Grab Bag of Bad Ideas...

Normally here at jaskasterisk.com I try to provide mostly vertical analysis, delving deep enough into one topic to come to some kind of (hopefully) useful conclusion. But this weekend I'm moving from my old computer to my new one and there are some links I've been sitting on which I'm going to pass on without much in the way of additional comment.

(1) The Rise of Rebublican Nihilism is a long but worthwhile piece about why the right wing seems so out of step in understanding modern issues and incapable of offering solutions. Author Jonathan Chait argues that the intellectual core of the conservative movement has its back against a wall -- their policy proposals cannot solve today's problems, yet they cannot retreat from their commitment to conservative ideology. I would only add that perhaps they've succeeded too well. After 30 years of gutting the tax and regulatory code in the name of righteousness, it's reached the point where doing more of the same makes things obviously worse.

(2) Many pundits hyperventilated that Obama made some kind of gaffe, or broke with precedent, or violated something about separation of powers by criticizing the Supreme Court in his state of the Union (yeah, I know, I said these were old links). They need to read this quote from FDR. Pretty strong stuff there, Frankie.

(3) This kos analysis of the poll it commissioned on Republican beliefs kind of book-ends (1) above. The conservative media have done such a great job convincing their base to believe anything that supports their ideology that now they have nowhere else to go.

(4) Adam Savage of Mythbusters fame is an atheist. I've heard him a couple of times in person and he's an engaging public speaker.

(5) The site 538 shows, as it often does, the power of empirical data -- in this case its power to refute conservative tropes. Republicans always argue that not only do Americans pay too much in taxes, but also that the rich have a disproportionate tax burden. The data says no. Not only do we have the least redistributive tax code of all first-world nations, our government is quite cheap as well. Don't expect facts to change any Republican minds, however. See (1) and (3).

(6) Finally, Dan Dennet helped to create a real interesting (but long) study on non-believing clergy. Many liberal pastors don't really accept the basic tenants of Christianity but stay in the church because they have no other form of income. They tell themselves they want to further liberalize the church from within, but end up living a lie. Tragic, really.

- jack*