said Vint Cerf. Now Carlton I am sure this is all lost on you. The Internet is great for folk who want to be informed and educated but folk like you and Warren that just want to be ignorant will still and always be ignorant.
     -- Waffler, Smith     
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    PS: Gore puts his money where his mouth is, he invests in environmental issues. What would you say about him if he did not? You then would call him a hypocrite. Often a guy can not please anyone no matter which way he turns, especially when it is a crowd as ignorant as Carlton, Warren and of course Archer.
     -- Waffler, Smith     
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    I couldn't care less what Al Gore has to say about anything. The man is a complete low life and his followers are morons. Is that humble enough?
     -- J Carlton, Calgary     
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    You are entitled to your opinions Carlton, you are not entitled to your facts. You will never be a true friend of freedom or LIBERTY if you are a denier of facts, and truth. I don't know whether or not your statement is humble but it is honest. I get it "You don't like Gore". Just don't lie or spread falsehood about him and you and I are fine. As far as where the internet was developed it was a combination of University nerds (like bore Gore himself) togehter with the United States Department of Defense Advanced Research Project Agency (DARPA) that led the way. In 1975 the network was turned over to the Defense Communications Agency, also part of the Department of Defense. In 1983, the US military portion of the ARPNET was broken off as a separate network, the MILNET. MILNET subsequently became the unclassified but military-only NIPRNET, in parallel with the SECRET-levle SIPRNET and JWICS for TOP SECRET and above. Initially ARPNET was restricted research, commercial use was strictly forbidden. During the '80's connection expanded to schools and libraries, NASA, and the National Science Foundation and the Department of Energy. These three agencies developed the first Wide Area Networks. In 1984 National Science Foundation developed the NSFNet. So my friend Carlton you may be able to see how involved the US Government Agencyies were in this thing and how Congressional involvement through Defense oversight committees etcetera would be and thus wher Mr. Gore got involved. Just like Eisenhower took the initiative in creating the Interstate Highway System, Al Gore took the initiative to popularize the phrase "Internet Superhighway" and led in supporting its development. Now like Al Gore we can all be informed and up to date if we but have a mind and inititative to do so.
     -- Waffler, Smith     
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    Blecch.  No facts at all, Waffler, pure BS.
     -- E Archer, NYC     
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    To be ignorant, Waffler, is to ignore, which is your forte, not mine.  Al Gore has positioned himself to make billions in the carbon tax racket.  He already cashed in on the banning of incandescent light bulbs in exchange for mercury-filled (!!) fluorescent bulbs.  He is not the most knowledgeable legislator — he is an insider and a crook, like his pals the Clinton's.  He does not care about the environment AT ALL otherwise his lifestyle would reflect that.  He is for POWER.  The entire 'climate change' global agenda is to centralize power.  Global average temperatures are the same as 100 years ago, ocean levels, too.  The Earth has been warming for the last 12,000 years birthing human civilization.  Don't worry, the next Ice Age returns like clockwork every 100,000 years or so, and we are due. 

    Get a grip  humans do not control the weather, nor should they!  Stop trying to be God  you're not smart enough.
     -- E Archer, NYC     
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    Sorry Mr. Waffler but your sad devotion to that environmental ConMan Al Gore and his hokey religion of global warming that has helped line his pockets is another example of your gullibility.
    True conservation is good for nature and by extension mankind which God has made the caretaker of this world.

    Environmentalism on the other hand is nothing but a vehicle to transport a socialist globalist agenda, the dirtiest countries in the world with the worst pollution are socialist and communist countries. Even in the United States certain cities that are dominated politically by the left are filthy and run down fiscally and physically, San Francisco is a perfect example with feces all over the city causing a real health risk. No sir you are on the wrong side as usual you should ask for updated talking points because the ones you are using are outdated and no longer apply.


     -- Mick, Pleasant Hill     
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    Well there you go again Mr. Waffler are you misinformed/ignorant or are you just flat out lying defending the party line? The truth is Al Gore did say it! Please don't try to revise history it's possible for you to BS youngsters and get away with it but not us old farts who were there and remember. The interesting thing about this quote is you epitomize it! 

    "I took the initiative in creating the Internet."
    - Al Gore CNN interview

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BnFJ8cHAlco


     -- Mick, Pleasant Hill     
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    Louis Farrakhan got a lifetime achievement award also Waffler, genuflecting again before the altar of Al Gore?

    "I took the initiative in creating the Internet."
    - Al Gore CNN interview

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BnFJ8cHAlco


     -- Mick, Pleasant Hill     
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    Interesting, you tell Carlton not to lie and spread falsehoods about Al Gore but you do it with impunity!
    Now you are either lying about him and this phony baloney alarmist/extremist environmentalist movement which is actually a religion (Gaia of the earth goddess) if you ever get a chance to read the biodiversity treaty that even the Democrats didn't want to vote on you would see these environmentalists extremist that you idolize actually worship trees and earth fairies, it's right there in the biodiversity literature, when it comes to Al Gore you are just one of his brainwashed drone acolytes.

    It is now 2018, almost 2019 and every one of Al Gore's alarmist environmental predictions have fallen for the propaganda they were. In the 1970s the same people who are crying global warming today were running around like a Chicken Little the sky is falling! About going into a new Ice Age back then.

    Don't you get it it's a hustle! It has nothing to do with saving the planet it's always been about controlling people, economics and governments the Paris agreement was a perfect example, it was a wealth redistribution scam with the goal of making a one world government with centralized power.

    I feel sorry for you Mr. Waffler I honestly do you talk about freedom and liberty but you reject the very principles that ensure its survival and astoundingly you embrace philosophies that are caustic to individual freedom and liberty.

    You are the blind being led by the blind.

    Top Scientist Resigns Admitting Global Warming Is A Big Scam
    https://yournewswire.com/top-scientist-resigns-admitting-global-warming-is-a-big-scam/


     -- Mick, Pleasant Hill     
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    Here You Go Mr. Waffler

    Global Warming Hoax, Best Document Ever
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DJBDI7jVMqM


     -- Mick, Pleasant Hill     
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