Why Walter Peck was wrong?

[Thebestoftherest]

I'd argue he probably chose the EPA because it's a nonpolitical choice in the 80s.

That sounds about right.

[CharlesPhipps]

I'd argue he probably chose the EPA because it's a nonpolitical choice in the 80s.

That sounds about right.

Yes, crazy as it sounds, the EPA was a nonpartisan organization back then as Republicans still liked not having rivers on fire back then. Them showing up was meant to be somewhat ridiculous back then as if the DMV were investigating you.

[Fuzzy Necromancer]

Oh. Feels bad man.

[drewder]

Wait... what ideology is he accusing Ivan Reitman of again?

I mean, even if Ivan did write this film on his own (he didn't, but bear with me) his credits also includes ''Twins'', ''Junior'' and ''Kindergarten Cop.'' Apart from proving that Arnold Schwarzenegger is not funny, are we saying that these three films came from the same man who also writes extreme propaganda pieces?

Yup, all evil ultra conservative redneck anti-black, anti-jew, pro-nazi hard-right republicanism. Ghostbusters was just a stone in the foundation of Trump becoming the US' Great Leader.

Pretty sure Trump was a Democrat at the time.

[Deledrius]

I do wonder how much of the Walter Peck is right dogma comes from anti science rhetoric?

That's possible, but it'd be really hard to separate it out enough to lean one way or the other. The film is so fuzzy with the science and the magic that I think it's going to work more like a Rorschach test than a real indicator of anything.

[Thebestoftherest]

I do wonder how much of the Walter Peck is right dogma comes from anti science rhetoric?

That's possible, but it'd be really hard to separate it out enough to lean one way or the other. The film is so fuzzy with the science and the magic that I think it's going to work more like a Rorschach test than a real indicator of anything.

True.

[Senko]

ironically I just started a series where in the 1st book the magical assasin of magical beings (semi-hidden world as in people who don't believe in magic are considered crackpots but they generally tend to ignore it unless a wyvern's eating kids on a beach) is being investigated by an accountant for the army who believes she's embezzling money with the aid of a colonel. In a "Yes magics real but your getting paid far too much compared to normal soldiers."

[Keyser94]

Sure, when everyone is dead by a nice nuclear explosion in the middle of New York because no one was there to oversee the operation of so called scientist. Who you wonna call? The Ghostbusters.

Even their backpacks are nuclear powered even that is never explain, because conservatives not understand the concept of science or science fiction, they never explain it, because it was never a factor, they never give a shit about science or regulation of any kind.

Yeah, that’s the reason that the director didn’t go into the scientific details. Why didn’t they go call an actual expert in ghost contqa? Darn conservatives...

Remember that weeks before when Chuck was ranting about how science can fall down because pure greed in his Jurassic Park review? When used in unethical and unregulated ways? And now he is doing the complete opposite argument, wow, how consistent, dear professor.

Science can fall down because of pure greed. Bad things can happen because of greed. That does not mean that any person who claims to be trying to reign things in is in the right.

Walter Peck's behavior is not consistent with EPA jurisdiction, not consistent with EPA policy regarding evidence, not consistent with any sort of regulatory training whatsoever, and ultimately not even consistent with his own stated motivation. Your argument seems to be coming down to

1) The director was a conservative and thus would have been motivated to portray a government regulator in a negative fashion.

and

2) The Ghostbusters were doing something that could have had dangerous consequences.

Neither of which prove that Peck was in the right.

Once again, let's use the very unabashed propaganda film "God's Not Dead" for comparison. Like Walter Peck, Professor Radison does a job that is necessary. Like Walter Peck, Radison’s actions are consistent with a stereotype of people in his profession, more than what they are (at least supposed to) do. Like Peck, Radison’s behavior leads to negative effects for him, and for those he is supposed to be helping.

Professor Radison is, undeniably, in the wrong. While there is an exercise philosophy professors use similar to the one depicted in the film, it has nothing to do with getting students to deny religious faith. If Radison were a real person, his behavior would be both illegal and immoral. The fact that philosophy professors exist, and Radison is depicted as being in the wrong because the production team wanted to portray one negatively, has no baring on whether or not Radison is RIGHT. The fact that Pure Flicks is a Christian evangelical film studio doesn’t mean that it’s okay for Philosophy professors to engage in harmful behavior. It means it’s not an accurate portrayal of atheist philosophy professors.

In the same way, Walter Peck may not be an accurate portrayal of an EPA worker, but he’s not therefore a GOOD GUY.

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Let's consider Peck's potential beliefs.

1) The Ghostbusters are using dangerous and illegal chemicals: He claims he believes this because of wild rumors and speculation. This is not enough for Peck to get a court order to permit him to investigate as part of the EPA. It might be enough for him to open an investigation, ask what they have, and perhaps monitor the shipping of chemicals to their premises. But not to shut down their tech.

2) The Ghostbusters are using nuclear power irresponsibly: If that is the case, then he should report that to the NRC, and perhaps he will become part of a joint NRC-EPA investigation into the Ghostbusters. It’s possible that the EPA was chosen because nuclear stuff isn’t his jurisdiction, but Chuck pointed out the equally possible alternative that the EPA was specifically chosen because that’s a group that would have no authority, and the fact that Peck has no authority and knows it is the point.

3) The Ghostbusters are scamming their clients. This would be hard to prove, since Peck would need to prove that not only do the Ghostbusters use a pointless lightshow, they actually KNOW THAT THEY’RE DOING THAT, but even so, that’s not a matter for the federal EPA. That’s a matter for the city’s DCWP (Department of Consumer and Worker Protection) or the state CPB (Consumer Protection Bureau.)



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Because the director was such a right-winger didnt want to offend his precious Christian religion, imagine that, there is life after death, but is no paradise, you are stuck in this Earth even after you die wondering eternally doing the same thing, over and over, until some guys capture you against your will and put you in a prison for the only crime of being stuck in limbo forever.

The Ghosts portrayed in Ghostbusters are not consistent with any form of Christian teaching I'm aware of. Not that I'd expect Ivan Reitman, the Jewish son of a holocaust survivor and a resistance fighter, to be up on Christian systematic theology.


Edit: Also, you're not 'doing the same thing over and over.' There doesn't seem to be a YOU to do things. To be a bit crass here, if you fart and leave the room, and your fart sticks around, you're not still in there farting. That's just gas.

Bad comparison, as someone that actually was in a debate club, the whole debate in God is Not Dead is horrible, the student used personal attacks and emotional arguments, something that never should do in debate, you never attack the other person only their arguments, if you do it, you are intermediately disqualified, the student as bad using arguments as Ben Shapiro, also the whole movie is just stupid, as atheist, I can clearly see that this movie doesn't understand atheist at all, and argue that the only "salvation" for atheist is dead.

Walter Beck in other had clearly had good reason and was portrayed like a buffoon in the movie intentionally, as say the director was a great Reagan lover, and loved his policies not matter how much harm did to the economy, the air and our water, is the reason why we are in this political landscape in first place. Scientist or not, they should have been oversee, they should have regulated, who watch the watchmen, not matter how good their intentions were, accidents happen, corruption happens, anyone could explode Manhattan only joining the Ghostbusters and knowing something about nuclear weapons, hell, they not even needed to use their containment unit, they modified their proton packs to reach critical mass, and bomb, good buy a portion of Manhattan.

[Thebestoftherest]

I was just reading this thread earlier today.

[Mangod]

Walter Beck in other had clearly had good reason and was portrayed like a buffoon in the movie intentionally, as say the director was a great Reagan lover, and loved his policies not matter how much harm did to the economy, the air and our water, is the reason why we are in this political landscape in first place. Scientist or not, they should have been oversee, they should have regulated, who watch the watchmen, not matter how good their intentions were, accidents happen, corruption happens, anyone could explode Manhattan only joining the Ghostbusters and knowing something about nuclear weapons, hell, they not even needed to use their containment unit, they modified their proton packs to reach critical mass, and bomb, good buy a portion of Manhattan.

Peck had no business shutting them down for the same reason that the Fire Department can't arrest you; it's not their job.

If Peck had any suspicion about the 'Busters using unauthorized nuclear tech, he should have passed that on to the NRC, but he doesn't, so he's either an incompetent or a gloryhound - neither of which make him right, anymore than a plumber trying to perform surgery, even if the "patient" needed operating on.