Comments on: Draw on the attack on science

By: Mungascr

Mungascr — Mon, 19 Jun 2006 04:55:57 +0000

I second the URGHHH concerning John Howard – in my view the worst PM Australia has ever had. Who not-so-co-incidentally has been sycophantically trotting after the worst President you Americans have ever had.

Politics – national and global – at present is just so depressing and infuriating it beggers belief.

Its a bad sign when our not-so-beloved treasurer, Costello and several other ruling party mebers attend the cult-like Hillsong group which refuses to accept evolution.

Sadly “creationism”, “ID” & increasing extreme fundamentalist Christian involvement in politics at the expense of science and culture seems a fast spreading pox on all our nations.

The US has been at the center of this outbreak and is infecting many other nations. I too am frustrated that us non-Americans (ie. 95 % the planet) are so often excluded from having any say. If America wants to lead the world, if it wants “full spectrum dominance”, if it wants to impose its will on everywhere else then is it so much to ask for that the USA actually listens to others occassionally or even just act halfway sane?

If America wants to rule the world – and it believes in democracy – maybe it should let everyone vote in US elections and have a say in determinig its policies.

If not, is it too much to expect it to leave other nations & cultures alone and stop acting like a global tyrant and hypocritical thug?

Sorry about the rant but ..Sheesh! Doesn’t that make sense?

By: icemith

icemith — Wed, 07 Jun 2006 13:42:51 +0000

Thanks Mark, (23472) for the clue. I didn’t want to deprive others of the thought that it was their fearless leader, but I guess we won this particular lottery. (?). I could tell you that he grew up in my suburb, but I won’t as that may be telling.

UURGGGHHHH. (shiver; look dispassionately at floor…) “Don’t blame me, I didn’t vote for him”.

Ivan.

By: TheBlackCat

TheBlackCat — Tue, 06 Jun 2006 16:48:35 +0000

Muddying the waters is an extremely effective tactic because the vast majority of people in the country do not have the scientific knowledge, training, and background, not to mention access to relevant source material, to make an informed decision on the issue. They cannot tell when they are being purposefully misled or lied to on an issue. And by painting the scientific community in a negative light they can make it seem like any vocal opposition is merely a result of bias on the part of the scientists. You can find someone who you can pass off as a scientist to support any position, and if they pander to people’s opinions and present an over-simplified view of a complex problem, ignoring the scientific consensus on the issue and presenting often overwhelming consensus on an issue as non-existant, they can very easily make people believe something that simply is not true.

By: Zart

Zart — Tue, 06 Jun 2006 11:38:43 +0000

What concerns me is not so much the state of science or anything, but how the debate has progressed. The deliberate muddying of the waters and all that.

A democratic nation should be able to resolve these conflicts easily. No group should feel the need to obfuscate the issue on the conceptual level. I mean, how do you ever progress from that starting point?

By: Mark Hansen

Mark Hansen — Tue, 06 Jun 2006 10:52:23 +0000

Sorry about that. It was a rough rendition of what George Bush said about John Howard. He didn’t use the term butt ugly but he did say that you could take his word to the bank. Which means he’s as honest as every other politician.

By: icemith

icemith — Tue, 06 Jun 2006 08:57:40 +0000

Mark, care to give us another clue, ‘butt ugly’ is commonplace.

Ivan.

By: Mark Hansen

Mark Hansen — Tue, 06 Jun 2006 04:56:27 +0000

Quite right Mickal. Our current P.M. (You know the one: Butt ugly but you can take his word to the bank) seems to like aping Pres. Bush so much that it’s only a matter of time before he adopts some of his even less desirable views. If people from everywhere in the world can help arrest the attacks on science, then it can only be good for the world.

By: Mickal555

Mickal555 — Mon, 05 Jun 2006 13:41:29 +0000

I’m concerned about science in the US, the bad stuff may start there but it’ll leak…

By: Nigel Depledge

Nigel Depledge — Mon, 05 Jun 2006 06:29:31 +0000

Hmmm … seems that they’re inviting entries from within the US only.

That must mean the rest of us needn’t care about science in the US, right?

By: Kaptain K

Kaptain K — Mon, 05 Jun 2006 02:10:39 +0000

I am such a bad artist, I can’t even draw a crooked line!

By: Cindy

Cindy — Mon, 05 Jun 2006 00:57:08 +0000

Unfortunately I can’t draw as my students can vouch for me.