When Republicans don’t know squat about science, and proud of it

[Triana]

...

Ok, let us analyze this piece of politico-scientific flim-flammery on Boehner’s part. First, he is saying that the idea that carbon dioxide is a carcinogen is comical. It would be, if anyone had actually made that claim. Boehner is confusing cancer with global warming, an astounding example of non sequitur that he can quickly fix by checking out the definition of greenhouse gas on Wikipedia. (Don’t these people have science advisors?) Second, Boehner claims that farting cows emit carbon dioxide. They don’t, they produce methane (which is a greenhouse gas!). Again, Mr. Boehner, please at least check Wikipedia if you can’t bother with a more highbrow source, the entry is “methane.”

The interview then concludes with an unwitting bit of humor on Boehner’s part (at least, I think it was unwitting...), when he said to Stephanopoulos: “I think you’ll see a plan from us. Just like you’ve seen a plan from us on the stimulus bill and a better plan on the budget.” Hmm, you mean like the very thin budget without numbersyou came up with? Wanna go see what Wiki says about budgets? They typically include numbers.

This would be very funny if it weren’t for the fact that Boehner isn’t an irrelevant country bumpkin, he is the minority leader of a party that has been in control of the fate of this nation and of much of the world for the past eight years, a party that could regain control at any time because of the fickleness of the electorate and the vagaries of things like economies, wars and terrorist attacks.

There is absolutely no excuse for this level of ignorance by a prominent elected official. It is of course natural to disagree on political issues; it is even ok to be skeptical of a scientific consensus on the basis of one’s own honest understanding of the situation. But to say that cows discharge CO2 and that environmentalists claim that CO2 is a carcinogen is not just bizarre, it is a flagrant case of unethical and willful ignorance.

...MORE

http://blogs.psychologytoday.com/blog/rationally-speaking/200904/when-republicans-don-t-know-squat-about-science-and-proud-it

[vixengrl]

1. It's breathtaking--and sad, because I don't know if most Americans

are themselves educated enough about science to realize that their representatives are, to put it mildly--morons. I need only mention that Michele Bachman tried to say that elevated levels of CO2 were just fine since it wasw a naturally occurring gas (as opposed to supernatural?) and I just wanted to take her by the shoulders and explain, "Honey, water is natural, too, but you could drown in it." Every thing in moderation, as it were.

When Shimkus tried to call CO2 "plant food," and iterated over and over that man wouldn't die by a flood, I think I felt a little fear--we have fools in high places. The right has tried to make their obstinate stance against science into a religious virtue, and I think it harms all of us.

[Triana]

2. "fools in high places"

Yep. We has 'em. With Faux Snooze helping to "catapult" the ignorance, a whole lotta people will remain - well, ignorant.

[DCKit]

3. If Bohner were a character on a sitcom, it would be easy enough to laugh...

but the emotions I feel when he's spewing his insane RRW talking points are fear (his position and agenda), disgust (not only a member of the human race, but U.S. educated), sadness (willful ignorance is such a waste) and anger (they lost, but won't go away).

Take away his Homer Simpson/Oompah Loompah tan, and he'd be truly pathetic.

[Triana]

5. Hahahaaaa!!

"Homer Simpson/Oompah Loompah tan" :rofl:

Well, YOU made ME laugh.

But yea, "Boner" illicits the same feelings in me as well, along with the other wingnut ignoramuses "up there" and on the airwaves. How damn DUMB can you GET? (don't answer that - I'm sure THEY will).

:scared:

[Canuckistanian]

4. What I find astounding

Is that a supposedly college-educated person with a research staff can stand up in Congress and say the most ASININE things - and sit down.

Then NOTHING is said about it again.

There are no front page news stories. There are no rebuttals or clarifications from political opponents on camera or on the floor. The big pundits don't even think it worth mentioning.

And unless you're a follower of political blogs or message boards like this, you'd never know about it.

[Triana]

6. He's not a Democrat...

..if he WERE, then there would be research, rebuttals, front page news stories, laughter, etc. about how idiotic his claims are.

But...

We KNOW who owns the media - corporats. And Republicans favor corprats and vice-versa. They have the lame$tream corprat-pwned media to "catapult the ignorance" for them. They don't DO that for Democrats. I'm convinced the lame$tream media are FULLY AWARE of the level of ignorance they're flinging at people like monkey-poo (or simply allowing to stand un-accounted for). But they want to keep their gov't loyalties, gov't favors, and PROFITS and that's all that matters to them. So they do it.

Until something is done about the media...

[MajorChode]

9. Here is why

In many areas of the US that are highly Republican, STUPID is a virtue. This is no shit. Stupidity is actually a highly respected attribute. Education and intelligence are not to be trusted. As such Republicans EXPECT their politicians to stay stupid things, and rarely do they disappoint. If one of them ever actually does say something remotely intelligent (such as Limbaugh is an idiot), generally they have to apologize for it later.

So you see, stupidity is to be expected from Republicans and is no longer newsworthy.

[rucky]

16. I live in Boehner's district and know what you speak of.

The basic premise is that if you work Jesus into the conversation somehow, you can pretty much say anything you want.

[MajorChode]

23. Absolutely

There is no position on which people are so immovable as their religious beliefs. There is no more powerful ally one can claim in a debate than Jesus Christ, or God, or Allah, or whatever one calls this supreme being. But like any powerful weapon, the use of God's name on one's behalf should be used sparingly. The religious factions that are growing throughout our land are not using their religious clout with wisdom. They are trying to force government leaders into following their position 100 percent. If you disagree with these religious groups on a particular moral issue, they complain, they threaten you with a loss of money or votes or both. I'm frankly sick and tired of the political preachers across this country telling me as a citizen that if I want to be a moral person, I must believe in 'A,' 'B,' 'C,' and 'D.' Just who do they think they are? And from where do they presume to claim the right to dictate their moral beliefs to me? And I am even more angry as a legislator who must endure the threats of every religious group who thinks it has some God-granted right to control my vote on every roll call in the Senate. I am warning them today: I will fight them every step of the way if they try to dictate their moral convictions to all Americans in the name of 'conservatism.

--Barry Goldwater, 1981

[ConsAreLiars]

7. And when the operatives who work for the Corporatist overlords say nothing and give this shit a pass

as did Judas Stephanopolos, then you know "Democracy" has been reduced a mere advertising slogan and meaningless buzzword. The fact that these idiots can get on the TV machine and spout complete nonsense and never get told to their face that they are lying morons whose stupidity is matched only by their lack of integrity, well, that is even more damning.

[ljm2002]

8. I feel compelled to point out...

...yet again, they are not ignorant. They do this shit on purpose. They purposefully muddy the waters of our political discourse, because it benefits them and their uber rich cronies in the short term. They could never win politically if an honest debate were held -- therefore, they make sure it is not really possible to have one. Making outrageous and false statements, creating straw men, acting ignorant -- it is all part of the political strategy of throwing sand in all of our eyes. It is what they do, and they know what they are doing. Once you see that clearly, it becomes much less amusing. No they are not that stupid -- they are evil lying stooges.

[reggie the dog]

14. I can't agree more.

[Triana]

19. yep...

...that's all the more reason someone ought to call them on it. But who?

The lame$tream media is part of the same game:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=5542077&mesg_id=5542204

[opihimoimoi]

10. He is either a CRONY or a PETER...of the incompetent kind

[Grinchie]

11. Blame Religion

The teaching of Religion has a way of making people enemies of scientific thought, namely because if conflicts with their beliefs. Secondly, if you were to bring up the thousands of conundrums in the Bible when yo are a kid, the teacher will most likely shame you into thinking such blasphemy, and threaten you with eternal damnation.

After years of this abuse, the factories churn out perfect little conformists that believe everything they are told, and compulsively obey they leader of the moemnt.

This isn't just applicable to Republicans, as Scientists and Liberals can be stuck in dogmatic realms just as easily, but the Republican brainwashing techniques are much for effective in lobotomizing people till they are non-human automatons.

[bulloney]

13. Religion is used by many to explain the inexplicable.

But, as science and technology advance, enabling us to explain what was once inexplicable, some people still hold on to their old beliefs and refuse to acknowledge that some things happen because of a logical reason and not purely some "miracle" performed by a higher being.

Examples: There was a time when solar eclipses induced panic and thoughts that God is mad at us. So, we sacrifice a calf, throw a virgin in volcano or something.

Galileo was persecuted by the Catholic Church for preching Copernicus' finding that the Earth revolved around the sun. The Vatican wanted us to believe it was the other way around. But science proved the church wrong.

A couple of years ago, Bill Nye told a Texas audience that the moon did not generate light, but reflected it from the sun. Some angry attendants left and stated it was some act of God that caused the moon to light up.

Some people's brains aren't wired to adapt to change.

[Fumesucker]

12. This is an indictment of the public as much as it is the politicians..

If the public wasn't bone deep ignorant the politicians wouldn't be able to get away with this kind of crap.

And the media as well, frankly the reason this stuff isn't caught by the media is because very few in the media have a clue either.

We are being led by ignoramuses and most of us are too fucking ignorant to realize the fact.

A recipe for disaster in world in which technology is becoming ever more important to civilization.

[Wednesdays]

15. The media isn't merely clueless...

See post #6.

[Jim__]

17. This stuff isn't funny anymore.

The financial collapse, the tragic Iraq War, torture. All these caused by blundering fools. Blundering fools that are running this country.

And boehner probably scored points with his constituents by throwing out the line about cow farts. "Ha ha, cow farts. He sure put them democrats in their place."

[Fumesucker]

18. Like any other politician, Boehner's constituents vary..

Some I'm sure were amused at his bullshit, others I'm sure were upset.

[originalpckelly]

20. There are a lot of people who don't know squat about science my dear.

:rofl:

You may bee one of them.

[peekaloo]

21. Inherit the Wind-bags nt.

[hvn_nbr_2]

22. CO2, H2O, H2SO4, heck, they all look alike to me.

Just a bunch of fucking letters and numbers on some fucking piece of paper. Have we fucked things up enough to force Jesus to have the Rapture yet?