Scientific American, Of All Magazines, Weighs In On Donald Trump
It’s hardly news that Americans show a profound lack of interest in and respect for science, and that this is worrisome to everyone who understands the depths to which this has the capacity to take us. Exactly how this phenomenon occurred I can only speculate. Some say it happened in the Reagan era of the early 1980s when the GOP and the extreme right wing evangelicals became buddies; again, I don’t know.
What I do know, however, is that a decidedly UNpolitical magazine has found itself forced to comment on the US presidential election—and, IMO, it’s a classic. The title: Donald Trump’s Lack of Respect for Science Is Alarming — The U.S. presidential election shows how far the political conversation has degenerated from the nation’s founding principles of truth and evidence.
Now I guess I’ve seen it all.
President Reagan was a science denier so I think that downgrading science either began with him or he accelerated it.
Reagan’s performance as president was mixed. Much of the blame for the Great Recession must be blamed on him since he was responsible for scrapping banking regulations which had helped to stabilize the economy. The Savings and Loan crisis was largely his fault and cost the country many billions of dollars as the S & Ls were bailed out. In fact, his economic policies caused very serious problems. However, it would not be fair to blame him 100% since presidents immediately preceding him also contributed to the problems.
On the other hand, his foreign policy and relationships with international leaders greatly contributed to the collapse of the Soviet Union.
Somehow we have to get people to understand what science is and how it operates.
Reagan was responsible for scrapping banking regulations The Savings and Loan crisis was his fault. He got elected with large amounts of campaign money from Charles Keating, a savings and loan president who went to jail… He stopped all the solar an energy efficiency incentives, and took the solar panels off the White House. 99% of the solar, wind and energy efficiency companies went out of business. The Dutch bought our bankrupt wind company, that had millions of dollars of working tax funded technology, and now they make and sell us the wind mills. The germans and others doubled their energy efficiency and solar efforts and we buy their products.
A billionaire, from China who makes solar panels, bought the solar panels Reagan took off the White House, and put them in his solar museum, and laughs at us with the Chinese government, while they corner the market by planning ahead, and breaking trade laws………………………………
It was just in the news that a Chinese company gave Republicans millions of dollars of campaign money, and bought Jeb Bush’s home for 1.68 million dollars. They said it was bribes to get the Republicans to pass policy that the Chinese want.
A Frank
Agree with your Posts and value you greatly for Un veiling the Myths of the false Icon so many GOP and other people still cling to this day.
As a late dear friend a Graudate of Georgetown MBA in Economics Cum Laude shared with me during a cold Albq snowstorm in 1992 , he said Reagan did lasting damage to our Nation both culturally and economically. He was a grade B movie actor who was hand picked by the corporations and the Men in the Shadows and he was going to be the Great White Hope candidate to lull the middle into a deep sleep and foster divison and mistrust , which he did. It lingers to this day.
There are countless books on the subject. Like 19 or so and they de bunk his flawed record completely. Some reckless undermining of the Commons, deregulation bs, false patriotic wars, support for murders in the South America and dealing arms and treason with Iran.
He showed if you have power and position you are above the law. Perhaps hilly learned from him LOL LOL
He dismissed science and clean energy and said if one saw one Redwood Tree you had seen enough.
He created loss of trust in the good things the federal Government has done and it still trys to do but it is handicapped by all the interference and hallowing out of good government by the reagan like dead enders out there.
It is very hard for me and my Circles to listen to the pundits and the GOP stooges who pontificate on tv to this day. They lay some sort of claim to Reagan before they talk , thinking that this will make them legitimate and they try still to leverage the empty bankrupted and exposed record of one sell out of a human being.
In the last 3 years at Town Hall meetings with congressmen democrats many people go up to the micro phone to speak and they ask or request of their congressmen when will more Dem leaders state that Reaganomics Failed and lets let it Go. each time the crowd all pent up cheers in approval.
Yes I may sound harsh but I take to heart what you said as you touched on the Tips of the Iceberg Frank. Good On You !
Back to the topic it is important to cite :
Reagan made the concept acceptable and now it is really rampant now that Science and Facts dont matter. They don’t mater as much as a Opinion no matter how biased it may be , cause facts they come from a elites and I may be a red moron from rural america and cant barely spell so I dont need no smart facts as I know what I think or feel , or I need to know , besides I got a gun and big truck and I don’t want to be distracted by Facts or Truth. That is for those over educated and pedigreed city slickers and their dumb facts. When I am wrong I got my gun to win.
I live in the Western lands and they should all be free and get the government out of here bs. They farm with water and electric power systems built by the Great Federal Government in my view under Roosevelt. Their whole life in the rural areas exists because of the Federal governments investment of tax dollars into infrastructure = yet these minion rural morons dont get it . They dont know where the bread and the butter came from/.
Reagan attacked many good institutions and trivialized the good government did. like most Moronic conservatives they scream to close the DOE and then talk tough on nuclear weapons, not realizing they cant have it both ways . DOE budget is mostly for weapons always has been. The disconnect between Style and Facts!
Reagan made it a Badge of Honor to play stupid and pursue more and more materialism that led to some serious environmental conflicts.
It was in the 1980’s that the news media began its decline in truth telling, the loss of the Fairness Doctrine sowed the seeds for false narratives being presented as real news etc. that was a game changer to the decline .
Another symptom of a sick and toxic culture was the denial of the need for continued racial healing in America. He began the soft sale dog whistle politics on race that created the fermentation of the cultural decay that allowed a trump like figure to arise despite all the stains of trumps terrible business track record.
So denial of facts, mis use of fear , racial divison and he was the one who really got away or perfected the Art of Dont judge me by what I do even if it is the oppositve of what I say , just judge my words.
Style over Substance
All this is collapsing now where it goes anyone’s guess. The Millenials have no clue of Reagan thank god for that.
Frank on the Soviet Union collapse. Yes he deserves some credit but not all of it. the Pope at the time was a real player in that . but the collapse of oil prices is what took Russia down economically and they could not stay in a strong arms race with us. That had much to do about the whole decline of Russia.
Apologize for going on on w reagan. But I see him as the Y in the Road for America and his false style over Substance and the chickens have come home to roost. Just wish he got pilloried in press more .
The Iran contra deal, the hostages , the murder of innocents in Latin Ameirca and the children of the people we brutalized now stream across the river into america. Those are all rotten eggs that can be laid at the grave of the grade B actor a lousy president. But he acted strong and so does Trump. Projection over Truth
As they say many Americans would rather vote for what they think is Strong even if wrong before they will vote for smart but diplomatic. a Bully perhaps over real experience?? perhaps?
Frank there is a book called Amusing Ourselves to Death – Public Discourse in the age of Show business Neil Postman deceased – 1980’s book. Albq had many a used book store so might be available, its a good easy fast read the decline of real Journalism.
yes our culture is weakened for sure.
Others may defend the Reagan actor but my circle all lay blame at his feet may he not rest in peace as he did major damage to us Culturally What a false Icon for sure.
Silent,
You certainly covered the matter of president Reagan very thoroughly.
On my first trip to Fiji, before I lived there, an executive from New Zealand told me that he could not understand Reagan’s popularity. I explained that his popularity was the result of his ability to project a warm grandfatherly image on TV. His experience as an actor no doubt added to that ability. People let him get away with things that would have meant political death to anyone else.
I lived in Fiji from 1994 to 2004. When I returned to the U.S., I was shocked to see how both political parties had drifted way to the right. The Republican party was no longer conservative. Rather, it was on the radical right.
In 2006, I was at the annual convention of the Log Cabin Republican Club in Denver. I was almost shocked to see that they had a Ronald Reagan award which they gave to some politician. I had been a life long Republican but about four years ago I couldn’t stand it any more and changed my registration to Democrat. Although we had never discussed it, both of my siblings made the same change.
Frank –
Yeah, but I (your sister) made the change well before Reagan. Nixon and Watergate finished me off. That, and the fact that the GOP chairman (in the county where I was chairwoman) said that he thought “Nixon had a mandate from the people, and sometimes he thought he had a mandate from God.”
Reagan was master of the “dog whistle;” comments which spoke to racism in a subtle way. His focus on ‘welfare queens” and “strapping young bucks” pushed many to vote against their own economic interest in order to punish the undeserving … people of color, immigrants, etc.
Did you see that Michelle Bachmann is giving Trump advice on foreign policy?
RE: Michele Bachmann, I read that but thought it was a hoax (which is what I assume about all outrageously stupid concepts). It’s real?
Acckkkkk! It IS real. LOL. What’s going to happen next?
@ Frank May the heavens Shower you with Blessings Frank sincerely.
Glad you left the extremists . I am a Progressive but I am disenchanted with both parties. But the Dems are the lessor of the evils by a long shot not even close. Only gerry mandering and voting restrictions keep them in the lead at state level.
The Dems have a great opportunity to capture the Millennials and solidify the minority vote and soon the angry white people will be dying off and many of their kids are going progressive or dem as well. If they get their Act together and think and execute well.
Maybe the Dems will actually get some gains this time and make a priority list of the biggest bang for the buck. Obama let his advantage slip away in 2009 by going for a flawed health care plan
He should have pulled off a reagan act and gotten on Tv bi monthly for fireside chats and brought the American people along with him. He should have enacted real economic reforms and the stimulus should have been 2 Trillion dollars and less GOP tax cuts. But within the Dems party as you noticed they over reacted to the Reagan force and moved to right them selves and that is that. Sad truth.
The Tea party was a astro turf group funded by the dark money people etc. Should have been called out for what they were angry watered down racists.
I have some cynical reasons now why these things did not happen. I have buyers remorse even though if Obama could run again he would be the best candidate.
But our country really has turned its back on Facts , Truth and intellecual honesty.
Like last summer when the closed mine from the 1800s in Durango co had the water release of toxic water etc.
The Gov of Colorado makes a trivial photo opp, the press blames the EPA and everyone says see Government no work blah blah.
Never do the press tell the public that we have I have heard close to 6,000 closed mine sites from the Gold Rush days etc. that number I cant specify but its high number of closed mines.
Number 1 The GOP legislatures have cut the state EPA budgets for monitoring
‘2. The GOP congress has done the same the EPA budget has starved them
3. EPA They don’t have the resources to maintain all the legacy sites the facts of life folks.
4. Deregulation which the GOP the GOMERs as I say espouse as a High Virtue ! BS well the company’s are allowed to do what they want , then file bankruptcy and leave society with the issues.
W bush another big loser as President he put a budget quota on EPe so they raid businesses and if they get fines then their budget gets spared. False Incentives . if the public only knew the games.
My circle calls it Privatizing the Profits and Socializing the Costs – the Looting of the Commons.
Never will trump or any of these other wanna be fascists GOMERs tell the public the truth. Gomers wanted cheap labor so they under reagan did not enforce the fines to employers who hire illegal people. He failed to enforce the Simpson / Mazzoli bill of 1986 which a much saner Republicon congress passed with fines in it.
I met the retired GOP Alan Simpson in Wyoming at energy conventions and had drinks with him. Witty dude. He told the truth to a group of young republicons over drinks and they all were like shocked as the Myths of Reagan fell like broken glass to the floor of the saloon in Western Wy.
Loved it ! made my life long Dem or Progressive totally Validated in my positions.
Good for you thanks for the honesty and congratulate you on your growth.
When I worked in environmental services in Albq I had to hold my laughs as I managed a bunch of what I call blue collar wonders all young angry white guys loaded to the max on the pied piper of lies and hate and division Rushbo L and we would drink beer. they owed their jobs to environmental laws etc.
But they would really tee of on the Federal government and EPA etc. they too did not respect the hand that fed them Idiots that is why I use terms that may be harsh like Red State Moron , I lived and endured their hypocrisy and stupid fact free nonsense.
So we find Common Ground with this topic most of them we do.
Congrats on working in Figii sounds like interesting work. What did you do. there?
You live in my favorite town that my Journey took me to. Albq has a interesting Legacy …. miss it.
take care Frank enjoy the rains we have good ones cooled off too !
@ C and Frank well it sure seems that we have all Targeted one of the Primary sources of the ills of american cultural decline as well as the moral and economic decline.
Thanks C for adding more to this. The legacy of these things is so strong – that is why the role of the lame press the corporate press only interested in ad profits etc has Failed America.
these stories are told only be a handful of decent Journalists left and the majority are simply working for their 401 K and the big pay check.
They should call out the crooks and Liars that come on the shows. Oh well they don’t
I was in Phoenix struggling hard with many many people in the fall out of the Keating implosion and the rough economy. I met many people who got wiped out big time. Az is a weird state so conservative and they vote against their interests it seems like so many
later thanks
Style over Substance perhaps it would be fitting to have an Official bury the Myth funeral march and bonfire staged by progressives get CNN to cover it and see how it rankles the lying pundits. I met some people in Albq who held a bonfire celebrating his passing away , they called it Making it Official- rough political justice oh well he was loser
Once I was a captive audience to a Rush Limbo talk show. I was shocked. There was no attempt whatever at objectivity.
I do think that there is a good chance that we will eventually work ourselves out of the situation. Things were even worse in the late 1800s. Not long ago I read the biographies of the Captains of Industry and the Robber Barons who virtually controlled the U.S. at that time. Eventually the voters got wise. Also, president Theodore Roosevelt helped to change things; other Republicans saw him as a turncoat.
@ Frank
Nice story Teddy Roosevelt was a good man he saw thru the lies and concentration of power etc.
Many people will agree with you in Spirit that we should come out of this Know Nothing lack of Science and Facts dont Matter chatter dominating the air waves –
The king of fear smear and lies rushbo has been losing audience and his ad sponsors for the last few years like Fox propaganda channel the viewer ship is in decline. He thinks RE is a toy for the coffee latte sipping liberal crowd …etc.
we shall see
Silent,
I’ve been forced by new information to change my position on a number of things.
At one time I was very much opposed to “socialized” medicine. England had serious problems when they implemented it. However, back around 1974 I had a coworker who had contracted diabetes. He hated working there but had to stay to keep his medical insurance. If he had gone to work for another company, he would have lost his medical insurance and, because of he pre-existing condition, he would not have been able to get medical insurance again. I realized that millions of people were in a similar position.
More recently, I learned that we spent far more on health care than some countries which had better results. I also found that medical bills were a common cause of bankruptcy. Also, the fear that with “socialized” medicine the government would come between patients and their doctors seemed exaggerated since health insurance companies were already coming between patients and their doctors. As a result, I concluded that, if it were done carefully and properly, implementing “socialized” medicine could actually be a good thing. Of course that would mean higher taxes, but if we got our money’s worth, it could cost less than private medical insurance.
Although I still have a fear of excessive government and excessive regulation, I think that that can be controlled. In any case, private bureaucracies can be every bit as bad and oppressive as government bureaucracies.
Along with my degree in business administration, I have the equivalent of a minor in economics with the emphasis on anti-trust and monopoly. Because of that, and because of reading the biographies of the “robber barons” and “captains of industry” in the late 1800s, I am very aware of the problems resulting from inadequate regulation. There is no perfect solution. We just have to keep solving problems as they become apparent.
Brother Frank, you are Evolving very well. sir most people don’t and that is why societies remain tethered to False Myths and accept less from our system .
As for as Socialized Medicine we needed it years ago., I am all for it and it works well in many many countries like 40 or so.
Germany in the late 1800’s implemented a mixed system of private / public that has become a lasting model and people get care and it does not break the bank.
UK had a great Public system but conservative governments and the buying into Neo Liberalism economics ( derivative of Reagonomics ) short changed the system etc. It still works but is handicapped .
Obama did the best he could get as the Insurance , Medical Equipment, Pharma control over our bought and sold congress and senate is just too strong.
So a compromised bill resulted and now it has insurance co challenges etc. Sad
America spends more than any other country just like our Bloated Un necessary defense budget on health care and our prices are higher than anyone.
The market failures are many and the morality of this flawed system is very bad,.
Our population has been conditioned to fear government and place un wavering mis guided Faith into the magic of the flawed marketplace much to our own demise and continued suffering.
I think many Americans are awakening from the lies and cultural conditioning that has given us a failing over priced health system
solution is simple single payer everyone is in like Medicare and the doctors go on salaries and the drug pushers and other players learn to live on regular incomes etc. The insurance clearks can go work for the Admin of the expanded Medicare For aLL System !
Our businesses will see a 16 to 19 % cost reduction in operating costs for the business. Maybe they can raise peoples wages slightly and we all pay in . Like Social Security the insurance pool would be huge. We dont need the money paid for commissions and perks and all the other bs of the current system. Drug co still pay doctors to prescribe medicines that dont always work and sometimes hurt you A corrupted system but Americans are Exceptional sir Exceptionally Stupid !
the doctors and health providers in the Sane Socialized Countries live well enough. People should not be profiting excessively on disease and death etc. Its a question of VALUES HUMAN Values Period.
The bottom line is when I listen to my satellite radio programs and the people from Canada and UK call in to the American show and they Bluntly say over the Air – YOU Americans are stupid people for not having a National Health Care system . We would never give ours up for the over prices excessive profit structure you have in America. You are not Free as you think You are slaves to a flawed myth of a system.
Feel Sorry for you folks.
There is no justification for CEO s of health insurance co to earn 2 and $ 3 billion in salary.
Just that fact alone is enough to demand change.,
I doubt seriously Trumper will change the health system for the better he knows nothing of it . They system works fine for people with high means and that is why they keep it the way it is. The rich protecting the Rich.
Doubt Trump even knows much about it.
I agree with you Frank thanks
I wouldn’t say that I’m evolving. I simply study both sides of issues and respond according to the available information. In a similar vein, I changed my mind about energy systems after taking a motorcycle trip from here in Albuquerque to Savannah, GA, noticing that many wind generators had stationary blades, and spending many hours studying power systems.
One of the problems is that once people have reached a decision, many of them filter out information which does not support their decision. That is a known psychological phenomenon. It might help somewhat if more people were aware of that phenomenon; then they might be able to compensate for it.
@ Craig
Well Craig – blame it on IOWA … Michelle B said all she needed to learn she learned in IOWA ! LOL LOL its ridiculous stuff for sure.
@ Lynn – loved your honest portrayal of the king of Buffoons that two bit grade b minus actor – who turned against his Roots and became a stooge for GE and then the Corporate Masters saw him as the Trojan Horse from which they could seduce the american people and get them to buy into a long series of lies and bad policy that haunts the Nation to this day.
Good On You
The 1980’s were depressing for me as I was already grounded in energy policy from the inside and I saw the negative consequences of what this reagan guy was advocating in energy needless to say all the other idiot and yes Racial and Class Division policy. But I had to listen to all the giddy followers of the selfish Pied Ugly American Piper for excess , etc. It was hard not to argue with folks in different settings. Hard decade.
I had to do alot of field work in Red neck reagan land he was their saint or Messiah they really internalized his Myth on deep level.
You said it right on he really carried forward what Nixon could not do and set the course of the nation into a negative drift. Here we are and the negative after shocks of Failed Reagan-ism are all around us. But I think the Country is at a big Tipping Point and a Y in the road.
And if the Stars Align we ( the american people majority ) may make the final jettison away from Reagan ism and all its related voodoo economics let alone negative social conditions.
Thanks for speaking Truth
@ Frank I did not mean any thing negative with my use of the word Evolve. My use of that is to reference that it appears that you have opened up your critical examination of our system. Most of us were conditioned to accept many of the Myths and Social Lies and economic mis truths that certain groups have used to control the masses.
You willingness to examine and re think positions is a good thing. Your Fiji experience probably got you out of the American culture trap perhaps.
As you said most people get stuck in a conditioned state of mind and will never change for many reasons. They stop growing or accepting new information that challenge a belief.
That is what Cognitive Dissonance is all about and it is a real negative force in our society. It keep people chained to false ideas and beliefs that in many cases are actually harmful to the person who clings to them !
I suggest that you not allow a few idled wind machines distort the good that wind does.
they get idled for many reasons besides maintenance reasons or lack of wind. Grid power needs vary by the hour etc and sometimes the grid no needs additional power etc.
In Colorado Xcel energy the big utility has concluded ( hope Marco and the other Australian contrarian forget his name forgive me)
Xcel has determined that 2,000 more megawatts of Wind can displace 6,000 megawatt Hours of coal. so they are closing more Coal! building more Wind!
The Beat goes on and its great to be able to share the raw deeply felt opinions with you in these discussions. take care We got lots of RAIN cool