NIMBY PSYCHOLOGY

Science, it would seem, has provided an answer to a question that has exercised us at Wind of Change for some time. That question being - Why are the fanatical nimbies of VVASP so dishonest? Why have they told so many lies (to themselves, to each other, to us), and why do they continue to do so?

First of all, let's look at the difference between a 'sceptic' and a 'denialist'. A sceptic is uncertain until he/she has seen the evidence. A denialist has seen the evidence and yet still insists on talking arrant nonsense. At the heart of VVASP's campaign is a small clutch of denialists. They know how quiet wind farms are because they've been to a few. But they want to think (that is, they want everyone else to think) that they're noisy.

What strange behaviour, no?

Well, according to a social psychologist at the University of Connecticut, such denialists are actually suffering from psychological problems. "They display all the features of paranoid personality disorder," says Seth Kalichman. "Ultimately, their denialism is a mental health problem."

The characteristics described by Kalichman include anger, intolerance of criticism, and 'what psychiatrists call a grandiose sense of their own importance'. Anyone come across that in the Lenches lately? Anyone NOT come across that in the Lenches lately?

Kalichman adds that the denialists suffer from a form of neurosis called 'suspicious thinking', a 'warped sense of reality' which means that trying to argue with these people is pointless.

It also means that they should by no means be allowed to dictate what people can and cannot do in the area. Let's face it, the evidence suggests that the hardcore VVASP members are, quite literally, not all there. So to accept their silly claims, adopt their daft viewpoint and acquiese in their anti-social behaviour would be a really dumb thing to do for all of us.

That includes the newly elected Tory MP for Redditch who pretends she can fight for their cause. Even if she did have any influence over local planning matters (why doesn't she stick to Redditch, eh, and leave Wychavon to make its own decisions?) - even if, as a mere MP, she had any real say in the matter, to support a group of deluded, neurotic, paranoid, self-important crazies would be ... well, pretty stupid, really.

And if the nimbies are not deluded, neurotic and paranoid, then they are simply downright dishonest, which is an even better reason to ignore everything they say.