Here’s what Luddhunter posted to the Consumerist thread about the AP story on drugs in our water:
The Scare-Hedge cycle is very rhythmic in this article. A few quotes, in order of appearance:
SCARE1: “A vast array of pharmaceuticals…have been found in the drinking water supplies of at least 41 million Americans.”
HEDGE1: “To be sure, the concentrations of these pharmaceuticals are tiny, measured in quantities of parts per billion or trillion, far below the levels of a medical dose”
SCARE2: “Water providers rarely disclose results of pharmaceutical screenings…”
HEDGE2: “And while researchers do not yet understand the exact risks from decades of persistent exposure to random combinations of low levels of pharmaceuticals,…
SCARE3: “…recent studies have found alarming effects on human cells and wildlife.”
RE: Scare3: of HOW LOW of levels…are they comparable to those found in the study? The lack of comparison during a 5-MONTH study seems either incompetent or the results would inconveniently nullify the scare.
The article has several more scares and hedges throughout.
The goals of the Hedged Scare article are the same big three as most leftist media:
1) Scare as much as possible
2) Increase readership
3) Make more government look like the best alternative
Can I get an Amen?
March 13, 2008 at 2:33 pm |
Amen, my brother. These ludds have a lots of gonad to be declaring all water to be dangerous. I suppose all companies should have a bureaucrat installed in every building to monitor potential chemical seepage. Why not one in every house? The tyrants never cease the subversion of freedom.