Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Warmist McArdle: "ethics aside, what Gleick did is insane for someone in his position--so crazy that I confess to wondering whether he doesn't have some sort of underlying medical condition that requires urgent treatment"

The Most Surprising Heartland Fact: Not the Leaks, but the Leaker - Megan McArdle - National - The Atlantic

And ethics aside, what Gleick did is insane for someone in his position--so crazy that I confess to wondering whether he doesn't have some sort of underlying medical condition that requires urgent treatment.  The reason he did it was even crazier.  I would probably have thrown that memo away.  I might have spent a few hours idly checking it out. I would definitely not have risked jail or personal ruin over something so questionable, and which provided evidence of . . . what?  That Heartland exists?  That it has a budget? That it spends that budget promoting views which Gleick finds reprehensible? 

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

"so crazy that I confess to wondering whether he doesn't have some sort of underlying medical condition that requires urgent treatment"""

Oh f* her, and f* anyone who thinks they can play psychiatrist over the net.

Gleick may be all sorts of dumbass, but it is beyond the pale to state he is insane.

That is equivalent to the nonsense illogic that lets others call skeptics "deniers"

Colorado Wellington said...

Let’s agree that Gleick is a completely sane progressive doing batsh*t crazy stuff. I don’t see a contradiction in that statement but then again I am not an internet shrink.

Anonymous said...

Actually, he has what doctors refer to as "a legal condition."

The condition is related to Congress and those pesky laws they pass.

Specifically, in this case, it's Title 18, United States Code, Section 1343. Congress passed the wire fraud statute in 1952 as part of the Communications Act Amendment.

"Like the mail fraud statute, the law against wire fraud prohibits any scheme or artifice to defraud that uses wire, radio, or television communication in interstate commerce. Later in 1956, Congress broadened the scope of the wire fraud statute to include transmissions in foreign commerce.

The elements of wire fraud are the same as mail fraud. In order to convict the defendant, federal prosecutions have to prove all of the following beyond a reasonable doubt:

A scheme to defraud or obtain money or property by fraudulent pretenses.
Intent.
The making of materially false representations.
Transmission by wire, radio, or television communication in interstate or foreign commerce."

It's called a felony. "The penalty can be 20 years imprisonment. However, where the victim of the wire fraud was a financial institution (eg, bank), the sentence is enhanced. In these cases, the sentence can be 30 years in federal prison."

Gleick is looking at probably several to dozens or more wire fraud charges, criminally. Civil penalties are also available. Depending on whose communication systems he used in his fraud, his employers, school, institute, could all be held liable for his felonious activities.

Bernie Madoff might help Gleick in adjusting to his new home. Sort of a welcome wagon to the Federal Prison system.

Chad Woodburn said...

That's right. Blame it on his brain. It used to be that lying was seen as sin. Now it's a medical condition. So, in today's world he isn't evil, he's just sick. Only capitalists and conservatives can be wicked now-a-days. All the rest have ready made, built in excuses.

Hugh K said...

Ahhh, so now we are at the go-to-rehab-and-collect-sympathy phase.

A cake is in order along with a hearty round of get well, get well soon, we want you to get well.

Next up; He's cured! Just a minor setback...Welcome back to the team.