@rnitsch
"I can actually understand why most ordinary people don't invest a lot of time in investigating stuff like this more closely."
This is fine and understandable. What is paradoxical is that this in no way precludes holding very strong and vocal beliefs about the issues.
In fact, you get the impression that the less information, the stronger beliefs - if you ask scientists, they will typically tell you on the one hand this and on the other that.
A lot of the argumentation is group signaling. By arguing for windmills, I signal that I am green and progressive, i.e. belong to the "right" group. The point isn't - was never - to actually evaluate the merits of windmills.
I also think the theory of conflict and mistake explains much of this. When people think you argue from bad faith (because you are a greedy capitalist, or whatever), they don't care about your arguments. Conversely, if they are convinced of their own righteousness, they don't care much about their own arguments. The latter point isn't discussed in the text, but I think it is important - look at all the people who post memes poking fun of Trump's hair, and appear to think it is political discourse.
