Republicans seem willing to go to war at the drop of a hat. Their War on the Poor, War on Gays, War on Workers, War on Women, War on Muslims, War on Minorities, and more demonstrate that point more than adequately. But of all the Republican wars, the one that makes the least sense of all is their War on Science, as this piece by Paul Krugman indicates.
Earlier this week, GQ magazine published an interview with Senator Marco Rubio, whom many consider a contender for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination, in which Mr. Rubio was asked how old the earth is. After declaring “I’m not a scientist, man,” the senator went into desperate evasive action, ending with the declaration that “it’s one of the great mysteries.”
It’s funny stuff, and conservatives would like us to forget about it as soon as possible. Hey, they say, he was just pandering to likely voters in the 2016 Republican primaries — a claim that for some reason is supposed to comfort us.
But we shouldn’t let go that easily. Reading Mr. Rubio’s interview is like driving through a deeply eroded canyon; all at once, you can clearly see what lies below the superficial landscape. Like striated rock beds that speak of deep time, his inability to acknowledge scientific evidence speaks of the anti-rational mind-set that has taken over his political party.
By the way, that question didn’t come out of the blue. As speaker of the Florida House of Representatives, Mr. Rubio provided powerful aid to creationists trying to water down science education. In one interview, he compared the teaching of evolution to Communist indoctrination tactics — although he graciously added that “I’m not equating the evolution people with Fidel Castro.” Gee, thanks.
What was Mr. Rubio’s complaint about science teaching? That it might undermine children’s faith in what their parents told them to believe. And right there you have the modern G.O.P.’s attitude, not just toward biology, but toward everything: If evidence seems to contradict faith, suppress the evidence… [emphasis added]
Inserted from <NY Times>
Photo credit: The PBH Network
Photo credit: Huffington Post
As a Christian, I see no conflict between scientific evidence and Genesis, because I see scientific evidence as the closest approximation we have to literal truth and Genesis as mythical Truth. Homer said, “We are the stories we tell ourselves.” In ancient times, story telling bestowed cultural identity. Jesus used this technique frequently, as he often taught in parables, allegorical stories that taught a lesson without having to be literally true. Since allegory is how Jesus taught, I consider it absurd to hold Moses to a literal standard.
My best guess is that Marco Rubio, along with most of the other Republicans who share Rubio’s overt position know that scientific evidence takes precedence over myth. However they cannot say so. Even worse, they have to govern accordingly, because failure to do so will cost them a large part of their voting base. Since the only people Republicans truly represent are the 1%, they need dupe people into voting against their own interest. Thus they have embraced, bigots, hate mongers, war mongers, seditionists, purveyors of violence, misanthropes, misogynists, homophobes, corporate criminals, racists, Teabaggers and supply-side pseudo-Christians, also attracting many decent people who have just never made the effort needed to overcome their own political ignorance.
They need the War on Science to keep the loyalty of supply-side pseudo-Christians, and they care more for power to represent the 1% than they do for the harm they are doing to millions of Americans.
29 Responses to “GOP vs Science”
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The words republicans and science are mutually exclusive and definitely incompatible.
Carrie, it's good to see you here. I agree with you whole-heartedly!
Exactly!
Republicans don't just oppose scientific thought. They oppose rational thought on an almost endless list of topics. Amazing, but true – they sometimes refuse to believe simple mathematics.
Welcome Ken! 🙂
That's a great observation, but they do believe 1 + 1 = 3 or more.
Let us think like a RepublicanT for a minute.
God created the world in 6 days and during that time He made Adam and Eve. He told them to be fruitful and multiply. They had Cain and Abel. Cain killed Abel.
Where did everybody else come from???
We don't need no stinking science!!!
Patty, I quite agree about the Cain and Abel bit – but as everyone who has read the old stories in the Old Testament has asked – who on earth did Cain and Abel marry?????!!! Teabaggers tend to skirt round that one!
That last time a questioned a Theocon on that issue he said, "That's easy! God saw a need, and he met it!"
AAAARRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!
I would have to say that they were mother-f*ers and incest appeared to be best from that moment on! Hence we are so "evil" – the original sin!
I'm sorry, Lee but that is just crude and insulting. Your intolerance is no better that that of those pseudo-Christians.
I think that a lot of these wacko right wingers got into office by promising things to fundamentalist churches, whose pastors want a national religion that helps run the government – because THAT would be having some power. Offend one of these pastors/ministers, and the whole congregation will refuse to vote for you. Republicans, who can't, evidently, get into office by normal means, enlisted the aid of these churches and their congregations and now they are paying the price. They are beginning to see the contempt that mainstream America has for them. Ask them a straight question("How old is the Earth?) and see them hem and haw all over the place.
What will they do? Should be fun to watch. What happened to Rubio the other day – the total ridicule that he got from all the media everywhere – this is a sign of things to come. They will have to move forward or continue to be the party of ridiculous candidates.
Angie, more than pastors of churches, I think they made the promises to the Republican Supply-side pseude-Christian leaders to whop the pastors look for authority. Otherwise, right-on.
There's a theological term called "God of the Gaps" where fundamentalists try to claim that since all the little gaps in Theory of Evolution have not been filled in, it proves that Evolution can NOT be correct, and so Creationism is right.
To which I reply: What a bunch of malarkey!
A fishnet has a lot more holes in it than it does its incredibly strong filament. But most assuredly that does NOT mean it doesn't work.
If you don't believe it, just ask the fish.
The GAP between pseudo-Christians and sanity is far greater than the ones in evolution.
If Republicans want to fight, they need to stick their head up their ass and fight for air… 🙂
Good one! Methinks they will suffocate whilst fighting for air.
I'm afraid that's where they breathe best. 🙁
The Bible tells us that God created the world and all that is in it ; However the Bible does not say how God did it — There is nothing – no book , place ,flag , building , that is in and of itself sacred , but man that calls it so-
I fully agree, Phyllis.
Republicans are big on wars. Unfortunately, they have yet to learn how to win a war. They are the party of perpetual war.
Perpetual war is their goal, Jerry. War is an excellent way to move wealth from the poor and middle classes to the rich.
I feel like we are at war on a daily basis with people who really don't care that they are lying to the majority of their constituents and that their constituents are either so prejudiced, or uneducated that they don't bother to try to learn the truth.
Edith – you have expressed succinctly my feelings on the subject in a nutshell.
What Pat said!
In medieval Europe, the Roman Catholic Church controlled all education and so controlled who was taught to read and write, etc. This ignorance was the church's way of keeping people subservient. Galileo was persecuted by the church for the world of science that he opened up, as were others. Women who demonstrated any free thinking were often tried as witches, because, in the view of the church, they challenged the church and so were going against the church's teachings. Check out the Malleus Maleficarum for a church authorised way of divining witches.
So too goes the Republican/Teabaggers. A few years after high school, I realised that algebra was more than just a school subject designed to give me some grief. It was a way of thinking — it was a logic that transcended numbers. By not allowing the proper teaching of science, they keep the masses ignorant and subservient. Think about the implications of this comment by Dave C from Care2:
"oh by the way, GOP tea partiers, don't like science then hang up your phones, turn off your lights, stop using your computers, don't drive or fly or even take a train….and don't use any of the comforts of home like refrigerators, dishwashers, washing machines, etc…..all inventions of some type of science….."
I would extend the list to include don't go to the doctor or the dentist — that's all science; don't build pipelines to carry bitumen because that needs good engineering science; don't build skyscrapers or homes because that takes architectural science — even a primitive lean-to requires science.
Rather puts things in perspective. Next time you are faced with a Republican/Teabagger spouting off about not believing in science, imagine the idiot standing in front of you clad in an animal skin only, barefoot, and filthy from hunting his next meal all day!
Throw those damn computers out too. They must have come from that Devil named Science!
We have have similar experiences with math. I almost flunked High School algebra, but went on to teach myself algebra, trigonometry and calculus.
Republicans have nothing in common with Christianity, if they did, they would follow Jesus's teachings. They are nothing but a bunch of hypocrites and have probably broken every law in the 10 commandments….wait a minute…I think some of them have…and they don't embrace science…just shows how full of themselves they really are.
Welcome Elizabeth! 🙂
Very well said.