Yesterday Jamaica’s Usain Bolt sprints across the line in 9.71 seconds to break the world 100-metre record … and Melbourne’s Andrew Bolt was even quicker with a wild and wilful misinterpetation of an analogy:

The Bishop [of Stafford] is … arguing that men who imprison and rape their daughters are really no worse than leading scientists who dispute the causes and dangers of global warming, which is further proof that this cleric is as stupid as he is hysterical.

Actually, that wasn’t what his Bishopness was arguing at all. His exact words were that the actions of Austrian incest freak Josef Fritzl “represents merely the most extreme form of a very common philosophy of life: I will do what makes me happy, and if that causes others to suffer, hard luck.” He didn’t liken them at all; he didn’t standardize their actions or use one to absolve the other. Nor did he refer to scientists, as Bolt claims, but rather to the general public. The bishop was simply suggesting that self-serving attitudes result in harm to others, whether on a local or a global scale.

Not so you’d notice from Bolt’s post, seeing how he snipped this quote:

“In fact you could argue that, by our refusal to face the truth about climate change, we are as guilty as he is – we are in effect locking our children and grandchildren into a world with no future and throwing away the key. We are right to be disgusted at these crimes. But mere disgust is too convenient. There are lessons for all of us to learn.”

…down to this…

“In fact you could argue that, by our refusal to face the truth about climate change, we are as guilty as he [Fritzl] is…’’

He also overlooked the fact that the Bishop’s remarks were clearly understood and appreciated by a director of the Lucy Faithfull Foundation, a charity that works with victims of child sex abuse. At least someone there is able to read and comprehend an analogy, not jump off the deep end, arms flailing, because if references both kiddy-fiddlers and carbon-squanderers.

Git.