Category Archives: Media Criticism

Media Criticism, Philosophy, Political Commentary, Social Commentary, Space

Our Insignificance

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Ruminations from Lileks:

Is there a word for people who hate misanthropists? I was driving back from the grocery store, caught some of the stand-up channels (they rarely make me laugh, but it’s interesting sociology at the least) and some BBC, which had a science show. Great! I love science shows. The female presenter – whom I’m sure was named Fiona; sounded like a Fiona – was talking to one of those guys who can explain Science in a cheerful hip upbeat tone, and he was talking about dark matter and dark energy. He made a crack about how you should tell your friends they’re even more insignificant than they may have thought they were – haw! ‘Cause humans occupy this tiny speck and therefore are insignificant. That doesn’t follow. But it’s standard; I see it all the time in infographics about galactic immensity, how we should all realize we’re insignificant in the greater scheme. Unless, of course, we’re the only planet with life, which would make us quite significant, but I don’t believe that. Anyway it’s like saying a dog is insignificant because Mt. Everest exists.

Then he talked about how 99% of the universe is dark energy and dark matter, and those of us on the shiny bits are just “light pollution.”

“Oh, light pollution,” cooed the host. “I love that.”

Of course you do: it’s the mark of a fine mind to regard us as some sort of blight, a zit on the face of the cosmos. In the aggregate, of course; I’m sure her and her friends are quite brilliant and smashing and loads of fun to be with, but in general, we really are nothing, worse than nothing, pollution, because we’re bad. It’s the modern form of smug: self-hatred of one’s own species, a reveling in its insignificance when compared to Betelgeuse.

As I said: if we’re alone, then we have invested the universe with something utterly unique simply by observing it. Add to that the fact that we grew from grunting trogs in caves to creatures who sent out machines to interrogate the world, AND invented music – indeed, invented beauty. If we’re not alone, then we are hardly insignificant, either, unless you want to say that Rome was insignificant because no one in Peru had heard of it.

They’re also the sort of people who probably think we shouldn’t go out and spread the cancer to the rest of the universe.

Media Criticism, Political Commentary

No Longer Feeling Sorry

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…for Dick Lugar. Yes, it’s far beyond that point:

Lugar still refuses to say he will support Mourdock, still seeks to have non-Republicans decide the Republican primary, and feeds the left-wing narrative that the Tea Party just shouts.

Lugar is insulting and arrogant.

Yes, one gets that way after decades in Washington. Next up (I hope): Orrin “I want to punch libertarians in the mouth” Hatch. The feeling is mutual at this point.

[Update Monday morning]

“It’s not bipartisanship that we need, it is principle.”

Business, Economics, Education, Media Criticism, Political Commentary

Risk-Based Student Loans

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An idea whose time should come. But it will be fought tooth and nail by the academic-industrial complex, to protect their phony baloney jobs.

[Update a couple minutes later]

If you’re “investing” in college, think like an investor. Unfortunately, one of the many things that kids aren’t learning in public schools is how to do that.

[Update a few minutes later]

What comes after the bubble pops?

Humor, Media Criticism, Political Commentary

Composite Americans

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The latest from Mark Steyn:

Last week, in an election campaign ad, Barack revealed his latest composite girlfriend — “Julia.” She’s worse than the old New York girlfriend. She can’t even be herself. In fact, she can’t be anything without massive assistance from Barack every step of the way, from his “Head Start” program at the age of three through to his Social Security benefits at the age of 67. Everything good in her life she owes to him. When she writes her memoir, it will be thanks to a subvention from the Federal Publishing Assistance Program for Chronically Dependent Women but you’ll love it: Sweet Dreams from My Sugar Daddy. She’s what the lawyers would call “non composite mentis.” She’s not competent to do a single thing for herself — and, from Barack’s point of view, that’s exactly what he’s looking for in a woman, if only for a one-night stand on a Tuesday in early November.

There’s a lot more.

Media Criticism, Political Commentary, Science And Society

Striking A Nerve

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Well, this certainly has gotten Think Progress’s panties in a twist. They’re squealing like a stuck pig. This, from the sort of folks who think that “deniers” should be executed or shipped off to reeducation camps. That said, I’m not sure how effective such a campaign will be.

[Afternoon update]

As I said, I’m not sure that that this is a useful tactic, regardless of how badly the Warm Mongers behave. But as a commenter notes, it is the hit dog that yelps. Phil Plait isn’t happy, either.

Here’s the thing, though. There really are a lot of people in the AGW movement who think exactly like Ted Kaczynski, even if they’re not quite as pro-active in acting on their beliefs, including a former vice president of the United States. It is one thing to be concerned about the apparent results of some doing research in climatology, and wanting to have a reasoned discussion about its potential implications for policy. It is another to seize on them as an excuse to impose a political agenda on people that you’ve been wanting to do anyway, out of the hatred of humanity (Bob Zubrin just came out with an excellent book on that topic). And there are far too many of the latter associated with the climate-change community. Perhaps if that community did a better job of policing and denouncing its own ranks, there would be less pushback like this, and it wouldn’t hit such a nerve.

For instance, I’ll be curious to see what Judith Curry has to say about all this.