Dec 2nd, 2011
David Jenkins is justifiably gobsmacked by a recent Bret Stephens column conflating global warming science with "doomsaying prophecy and faith in things unseen":
"Mr. Stephens, in one fell swoop, is equally dismissive of religion and science. What kind of hubris causes one to have no use for either the knowledge gained from empirical evidence or the faith that has pushed mankind to rise above his base instincts?
This type of egotism seems to be running rampant among those—particularly in the right-wing media—who profess to be conservative. I believe this unfortunate phenomenon is the by-product of traditional conservatism being shoved aside by a radical, libertarian-inspired ideology that is deeply antithetical to traditional Burkean conservatism.
This ideology elevates personal freedom and financial gain far above all other values, and in doing so, empowers its followers to dismiss or even belittle anything that does not directly serve those parochial ends."
If the conservative movement doesn't right itself, no pun intended, with a strong push against the kind of thinking exhibited by Stephens, they risk total marginalization in the arena of ideas.
Friday, December 2, 2011
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