hell’s handmaiden

Salon.com - War Room

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Now here is a bit of news the right-wing ought to note. Most of the country actually supports the rights of the anti-war groups to protest. This, by a pretty simple induction, means that vilifying these protesters is going to be bad policy. Doing so offends the convictions of many of the right’s voters.

This result gives me a bit of relief and buttresses my faith in the country. Of course these people have a right to protest. The day they do not have that right is the day that this country dies and the day the world’s anti-US forces wins. And it is equally true that the pro-war groups have a right to respond to the anti-war protests, but keep it civil. Do not foam at the mouth.

Most published scientific research papers are wrong, according to a new analysis. Assuming that the new paper is itself correct, problems with experimental and statistical methods mean that there is less than a 50% chance that the results of any randomly chosen scientific paper are true.

New Scientist Breaking News - Most scientific papers are probably wrong

While this report doesn’t really surprise me, nor does it dent my confidence in the scientific method, I am quite sure the anti-science religious right will hop on this band wagon in their efforts to get theology thrown into school.

Why is it that the religious never seem to extend their logic to include results that do not fit their respective theologies?

As Juan Cole, who I am liking more and more, writes:

In the terms of their logic, and given today’s news about Bourbon Street being saved from destruction, only three conclusions are possible.

1. God does not exist.

Or:

2. God does not use natural or man-made catastrophes to punish people for moral failings.

Or:

3. God does not actually object to people having a good time occasionally.
Informed Comment

Informed Comment

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