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talkpoliticsIn a controversial move that saw lots of his fellow scientists reeling, Bill Nye, The Science Guy chose to accompany Rep. Jim Bridenstine (R-OK), Trump's nominee for NASA administrator, to the State of the Union address. Nye argued that his presence at the event was not an endorsement of Trump's (staunchly anti-science) administration, and indeed shouldn't be "seen as an acceptance of the recent attacks on science and the scientific community".
Except, remaining true to a pattern of his own where we saw him debating creationist Ken Ham as if his form of delusion was somehow supposed to be equally valid to hundreds of years of scientific discovery and research (only to potentially validate Ham's pseudoscience in result), Bill Nye's attending of the SOTU as Bridestine's guest was in fact nothing but tacit endorsement of Trump's policies. Some would even argue that The Science Guy put his own personal brand over the interests of the scientific community in general - you know, he'd like to appear reasonable and tolerant, even towards intolerant imbeciles with an agenda (and an evidently anti-science one, at that). And now he's given them further validation.
Trump's own pattern of bureaucratic appointments has been to put people at the helm of institutions who are inherently hostile to said institutions, and who've priorly openly advocated for these institutions' dismantling. If anyone expects them to do anything but undermine those institutions from within, and all the policies they're supposed to be conducting, then they must be living in a fantasy world.
Whether he would like to admit it or not (or whether he intends it), Nye's use of his public persona as a science entertainer in cases like this, ultimately serves to support an administration that is expressly xenophobic, homophobic, misogynistic, racist, and yes, anti-science. Also, from his position of privilege and public popularity, he is acting as if he's speaking on the scientific community's behalf, but is doing it without its support or approval. No amount of shiny satellites that his administration chooses to fund could erase the damage Trump has been causing to public health and welfare by censoring science. And now those guys will also be able to claim validation by saying, "See? We've got scientists on our side too". Bill Nye should know better.
Except, remaining true to a pattern of his own where we saw him debating creationist Ken Ham as if his form of delusion was somehow supposed to be equally valid to hundreds of years of scientific discovery and research (only to potentially validate Ham's pseudoscience in result), Bill Nye's attending of the SOTU as Bridestine's guest was in fact nothing but tacit endorsement of Trump's policies. Some would even argue that The Science Guy put his own personal brand over the interests of the scientific community in general - you know, he'd like to appear reasonable and tolerant, even towards intolerant imbeciles with an agenda (and an evidently anti-science one, at that). And now he's given them further validation.
Trump's own pattern of bureaucratic appointments has been to put people at the helm of institutions who are inherently hostile to said institutions, and who've priorly openly advocated for these institutions' dismantling. If anyone expects them to do anything but undermine those institutions from within, and all the policies they're supposed to be conducting, then they must be living in a fantasy world.
Whether he would like to admit it or not (or whether he intends it), Nye's use of his public persona as a science entertainer in cases like this, ultimately serves to support an administration that is expressly xenophobic, homophobic, misogynistic, racist, and yes, anti-science. Also, from his position of privilege and public popularity, he is acting as if he's speaking on the scientific community's behalf, but is doing it without its support or approval. No amount of shiny satellites that his administration chooses to fund could erase the damage Trump has been causing to public health and welfare by censoring science. And now those guys will also be able to claim validation by saying, "See? We've got scientists on our side too". Bill Nye should know better.
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Date: 12/2/18 18:27 (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 12/2/18 18:47 (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 12/2/18 18:47 (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 12/2/18 18:47 (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 12/2/18 22:07 (UTC)If the ultimate goal is more money for the scientific community (more people enter the profession, more research, more results, etc.) - this isn't a bad move. The way we flip between which party we want leading us, sucking up to only 1 leaves your profession in a bad position in the years that 1 party isn't in control (if your profession depends on grants, directly or indirectly from the government).
We have 3-7 more years of Trump. I'm not saying they should give him a Nobel Prize or anything (haha how ridiculous would that be?!) - but just stroke his ego a little bit. Name a moon after him, or just get some scientist to send out a tweet saying Trump is good. He's a sucker for shit like that.
(If their base wouldn't revolt against them, Democrats could use this same tactic and probably get damn near anything they want.)
(no subject)
Date: 12/2/18 23:28 (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 13/2/18 06:48 (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 13/2/18 14:09 (UTC)