In the 1980s computer journalists used to refer to the 'FUD' factor and its impact on computer purchases. FUD — Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt.
With the various changes in technology, new operating systems, processor chips, computer architectures and so on, it was never clear which way the market would go. As long as fears, uncertainties and doubts remained, purchasers would simply sit tight, hold on to tried and tested technologies and wait for things to settle down.
The FUD factor has now found a home in politics. Tony Abbott has become the master of the FUD factor in the present debate over climate change and the carbon tax.
First, sow the seeds of doubt — climate change may or may not be real:
We can't conclusively say whether man-made carbon dioxide emissions are contributing to climate change. If they are, we don't know whether they are exacerbating or counteracting what might otherwise be happening to global climate. Even if they are adding to climatic extremes, humanity may be able to cope with only modest adjustments.
Then sow the seeds on uncertainty:
There may even have been a slight decrease in global temperatures (the measurement data differs on this point) over the past decade despite continued large increases in emissions associated with the rapid economic growth of China and India.
And to cap it all play on people's fears, especially in relation to the proposed carbon tax:
The important thing is what will it do to people's cost of living and if it drives up your cost of living it is a tax. It's effectively an increase in the rate of GST — that's what it is.
In fact Abbott has been so successful in his campaign of fear, uncertainty and doubt that some commentators have credited him with having an impact on consumer confidence, as people adopt a 'wait and see' attitude to the proposed carbon tax and are saving rather than spending their incomes.
The problem in discussing Abbott's stance on climate change is that, in a cliché he himself would use, he has held more positions than the karma sutra.
Earlier this year Crikey published an article, 'Climate change cage match: Abbott debates Abbott', consisting of a string of quotes in which he took up just about every position under the sun, from supporting an emissions trading scheme to rejecting it, acknowledging the reality of human induced climate change to casting doubt on it and so on.
Since then we