Daily Mail's war on science shifts into overdrive

[charlie]

A N Wilson weighs in on the David Nutt affair. The guy lost his religion decades ago and found it this year (amid the Cheeto dust and peanut shells behind the couch cushions). So he's looking to make his Christian bones again by going after the Big One: Science.

Science is wrong, arrogant, inhumane, authoritarian, and Hitler's toy. Science is HITLER'S TOY. And superstition. And the Spanish Inquisition.

It's hard to believe this stew of arch-exasperation, ad homs, and mischaracterizations was printed in a national rag. Well done Daily Mail, you're still alpha buffoon in a sorry pack.

"Yes, scientists do much good. But a country run by these arrogant gods of certainty would truly be hell on earth"

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-1224858/Yes-scientists-good-But-country-run-arrogant-gods-certainty-truly-hell-earth.html

[TZ]

1. How long

before this is posted in R+T to show how evil us atheist scientific types are? I've seen so many Daily Mail anti-atheists screeds there lately its frightening.

[salvorhardin]

3. The antidote to R&T is Ophelia Benson's site Butterflies & Wheels

Particularly her Notes & Comments section which functions as her blog: http://www.butterfliesandwheels.com/notes.php

[charlie]

6. I'll second B&W

She runs a fine site, with fresh content daily. Her commentary is not to be missed.

She really needs to move the link to the blog section to the top of the page, though. It's easily missed way down on the sidebar.

[salvorhardin]

2. If science was Hitler's toy

Then religion was Hitler's butt plug.

[realisticphish]

4. ROFL

[charlie]

5. BWAAH!

Wish I'd thought of that :D

[TheWraith]

10. Truth be told, Hitler didn't really give a crap about either of them.

Some of his cronies were variously obsessed with various forms of science, religion, and pseudoscience, but Hitler himself really didn't bother over any of those things except as they could be used to maniupulate people.

[onager]

11. Yep. I partly blame the History Channel...

...and all its crappy shows about "Hitler and the occult" for spreading this idea.

Since I'm something of an obsessive history geek, I get tired of pointing this out and naturally love ranting about it...

The most crackpotted high-level Nazi was Heinrich Himmler, head of the SS and the Reich Main Security Office (which included the Gestapo.)

It was Himmler who had the bright idea to send archeologists around digging up evidence of "Aryan" history.

Hitler hated that project. He said it only proved that Germans were still living in mud huts when Italians were living in marble palaces.

Once at Xmas, Himmler tried to impress the Fuehrer with a real traditional volkish music and dance performance.

That must have been a hoot. Dragooned SS officers and young women who met the Nazi racial stereotypes, galumphing around the dance floor while dressed in medieval costumes.

Hitler turned to his entourage and cracked: "I don't think this will ever replace "Silent Night."

Propaganda chief Josef Goebbels was also something of a woo. He's the one who called in an astrologer in 1945 to prove the Nazis would win the war. But by that time Russian artillery shells were falling on the Fuehrer-bunker, so it's hard to imagine he fooled anybody except himself.

[LeftishBrit]

7. The Daily Mail is pure poison

It represents the absolute worst elements of British culture, and has a very baleful influence here. Though it denounces the BNP, its views on race and immigration are often quite similar.

I keep telling people on DU that it's our equivalent of a RW talkshow, mixed with the National Enquirer; but some people seem to think that because it's critical (from the Right!) of New Labour, it must be a valid source.

[mr blur]

8. You remember my/our long post in GD about the Daily Heil?

Didn't really make any difference at all.
:shrug:

[LeftishBrit]

9. I think it's made some; but not everyone read the post, obviously

There was a similar one from Baby-Mouse a few months after it.