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xchrom

(108,903 posts)
Fri Jun 20, 2014, 04:39 AM Jun 2014

Have Conservatives Abandoned Rationality, Skepticism and Truth?

http://www.alternet.org/belief/have-conservatives-abandoned-rationality-skepticism-and-truth


Photo Credit: Answers in Genesis (L); Larry King (R); Composite Screenshot / YouTube.com

For consumer advocates and other skeptically minded folks who promote reason and evidence over wishful thinking, watching Sen. Claire McCaskill rip into Dr. Mehmet Oz—a surgeon who teaches at Columbia University who made his fame as the host of “The Dr. Oz Show”—was a thing of beauty. Despite his seemingly impeccable medical resume, Oz has long been a target for consumer advocates who criticize his endless willingness to shill for any “miracle” herbal remedy or supplement he promises will help melt the pounds off fast, while in reality, doing no such thing. (Responsible doctors continue to point out that only diet and exercise can help you lose weight.) Watching McCaskill drag Oz in front of C-SPAN cameras and make him squirm while she accused him of profiting off misleading people felt like a big win for the side of consumer protection.

But it was more than that: It was yet another high-profile case that strengthened the growing sense that science, skepticism, and reason are increasingly becoming a major part of the "liberal agenda." If you doubt it, try to imagine a Republican in McCaskill’s shoes bothering to confront anyone, much less someone who is getting rich off lying, about flying in the face of “scientific consensus.” Even though there was no discernible Republican pushback against the Oz attack, the idea that Republicans could be bothered to care much is also hard to fathom. McCaskill clearly felt confident pushing this agenda in no small part because being on the side of empirical evidence and rationality has become a huge part of the liberal/Democratic brand.

The possibility that rationality itself has become a partisan issue is disquieting to many who prefer to believe that “both sides” have topics that they are irrational about and irrationality is evenly distributed among all political stripes. That may have been true in the past, but increasingly, Americans are rearranging their political views and their views on empiricism so that liberals are putting much more of an emphasis on rationality. Indeed, many of the irrational notions floating out there that are assumed to be “liberal” are, in fact, becoming more associated with the right as this reshuffling takes place.

Take, for instance, the idea that vaccinations are dangerous or linked to autism. This is one of those views that tends to be held out as evidence that liberals are just as nutty and irrational as conservatives. Recently, "The Daily Show" held out anti-vaccination sentiment as the “liberal” version of anti-science movements on the right, such as climate change denialism. It was a funny segment and it’s important, of course, to call out misinformation campaigns regardless of the political affiliation of the people running them.
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Have Conservatives Abandoned Rationality, Skepticism and Truth? (Original Post) xchrom Jun 2014 OP
Yes as to Conservatives. BlueMTexpat Jun 2014 #1
This a trick question? Katashi_itto Jun 2014 #2
Not a recent development jollyreaper2112 Jun 2014 #3
Yes. Next? hatrack Jun 2014 #4

BlueMTexpat

(15,348 posts)
1. Yes as to Conservatives.
Fri Jun 20, 2014, 05:08 AM
Jun 2014

But this recurring meme of anti-vaxxers as "liberals" really surprises me and, while I am glad that Jon discussed it in a segment, I feel that the slur continues.

Anti-vaxxers are perhaps libertarian, but definitely NOT liberals, no matter whether they describe themselves, or whether the media describe them, as such.

Liberals, at least those I know and have known throughout my long life, are interested in the common good. Anti-vaxxers seem to be purely selfish.

If an individual is one among the tiny minority for which vaccines may be contra-indicated, that is one thing and exceptions (and precautions) should apply. Otherwise, everyone should receive vaccinations or it is bad for the common good.

The overwhelming majority of anti-vaxxers seem to be against all vaccinations. Period. So I fail to understand how they can be or be characterized as "liberals." We should ALL call them out on this and not allow the slur to stand.

jollyreaper2112

(1,941 posts)
3. Not a recent development
Fri Jun 20, 2014, 06:37 AM
Jun 2014

Conservatives abandoned reason from the very start.

Conservatives already have their answers and are only looking for the right facts to justify them. If they have to mangle the truth until it no longer resembles itself, so be it.

There are a few liberals on the extreme who use a similar approach but we are talking about just a few vs the entirety of a party. The loony left is vanishingly small whereas the radical right is pretty much the entire party. There are also third way dems but they are just corporate republicans in disguise.

Republicans are always on the wrong side of everything because they are paid handsomely by rich minorities who want to preserve policies that benefit themselves to the detriment of the majority. So axiomatically this is going to put them on the wrong side of history concerning just about everything.

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