Mountain Ridge Protection Act Alliance

Since I have been active with Keepers of the Blue Ridge, I have experienced much of this propaganda  first hand. I added my experiences and I thank Wind Concerns Ontario for providing the basic information!

How to Spot Propaganda Techniques
1. NAME CALLING or STEREOTYPING:
Giving a person or an idea a bad label by using an easy to remember pejorative name. This is used to make us reject and condemn a person or idea without examining what the label really means. Example: NIMBY

When I attended the wind forum in Asheville, Austin Hall of Appalachian Voices stood up and called Keepers and their speaker “Nimby.”

I, Cynthia was also called “Joe Wilson” by Appalachian Voices and ASU when I stood up and asked them to “TELL THE TRUTH.” I responded by saying, Wow, Wilson got the most donations after the statement he made about Obama…..will Keepers get donations?

2. BAND WAGON:
This common propaganda method is when the speaker tries to convince us to accept their point of view or else we will miss out on something really good. The Band-Wagon technique is often used in advertising. Examples: “This is the wave of the future”, “Your community will be the leader!”

This is too funny as I have heard this come from Appalachian State University Professor’s Dennis Scanlin and Brent Summerville. Scanlin and Summerville go to a community and say “Mitchell County (or whatever county, state, town, neighborhood, intersection on a map, etc) you have some of the best wind resources that we have seen!” Ged Moody always says “The whole state will be watching you —–, (fill in the blank).”

3. DEIFICATION:
This is when an idea is made to appear holy, sacred, or very special and therefore above all law. Any alternative or opposite points of view are thereby given the appearance of treason or blasphemy. Example: “Mother Earth”

In Asheville, Dennis Scanlin looked at the crowd and stated “If you do not like wind, you do not like Apple Pie!” OH MY….call people who are against big wind, unamerican???? I realize how desperate Scanlin is becoming.

4. TRANSFER:
Transfer is when a symbol that carries respect, authority, sanction, and prestige is used along with and idea or argument to make it look more acceptable. Examples: Hired Doctors and Wildlife “experts” paid by the wind industry.

Keepers has found this to be true, because if a health issue is voiced, big wind will pay someone to beat the idea down.

5. TESTIMONIAL:
When some respected celebrity claims that an idea or product is good (or bad). This technique is used to convince us without examining the facts more carefully. Example: David Suzuki

They use to think it was a big deal to throw out the name of Appalachian Voices…..not such a big deal anymore since Keepers has pointed out that they speak out of both sides of their mouths. They hate blowing up the mountains for coal but GUESS WHAT? You have to BLOW UP the mountains to ram in a wind turbine. Appalachian Voices made a horrible choice to support big wind and since then their support has been slipping, and I mean MONEY, donations.
Or Keepers will hear “The ASU wind experts” WHAT? EXPERTS? They are paid by the wind industry to do their dog and pony show at wind forums. They got a grant from Acciona.

6. PLAIN FOLKS:
This is a way that a speaker convinces an audience that an idea is good because they are the same ideas of the vast majority of people like yourself. Example: “Only a small minority are against…everyone else is on our side.”

This sounds like Senator Steve Goss….”WE MUST LET THE TECHNOLOGY ADVANCE.” No, Senator Goss, we do not, as this technology has been proven not to work in Denmark. And , Senator Goss so many people are for it? That is why all of your fellow Senators gave you quite the spanking and voted against commercial wind in the mountains!

7. VIRTUE WORDS or GLITTERING GENERALITY:
These words are used to dupe us into accepting and approving of things without examining the evidence carefully. Examples: “Clean”, “Green”

I only have to point out that it takes 20 truckloads of cement per turbine, and some dynamite, to say, IT IS NOT CLEAN OR GREEN! There is also a wonderful set of videos called “They’re not Green” which drives home the point.

8. ARTIFICIAL DICHOTOMY:
This is when someone tries to claim there are only two sides to an issue and that both sides must have equal presentation in order to be evaluated. This technique is used to dupe us into believing there is only one way to look at an issue, when in fact there may be many alternative viewpoints or “sides”. Like most propaganda techniques it simplifies reality and therefore distorts it, often to the advantage of the speaker. Example: Accusing anyone who questions their claims of being paid by the oil, nuclear or coal industry.

I, Cynthia Hardy Wadsworth have been called a SHILL for the oil and coal industry. In other words since I do not support commercial wind, I must LOVE coal. WOW…THESE PEOPLE CAN READ MINDS? No, they can not! I am not paid by anyone to be against the wind industry.

9. HOT POTATO:
This is an inflammatory (often untrue) statement or question used to throw an opponent off guard, or to embarrass them. Example “Why do you hate the planet?”

Back to Professor Scanlin…Against Apple Pie? I do not believe commercial wind plants have any place in the mountains, so I must be un-american? Or when a health problem is noted, Scanlin will yell “That is just Bogus!” It does not embarass me, it makes them look…well…..STUPID.

10. STALLING or IGNORING THE QUESTION:
This technique is used to play for more time or to avoid answering a pointed question. Example: “More research is needed…”

Dr Scanlin has been asked multiple times if he has any grants or money from the wind industry, and he lies. He has had grants from BIG WIND. He will try to ignore this question…watch him.

11. LEAST-OF-EVILS is used to justify an otherwise unpleasant or unpopular point of view. Example: ‘”Would you rather have a coal plant in your backyard?”.

This is funny as I was told by another group that “Letting your speaker present was the lesser of two evils.” So no matter what I did, it was EVIL. I love getting under their skin so badly that they utter something that is not smart.

12. SCAPEGOAT:
This often use with Guilt-by-association to deflect scrutiny away from the issues. It transfers blame to one person or group of people without investigating the complexities of the issue. Example: McGuinty: “It’s the NIMBY’s fault “.

Classic Appalachain Voices and their Shill, Austin Hall technique. Call us a Nimby Austin, because we don’t want to litter our ridges with your crappy idea of wind turbines.

13. CAUSE AND EFFECT MISMATCH:
This technique confuses the audience about what is really cause and effect. In fact the causes of most phenomena are complex. Example: “We will run out of power without wind turbines”

What Keepers hears over and over….”When we use wind power we can get rid of our need for oil!” ARE YOU KIDDING ME? You would have to strike oil when you plant a turbine, as electricity and oil are two different things.

14. DISTORTION OF DATA or OUT OF CONTEXT or CARD STACKING:
This technique is used to convince the audience by using selected information and not presenting the complete story. Examples: “This wind project will power 500,000 homes”

This one drives me nuts. They tell you what might happen if the wind blew full force, 24/7 and the turbine was perfect. This never happens. Brent Summerville of ASU exagerates figures. Ged Moody told the Manager of the Broyhill Inn that the baby turbine at ASU would provide all of the electricity for the INN. What a lie! They can not even hook the thing to the grid!

15. WEAK INFERENCE:
Weak inference is when a judgment is made with insufficient evidence, or that the conclusion does not necessarily follow from the evidence given. Example: ” Health complaints come from those who don’t host turbines so therefore it is only because they aren’t getting money.”

This one probably makes me the maddest, as why would people abandon their homes when they become sick? Over money? Heck no…they want to live and have a life, and not have headaches, and inner ear problems. These people are having to LEAVE THEIR HOMES.

16. FAULTY ANALOGY:
This is when a comparison is carried too far. Example: “Wind turbines do not emit CO2 therefore they are completely benign.”

Again, ignoring the health problems associated with living too close to these monsters is an example. Also, they deny the problems that have been noted with animals living near wind turbines.

17. MISUSE OF STATISTICS:
Some examples: Average results are reported, but not the amount of variation around the averages. A percent or fraction is presented, but not the sample size as in “9 out of 10 dentists recommend…”. Graphs are used that, by chopping off part of the scale or using unusual units or no scale, distort the appearance of the result. Results are reported with misleading precision.

An example is the ASU wind turbine. They tell you how much energy it produces, but NO ONE KNOWS FOR SURE as it is not hooked to the grid. ASU has it rigged so that New River Power has no idea, either. What a scam!

18. FEAR:
Global warming will destroy the earth unless we get these things up now!!

AHHH the we are all going to die if we do not put wind turbines all a long our ridges. After climate gate……I know we are not killing anything. Or the “Think about our children…..think about your children…don’t you want them to be able to live without Asthma?”

NEED I SAY MORE? Just know that Keepers of the Blue Ridge will keep on fighting for the mountains!

SHHH!  Appalachian Voices and Appalachian Institute of Renewable Energy Don’t want Keepers to Know!

I can tell that they hate to see us coming! Who? Wind proponents of course, the ones that sneak in to counties, brainwash the citizens, have them sign land leases, and try to start a wind plant before we get a call! And yes, Keepers does get calls….now from other states that need our help. And we go, we speak. We tell them how we did it, and how we have a state law that people are trying to weaken to allow these monsters on our ridge lines. We tell them how we worked to protect Ashe County.

When we call to ask to speak, you can hear it in their voice. They do not want us there; they do not want the people to know the truth. They do not want the locals to know about the health problems and eminent domain. BUT WE DO. KEEPERS OF THE BLUE RIDGE wants people to know the truth. 

Today it was the same. This time Wise County Virginia, as we were told the people could not get the truth. And I called, and again, the voice, and this time the LIES. Out and out lies. I was told it was their first meeting and that we would “scare the people with our numbers.” But this was total BS, and I called their hand on it! I asked if they had already had 3 meetings or so called educational forums. SILENCE. They were busted. Then I got the story that this was a new group of people! YEAH RIGHT!

Then I asked if the wind industry would be there….(in this case Dominion) and again silence. I never got an answer. I knew the answer…it was YES, and Dominion hates to see us coming as we blew them away in Tazewell, Virginia. Keepers brought the house down by simply telling the truth. 

I asked if AIRE AND APPALACHIAN VOICES had been presenting at the forums. He said only one time. I explained that I had pictures of them being present at all of the meetings. What….we have a MOLE? I was asked that! 
I told him I was aware of what they were teaching, and how they had called us names at other forums rather than debate the issues.

Then he tried to tell me they were not teaching wind energy……let me say I will not go there, as their forums were called “Community Wind Energy and Wise Energy.” 

So I ask each of you to think of this. If they hide their meetings, in hopes that we will not find out about them, and they lie about who is teaching what and who is attending, would you want to deal with these people? Would you trust them with your mountains? Most of all WHAT ARE THEY HIDING? 
I would not trust them as it is evident, they will do anything to put commercial turbines on our mountains. They are desperate, so we better watch out. They will be back, they will continue to try to work under the radar, in hopes that we will not show up and stop their brainwashing. They will try to do the same with our politicians. 

But Keepers of the Blue Ridge will keep on…..we will be there….and we will not be silent. We will point out the truth. Please join us, as we are the ones who are the REAL Keepers of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

This page has the following sub pages.

• Biased Poll on Wind Power Manufactured by Dennis Scanlin and ASU Energy Department