The author James Hoggan of Hoggan and Associates, discusses his new book I’m Right and You’re an Idiot: The Toxic State of Public Discourse and How to Clean it Up (New Society, 2016), with Joseph Planta.

I’m Right and You’re an Idiot: The Toxic State of Public Discourse and How to Clean it Up by James Hoggan (New Society, 2016). Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: I’m Right and You’re an Idiot

Text of introduction by Joseph Planta:

I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, at TheCommentary.ca.

James Hoggan joins me again. He’s written a new book, I’m Right and You’re an Idiot: The Toxic State of Public Discourse and How to Clean it Up. It’s a timely book given the state of debate on issues big and small in the political arena here and abroad. The presidential race in the United States is surely on everyone’s mind as to the coarseness of the leading Republican contender, Donald Trump. So is this a new phenomenon or is this something that’s been going on ever since people gathered in the town square to debate and discuss? It certainly goes back to the debate on climate change, something that Mr. Hoggan knows much about, having created the website DeSmogBlog. He talks in the book about the challenges faced in the discussions about the environment in recent years. In this book, he talks to a lot of prominent thinkers, who share their experiences and perhaps their remedies. I’ll ask Jim about those and more. James Hoggan is the president of Hoggan and Associates, a public relations firm here in Vancouver. He is also the chair of the David Suzuki Foundation board. His previous books include Do the Right Thing, and Climate Cover-Up, which he was last on this program with in 2009. This new book is published by New Society, and written with Grania Litwin. Please welcome back to the Planta: On the Line program, James Hoggan; Mr. Hoggan, good morning.

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