>> because the two large components in the global warming debate are the two "hockey stick" graphs that have been mainly disproved (one has, anyway) <<
Just curious, but do you have any references to them being disproved? A very quick search led me to this page, although that is almost five years old:
http://www.realclimate.org/index.php...-hockey-stick/
>> Open-mind, sure... but I wouldn't ever suggest that someone assumes they aren't being screwed by someone. After all, I think an open-mind is one that considers the possibility that what they're being told is possibly untrue. <<
My comment made sense in reference to Bubba. My impression is that he is convinced that any argument backing the idea of human-caused climate change is just a devious attempt to trick people. In that case opening his mind means considering the possibility that the article is above board. I was going further and asking him to basically assume it was, even though that might be difficult to do, because if he can do that he might see it from another perspective.