KRUGMAN: GOP's "Intellectual Evolution (DEVOLUTION) Has Reached A Point Of NO Return"

[kpete]

Points of No Return
MAY 15, 2014
Paul Krugman

............Senator Marco Rubio of Florida — much of whose state is now fated to sink beneath the waves — weighed in on climate change. Some readers may recall that in 2012 Mr. Rubio, asked how old he believed the earth to be, replied “I’m not a scientist, man.” This time, however, he confidently declared the overwhelming scientific consensus on climate change false, although in a later interview he was unable to cite any sources for his skepticism.

So why would the senator make such a statement? The answer is that like that ice sheet, his party’s intellectual evolution (or maybe more accurately, its devolution) has reached a point of no return, in which allegiance to false doctrines has become a crucial badge of identity.

...................................

..............Once upon a time it was possible to take climate change seriously while remaining a Republican in good standing. Today, listening to climate scientists gets you excommunicated — hence Mr. Rubio’s statement, which was effectively a partisan pledge of allegiance.

And truly crazy positions are becoming the norm. A decade ago, only the G.O.P.’s extremist fringe asserted that global warming was a hoax concocted by a vast global conspiracy of scientists (although even then that fringe included some powerful politicians). Today, such conspiracy theorizing is mainstream within the party, and rapidly becoming mandatory; witch hunts against scientists reporting evidence of warming have become standard operating procedure, and skepticism about climate science is turning into hostility toward science in general.

It’s hard to see what could reverse this growing hostility to inconvenient science. As I said, the process of intellectual devolution seems to have reached a point of no return. And that scares me more than the news about that ice sheet.


the rest:
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/16/opinion/krugman-points-of-no-return.html?ref=opinion&_r=1

[BootinUp]

1. Years in the future Krugman will be regarded as almost prophetic. nt

[ProfessorGAC]

2. Maybe, But Not On This Topic

He's not prophetic here. He's reporting on current facts. He's also not claiming to have had a revelation. He is fully aware he's stating the obvious, and just commenting on it.

I love PK, so don't get me wrong. I just don't think he's being a prophet here.

[Fumesucker]

4. Just stating the obvious makes you prophetic in America today

Since so damn few in the M$M will come anywhere near stating the obvious.

[ProfessorGAC]

7. Fair Enough!

Your point is well taken.

[ladjf]

8. He isn't predicting the weather, he's predicting the stupid responses.

nt

[mindwalker_i]

3. Senator Marco Rubio of Florida

is standing on America's dick, and it's drowning. That is metaphorically beautiful!

After half a week of Discussionist, I have seen some good posts by conservatives that show a willingness not to tow the party line on some issues. However, those leading the party are crazy, in terms of their economics and science, and those conservatives who don't completely follow the craziness nevertheless don't speak up and stop it.

[libodem]

5. .

. [img][/img]

[reformist2]

6. Also known as a "death spiral" - their attraction to stupidity is now in black hole territory.

[BumRushDaShow]

9. Illustration