I think it's more a broad brush description of age-old propaganda techniques[1], which have been widely employed by many organized religions over the years, just as they have been by others with an interest in controlling debate.
One particularly interesting (IMO) tidbit was Berman's strategy of encouraging doubt and ignorance. Rather than argue facts, try and muddy the waters he suggests:
> “Instead of getting the ‘he said she said’ debate, what you will get with the factual debate, often times, you’re going to get into people get overwhelmed by the science and ‘I don’t know who to believe,” Berman told the attendees at the conference. “But if you got enough on your side you get people into a position of paralysis on the issue.”
> “You get into people’s minds a tie. They don’t know who is right,” he said. “And you get all ties because a tie basically ensures the status quo.” [2]
Thus the utility of paid-for "expert" opinion taking issue with one strand or other of the broad scientific consensus on climate: not to win the public debate but to make reasoned debate ineffective and "ensure the status quo."
This methodology is part of the subject matter of Agnotology - "the study of culturally-conditioned ignorance." [3]
One particularly interesting (IMO) tidbit was Berman's strategy of encouraging doubt and ignorance. Rather than argue facts, try and muddy the waters he suggests:
> “Instead of getting the ‘he said she said’ debate, what you will get with the factual debate, often times, you’re going to get into people get overwhelmed by the science and ‘I don’t know who to believe,” Berman told the attendees at the conference. “But if you got enough on your side you get people into a position of paralysis on the issue.”
> “You get into people’s minds a tie. They don’t know who is right,” he said. “And you get all ties because a tie basically ensures the status quo.” [2]
Thus the utility of paid-for "expert" opinion taking issue with one strand or other of the broad scientific consensus on climate: not to win the public debate but to make reasoned debate ineffective and "ensure the status quo."
This methodology is part of the subject matter of Agnotology - "the study of culturally-conditioned ignorance." [3]
1: https://propagandaprinciples.wordpress.com/propaganda-techni...
2: https://www.desmog.com/2014/10/31/oil-and-gas-industry-s-end...
3: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agnotology