Let's see how long this takes to die in GDP

[Pale Blue Dot]

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.ph...

It's about science debate 2008. Both Clinton and Obama refused the science debate right before accepting a debate on "faith and values".

www.sciencedebate2008.com

[TZ]

1. well between my comment

and all those damn dupes! I just kicked the hell outa your thread

[Pale Blue Dot]

2. LOL! That was great!

Don't ever let anyone say you're not a passionate person!

[salvorhardin]

3. I was stunned

I fully expected the science debate to go nowhere but applauded the idea. It's high time we got science and technology back into the forefront of the national conversation. I really did not expect the candidates to snub their noses at the idea in favor of religion.

[salvorhardin]

4. I was equally stunned

I was equally stunned at the number of posts in that thread that didn't think a debate on science was worthwhile or didn't understand the need for this debate to occur. Very sad.

[Pale Blue Dot]

5. Yep. nt

[realisticphish]

6. SCIENCE?

why should we talk about SCIENCE?

We should talk about the same inane bullshit that have been the issues for the past 20 years, even though no politician has done anything, and none ever will, out of fear of going against the status quo

[regularguy]

10. How can you even think of science at a time like this

When GAY people are getting MARRIED!!!


Black Bush agrees:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WqBjbM1f9ZQ (check out around 5:00)

[realisticphish]

11. i remember seeing that

when it first came out. One of his greatest sketches, imho

[PVnRT]

8. We want pandering, dammit!

[JI7]

7. it seems like there was more focus on science in the 50s and 60s

and less on religion at the time than now. at least in the national political arena.

[salvorhardin]

9. There was definitely more focus on science

Because the press capitalized on anti-communist sentiments in reporting of the space race (I'm not sure if it was members of the government or the press that created the term "space race") the government was able to enact and heavily fund sweeping programs related to science, science education and space flight. The most notable of which were the manned space flight and NSF education initiatives. Also, one can't dismiss the fact, I think, that Americans strongly believed they had won the war and were enjoying unparalleled leisure and well-paying jobs largely as the result of American technological superiority.

However at the same time it was the era of McCarthyism and resurgent anti-intellectualism. Remember, this is the time that "under god" was added to the pledge. A "best of times, worst of times" situation. In fact, Hofstadter penned Anti-Intellectualism In American Life largely as a result of his reaction to the anti-intellectualism of the new left at the time.

[realisticphish]

12. well

back then, science meant RADER and LASERS and SPACE.

Now, science means "boring" stuff like evolution and biochemistry.

Not to mention that sputnik was a major shot of adrenaline. Maybe if china gets into space we'll finally generate public interest for science

[TZ]

13. Thats physics though

The stuff that goes on now on a daily basis in biology is astonishing if you ask me..yet it either gets totally ignored or woos on both sides of the aisle start screeching about it being unnatural and immoral..*sigh* . I really thought the human genome project would get more people interested in genetics..I was wrong...

[realisticphish]

14. oh, believe me

I think they're fascinating. They just aren't all shiny like 1950's tech

[JI7]

15. yeah, that is true, it was more about beating the evil commies

and didn't really challenge their concept of God the way life sciencecs do.

[realisticphish]

16. to make it better

the commies were godless!

a twofer