God and Darwin (WP Editorial)

[GOPFighter]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A31521-2005Jan23.html

WITH THEIR SLICK Web sites, pseudo-academic conferences and savvy public relations, the proponents of "intelligent design" -- a "theory" that challenges the validity of Darwinian evolution -- are far more sophisticated than the creationists of yore...

Perhaps partly as a result, a startling 55 percent of Americans -- and 67 percent of those who voted for President Bush -- do not, according to a recent CBS poll, believe in evolution at all...

In states as diverse as Wisconsin, South Carolina, Kansas, Montana, Arkansas and Mississippi, school boards are arguing over whether to include "intelligent design" in their curriculums...

To teach intelligent design as science in public schools is a clear violation of the principle of separation of church and state....It also violates principles of common sense. In fact, the breadth and extent of the anti-evolutionary movement that has spread almost unnoticed across the country should force American politicians to think twice about how their public expressions of religious belief are beginning to affect education and science.

A nice blast at the religious nuts who are trying to replace science books with the bible. I'm glad the Post sees this as the threat that it is. I suggest forwarding it to any of your political representatives who suck up to the Fundies.

[lazarus]

1. Not very good journalism, though

"In states as diverse as Wisconsin, South Carolina, Kansas, Montana, Arkansas and Mississippi..."

Wisconsin: Went to Kerry by 111,000 votes, only 1%
South Carolina: Bush, 58%
Kansas: Bush, 67%
Montana: Bush, 59%
Arkansas: Bush, 54%
Mississippi: Bush, 60%

Yeah, a really diverse set of states there.

[fshrink]

2. I have never heard the word "intelligence" more

than since we have an idiot screaming in our ears. By the way, this is a very simple propaganda tactics: repeat the word you want associated with you as often as possible, logically or not, in context or not, it does not matter.

[immoderate]

3. fshrink, you reminded me...

I have explained to people several times in the past what the effect was of the administration mentioning the 911 attack, and following it with the name of Saddam Hussein, and repeating.

You know, of course, first you ring the bell, then you show the meat...

If it wasn't so fucking evil, I would commend them for replicating a classic psych experiment.

--IMM

[fshrink]

4. Yep. I think there is a social psych. concept

for that but can't remember excatly. It's a little more than basic stimulus/response thing. But barely. One thing is certain though, we do have social psychologists on staff around the idiot.

[immoderate]

5. "Pairing of stimuli"...

was the phrase that rattled around in my head when I saw the speeches that didn't necessarily implicate Saddam in 911, but mentioned them together. The result as heard in such as C-Span calls sure sounded like "reflex."

--IMM