Many of us have seen fundamentalists argue in debates: they advance the same, tired, debunked arguments as though they have never been refuted. From the cosmological argument to the laughable idea that the new testament gospels are independent eye witnesses. Those advancing these arguments either do not know, or do not care, that they have been thoroughly and completely debunked and hold no water. But this is not important: the truth is less important than getting the talking points out there. The preconceived ideas and the agenda are what is important. Reality bends to their ideas, not the other way around.
There is something very similar going on with what passes for Conservatism in the 21st Century. They, too, do not care about reality, facts, science, knowledge or empiricism: ideology trumps reality. Examples abound of this petulant, arrogant in its ignorance anti-intellectualism, but the two best are climate science and trickle-down economics. Regardless of how many times trickle-down is shown *not* to produce the domestic growth that its advocates promise, or how many scientific studies (done by, you know, scientists) *prove* that the earth is warming and that catastrophic milestones have been passed, the right-wing simply ignores them, or derides them as, by any other name, heresy. What you said goes against our preconceived ideas, therefore you are a bad person.
That last clause was phrased carefully: they do not attack the *argument* being advanced, since they would lose, but rather they attack the individual making the argument. Not quite an accusation of being in league with *SATAN*, but in the same field of ideas. It is no coincidence that many of the worst offenders in this situation are, in fact, religious (Scott Morrison, Tony Abbott, US Senators James Inhoffe and Ted Cruz etc).
Such people in government are dangerous. They lack the characteristic the job requires most: mental flexibility. They do not change their position in accordance with the evidence and reality. Arguing with them is like playing chess with a chicken: even if you win, the chicken will knock over all the pieces, crap all over the board and strut around like he won.
It is for this reason that people such as this should be removed from government. I mean that. Unless you can show that you will listen to experts and change your position according to the evidence, then you are not wanted in government. Resign, or do not run.
CA
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