Gutsy journalist (Australia)
Jan 1, 2011
Print ArticleWTS.com’s “Journalist of the Year” Award
The only way that democracy can be made bearable is by developing and cherishing a class of men sufficiently honest and disinterested to challenge the prevailing quacks. No such class has ever appeared in strength in the United States. Thus, the business of harassing the quacks devolves upon the newspapers. When they fail in their duty, which is usually, we are at the quacks’ mercy.
—H. L. Mencken, “Minority Report”
Two years ago I resolved to call a spade a spade. Off came the gloves. Screw pleasantries; this was two-fisted and bare-knuckle. I titled it, “How to fight the Big Wind onslaught: A book outline in thirteen chapters.”
(To my embarrassment, it quickly became a Web sensation. I’d wish my literary reputation to be more elegant.)
Midway through, I rounded on the media.
The media? Simpering assholes who have all gone with the wind. (Don’t you love it when they interview the smilin’ smirkin’ salesman sayin’ “Them turbines, folks—why them turbines is gonna electrify 35,000 American homes”—except nobody mentions it’s only if the wind’s blowing 25-35 mph 24/7, 365 days a year. That’s my all-time favorite line, right after “Don’t you worry ‘bout them turbines and noise. No louder than a hummin’ ‘frigerator, and God’s my witness!” Newspaper reporters always fall for this crap. Always. Everywhere.)
Second, stop expressing your concerns at meetings. Weenie word. Your biggest rhetorical enemy in this fight is this word, concerns. Drop it! The media loves to describe you as concerned. (“The hens expressed some concerns to the foxes.”) Screw concerned and start getting angry and defiant. And stop asking the windies questions and start informing them of the fact they and their goddam monster turbines and substations are not welcome in town. This is the your conversation with them: Get the hell out of Dodge!
I’ve seen little by the media that would cause me to revise my opinion today.
I said “little,” not “nothing.”
When I discover someone writing in the spirit of such newspaper giants as Henry L. Mencken and Edward R. Murrow—by God I rejoice! (Most of these job-holders are failed writers—bobbleheads for industry. This isn’t journalism; it’s stenography.)
Behold a journalist worthy of the name. Brendan Gullifer. An Australian. A novelist who’s not afraid to “muck-rake.” (Lord knows there’s no shortage of Big Wind manure.)
A man intolerant of Big Wind bullying. (“Courage is fire, bullying is smoke”—Benjamin Disraeli.)
Brendan Gullifer
See his latest article, “Waubra (Australia) resident on 24-hour check.” Just skim the article; it’s the comments I want you to notice.
This is the crap this guy takes.
But he keeps on—no, for God’s sake, don’t say “He keeps on ’tilting at windmills.'” (That’s so corny you wanna scream! That’s the cheap blather stenographers write; you, dear reader, can do better than that. Get a grip!)
I was going to say, he keeps digging and probing and using his brain and God-given powers of reasoning and common sense, to insist on real evidence as opposed to wishful thinking and other fairy dust (see stenographers)—and takes it on the chin, as a result.
Writes a correspondent from Australia: “The Clean Energy Council (our American Wind Energy Association equivalent) and various wind developers have been trying to intimidate him and his editor, but Gullifer has stuck to his guns. Its largely through his efforts that we are getting anywhere at all in regional Victoria.”
New Year’s Day, 2011. WindTurbineSyndrome.com awards Brendan Gullifer its Journalist of the Year Award!
“Brendan—you gutsy Irishman!—may you flourish in the year ahead, and may you keep your courage and perseverance (and job), and may you remember that thousands around the world applaud you!”
Comment by Quixote on 01/01/2011 at 3:04 pm
History books will write that anyone that defies the Industrial Wind Industry and it’s “handlers”, the Governments of the world (could be backwards here) such as this reporter, will label him a “Hero”!
Many years ago one couldn’t get a job for a mainstream media organization unless he/she was a true in your face writer of prose.
MSM today just hires “Bingo Callers” who may appear “pleasing” to the audience and actually have nothing between their ears but a damn good tape recorder!
One other thing that has to be abolished this year is “POLITICAL CORRECTNESS”………when was it “insulting to state a fact with a little “passionate” language built in to give it some emphasis?
To HELL with MSM, to HELL with the “concerned” victims of IWT’s…up with the “pissed off victims”!
Now is that non politically correct enough for you?
Start screaming out loud people; here’s a good starting point: “Run The Bums Outta Town!”
Comment by BARRY FUNFAR on 01/01/2011 at 3:46 pm
It’s New Years Day and here we are fretting over these windmills that just will not go away. From all around this country, but especially right here on Cape Cod, I have received numerous cries for help from people about to have their lives changed by wind turbine proposals for their back yards. People are afraid of the detriments, as they well should be.
The letters I have written of my own plight from having a 1.65 MW 397 foot tall wind turbine built 1662 feet from my home seem to have been heard by many, thanks to the Internet. But so far, the honest truth of what it is like living by an industrial wind turbine appears to warn and influence only those who are about to be run over by Big Wind. The proponents do not give a damn about messing up some peoples lives. They are driven by greed.
The left wing environmentalists are no better, and think of us who are bothered as simply collateral damage. They are driven by their misguided cause. Trying to communicate my distress to my town and state officials has been extremely tiring, as NO ONE has listened, cared, or done anything to alleviate the situation. We abutters have had to go the way of the courts, hiring attorneys to fight our own town.
The Town of Falmouth, Massachusetts, built its soon-to-be two turbines as close as 1200 feet to people’s homes. I can assure everyone that WE WILL NOT GIVE UP AND THE TOWN OF FALMOUTH WILL BE TAKING DOWN BOTH MENACING MACHINES. What is funny is that construction on the second one will not be completed until March, but the brilliant town officials keep building while the lawsuit goes on.
I really am looking forward to this 2011. I fully expect the wind industry to be facing increasing headwinds and eventual loss of the shaky ground they are on.
Come on everyone! Learn the truth about wind energy and how bad it sucks. Write letters to your local paper. Wind turbines need to be stopped!
Barry Funfar
Comment by Jon Boone on 01/01/2011 at 4:06 pm
Good idea. But I would have nominated Robert Bryce for the award. His book, Power Hungry, his many articles in forums such as The Washington Post, the WSJ, National Review, the Washington Examiner, and his speeches around the country, have penetrated the thick wind fog that has enveloped mainstream media. His theme: wind technology is the electricity sector’s version of the ethanol scam, providing dysfunctional power and inducing a host of antisocial, uncivil, unhealthy, and environmentally treacherous side effects.
Happy New Year!
Jon Boone
Comment by Johana on 01/01/2011 at 5:45 pm
It may be that the grantor of the award did not want to appear parochial; but I can’t speak for her/him.
Robert Bryce is certaily a powerhouse and worthy of recognition.
Perhaps National Wind Watch or one of the other organizations will grant an equivalent award.
Comment by Ellen on 01/03/2011 at 3:09 pm
Just read your piece on the Big Wind Onslaught – you seem to have the missing ingredient. Passionate civil disobedience!
Do you feel there are enough gutsy people to spawn a virulent anti-industrial-wind movement?
I’ve done the going to Boston to talk with my rep thing, written letters, made phone calls. Took part in a demonstration – that felt like a really good thing to do more of. I like what you have to say.
I think that the real decision-makers (not the wind company scumbags) need to become REAL afraid of the power of our passion. We all have it – all in our group complain – we need to CHANNEL that energy into rageful civil disobedience. I think you have the missing piece.
Sounds like even in the best of circumstances, all participants need to be willing to go to jail. Also, would be a bit concerned about ‘planted’ perpetrators who could escalate a demonstration and invite violence – scumbags will stoop to anything – just thinking ahead here.
Profanity, vulgarity and obscenity flows freely whenever I talk about this scam in private. Not afraid to speak my mind in public.
I would welcome being part of a group of like-minded people in my own community and going about such activities as you suggest in a well-planned and intelligent way.
All the Best,
Ellen in Massachusetts
Comment by Jack Sullivan on 01/03/2011 at 5:32 pm
I am in the midst of a study comparing wind developers’ promises with actual outcomes on established wnd projects. The results appear to be characterized by one word. “Bullshit!” No single promise regarding wind performance, unless tied to a written contract, will be met.
I will soon have hard data to back this up.
Editor’s note: Jack Sullivan is a Town Councilor in Malone, NY. He was highly instrumental in passing an ordinance banning industrial wind turbines. He holds a MS degree in nuclear physics from Cornell University.
Comment by Mark Duchamp on 01/15/2011 at 12:27 am
In Europe we also have a media hero: Christopher Booker. He has a column in the Telegraph, and has been bashing government quacks without mercy. Global warming, windfarms and other scams fed to the lemmings by the “mainstream media” (read: the wolves’ shills, in reference to your great quote from Edward R Murrow) are the object of his unforgiving analysis.
I second the motion about moving from “having concerns” to “being angry and defiant.” I myself have crossed that line long ago, notably in my correspondence with the European Commission (the EU’s Executive branch), who are the worse scoundrels of the lot. I don’t believe in playing the game “by their rules” — no war has been won doing what the enemy anticipates.
The European Commision is now officially allowing windfarms to be built in nature reserves under its jurisdiction, the Natura 2000 network. If this isn’t proof of the pervasive corruption of our political system, what is? Will this outrage light a fire in the hearts of nature lovers everywhere? I certainly hope so. A fire that should last until the last bird-killing, useless and incredibly harmful wind turbine is dismantled and scrapped.
Mark