RightWing Roundup #2: Cranks, Cake, Equality, and Suckers

1. When You Can't Get Published in Real Scientific Journals, Just Start Your Own!

Evolution denialist group "Answers in Genesis" recently produced the first issue of its, ahem, "professional, peer-reviewed technical journal." (Those fine fellows over at denialism blog, per usual, do a brilliant job deconstructing it). This journal is basically a ginormous clusterfuck of the stupid. For instance, a recent issue "proves" unprovable things like how the role of microbes in "death and disease is a result of the Fall and the Curse on all living things."

Any "scientists" out there? Submit your papers now! Funny, though, that many (most?) contributors hail from fundamentalist Christian schools. Not all contributors do though! One article explains that its authors "hold PhDs in fields related to the topics of their abstracts, are scientists at prominent research facilities in the eastern part of North America [who] prefer to keep their creationist credentials hidden for the moment until they achieve more seniority."

That pesky Leftist/Marxist/Communist/Liberal Intelligentsia Conspiracy in Academia (tm), you know, is way too concerned about minor details like... verifiability and statements of fact. It's a conspiracy I tell ya, a conspiracy!

This latest balls-out display of incompetence shows that the Arrogance of Ignorance knows no limits. Those of us who are interested in finding truth (as opposed to those who already "know" it), quickly learn that the more we learn about something the more we realize that we still have much to learn. Those, on the other hand, who already "know" everything and therefore no longer need to be inquisitive, arrogantly try to redefine science by creating their own "scientific" think tanks and journals.

The million-dollar question is this: Since Answers in Genesis already knows and tells us all the answers, what purpose does this "academic" journal really serve?

Propaganda much?


2. Not At All Like Chocolate Cake

And the Fuckwad of the Year Award goes to Nick Eriksen, an official in the British National Party, for saying this on his personal blog:

"I've never understood why so many men have allowed themselves to be brainwashed by the feminazi myth machine into believing that rape is such a serious crime... Rape is simply sex. Women enjoy sex, so rape cannot be such a terrible physical ordeal. To suggest that rape, when conducted without violence, is a serious crime is like suggesting force-feeding a woman chocolate cake is a heinous offence. A woman would be more inconvenienced by having her handbag snatched."

Apparently, Mr. Eriksen also advocates for domestic violence and traditional gender roles.

Aren't traditional values fun?

But seriously. Chocolate cake: good. Rape: bad. "Feminazis": good. Belligerent rape apologists: bad.

Period. If Mr. Eriksen doesn't believe me, he should spend a few months in prison and report back on the difference between "sex" and rape.


3. Political Irony

We recently observed the 40th anniversary of Martin Luther King's assassination. Conservative politicians everywhere capitalized on remembered the solemn date, which of course, is ironic considering the general conservative position on civil rights issues and racial equality.

Republican Presidential candidate John McCain took the opportunity to give a speech at the Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, where Martin Luther King Jr. was shot.

Don't be fooled by McCain's sorry history on civil rights (he voted against making MLK day a national holiday, voted against the Civil Rights Act of 1990 four times, opposes affirmative action, and voted against addressing the disproportionate number of minority children in prison), John McCain is all about the racial equality.


4. Which Party is the Party of "Elites" Again?

In boring Illinois news, state Republicans recently killed a big state tax hike on the wealthy. The tax increase would have gone towards roads, schools, and tax cuts for the bottom 98% of the population.

Hmmm. Infrastructure: good. Schools: good. Tax cuts on the great majority of people: good. Tax increases on those who are already rich: Not bad.

I suppose this is more evidence that there are two kinds of Republicans: Rich people and suckers. Dear bottom 98% of Republicans, how's that working out for ya?


And that wraps up this edition of RightWing Roundup. Fun times.