Matt Yglesias

20 Responses to “Creationism, Conservatism, and Urbanism”

1. Toady Says:
   December 4th, 2008 at 8:00 pm

   You know, I would really like to read that essay. Unfortunately, it’s only available through some idiotic Flash interface that offers no way at all to print out the text and take it away from my computer. And since I’m about to go catch a bus home, I’ll probably forget about this essay in an hour or so and WILL NEVER EVER READ IT.

2. James Gary Says:
   December 4th, 2008 at 8:37 pm

   Luddite.

3. duBois Says:
   December 4th, 2008 at 9:44 pm

   Everyone from Kentucky isn’t an idiot. Honestly. For 30 years, for example, 2 Kentuckians (Robert Penn Warren and Cleanth Brooks) taught American college students how to read (2 standard college textbooks: Understanding Fiction and Understanding Poetry). For many years, the head of the MIT biology department was a Kentuckian. Johnny Depp. George Clooney. Hunter Thompson. The movies were created by a Kentuckian. The greatest horror movie director was a Kentuckian. One of the 5 greatest jazz musicians, Lionel Hampton, and the best bop guitarist, Jimmy Raney. One of greatest jazz torch singers, Helen Hume. Lincoln was born here. Mark Twain was conceived here. Marvin Gaye’s parents were just recently removed from here before Gaye was born. Don Everly. Loretta Lynn.

4. CJ Says:
   December 4th, 2008 at 9:52 pm

   A line from the essay: “How can one make a rational critique of an institution that makes human reason itself an object of opprobrium?”

   To me, this perfectly describes what is so troubling about the entire contemporary conservative movement – from global warming, to foreign affairs, as well as with regard to domestic and social policy, they simply reject empiricism.

5. raft Says:
   December 4th, 2008 at 9:59 pm

   CJ: because there’s (still, somehow, despite everything) more of us than there are of them. also, the advantage of not being batshit insane shouldn’t be underestimated.

   in the long run we will win.

6. cmholm Says:
   December 4th, 2008 at 10:10 pm

   they simply reject empiricism

   Oh, but they’re more than happy to use the fruits of empiricism. They just don’t have a clue has to how they got there.

   I suppose as long as there are Hindus and Buddhists to do the research (abroad), there will still be technical progress.

7. El Cid Says:
   December 4th, 2008 at 10:27 pm

   I actually found the publication’s interface, when the browser was blown up to full-screen size, to be the most magazine-like experience I have found online.

   As far as the subject, it’s a great compact essay tying together a lot of streams of American conservative anti-rational, anti-’modern’ religionism.

8. linus Says:
   December 4th, 2008 at 10:34 pm

   I confess its been some time since I actually read the commynts threads.

   Maybe it’s a sign of progress for the blogs that they seem to be becoming as widely dumb and boring as the letters to the editor newspapers get.

   Maybe it’s a sign that Democrats think they should slouch off like they did in the 1990s. (Turnout in Georgia makes you doubt the strength of the Dean machine, by the way; if you can’t get people to turn out in off year and special elections your guys are either too decadent or not decadent enough).

   On the other hand a part of you is happy with a general fatigue with electoral politics.

   A third part of you relishes the possibility of people still saying funny, relevant things for free.

9. raft Says:
   December 4th, 2008 at 10:43 pm

   also, to second El Cid: there’s something really cool about pressing the arrow keys to scroll through pages. it’s not just like a print magazine but even better. you can’t do little left-right arrow key dances in print.

10. Elf M. Sternberg Says:
    December 4th, 2008 at 11:30 pm

    Toady: Turn off CSS and Javascript, and it’ll dump the contents to your browser with no formatting. It’s not Flash, just javascript.

11. latts Says:
    December 4th, 2008 at 11:39 pm

    From the article:

    the exhibits encourage visitors to question the methods and institutions of science

    Sounds like a pretty ambitious intellectual exercise for people whose concept of God is a sort of cosmic cross between Merlin and Santa Claus, but okay.

12. James Gary Says:
    December 5th, 2008 at 12:11 am

    Um, duBois–not trying to provoke you or anything, but every single person on your list (except Don Everly) chose to leave Kentucky at an early age. Just sayin’.

13. ssa Says:
    December 5th, 2008 at 8:04 am

    How do we get rid of this pollution? Will Obama get tough?

    http://www.sunstateactivist.org/ssablog/

14. Mathis Says:
    December 5th, 2008 at 8:24 am

    You know who else lives in Kentucky? This guy.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0n9iRYLTBo&NR=1

15. Ginger Yellow Says:
    December 5th, 2008 at 12:56 pm

    I’ve got to disagree with the author’s comment about the association of city and sin being a modern phenomenon. I remember writing about the topic in an essay on Paradise Lost at school.

16. CParis Says:
    December 5th, 2008 at 1:13 pm

    Speaking of Kentucky – I met Loretta Lynn years ago at a corporate function. She seemed like a real nice lady.

17. washerdreyer Says:
    December 5th, 2008 at 2:12 pm

    10: I was about to make the same complaint as comment 1, so thanks.

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