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February 09, 2006
When Stupid People Won't Shut Up
Poor NASA whipping boy George Deutsch. He's the only one at that agency who would stand up for truth!
In the interview, Mr. Deutsch said that Dr. Hansen had partisan ties "all the way up to the top of the Democratic Party," and that he was "using those ties and using his media connections to push an agenda, a worst-case-scenario agenda of global warming." He said that anyone who disagrees with Dr. Hansen "is labeled a censor and is demonized and vilified in the media — and the media of course is a willing accomplice here."
Good lord. The boy couldn't be more from Bush White House Central Casting if he tried. Here's another quote I love:
"When at NASA, I was asked to let my managers speak on behalf of the issues," he said. "Now that I am no longer bound by that, I would really like to clear the air and defend my integrity and my good name."
This would be the same integrity that led him to pad his resume with a degree he didn't have, one assumes.
You know, look. George Deutsch's problem isn't that he's a conservative, since despite the impression the current White House gives there are lots of conservatives who are good with science, and a liberal jackass pulling the same type of stunts Deutsch has been pulling would be no better than he. George Deutsch's problem is that he's a big friggin' tool, the sort of ideological twit who can't help but put a political spin on everything, up to and including taking a dump. Seriously, give his type four beers and then ask them if there's a difference between how liberals and conservatives pinch a loaf. You'll hear theories.
The worst part about this is that Deutsch clearly hasn't learned a damned thing -- it's clear that somehow he's the wronged party in this. Self-righteousness and a complete lack of introspection: no wonder this administration saw fit to appoint him to something. No doubt he'll be running for the state legislature down there in Texas sooner than later. Y'all have fun with him. Try to keep him there, if you please.
Posted by john at February 9, 2006 08:36 PM
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Comments
Byron | February 9, 2006 09:35 PM
In the interview, Mr. Deutsch said that Dr. Hansen had partisan ties "all the way up to the top of the Democratic Party," and that he was "using those ties and using his media connections to push an agenda, a worst-case-scenario agenda of global warming." He said that anyone who disagrees with Dr. Hansen "is labeled a censor and is demonized and vilified in the media — and the media of course is a willing accomplice here."
Good. I'm glad he used them to get around someone who...well...who's a censoring villain.
Jim Winter | February 9, 2006 10:20 PM
Four beers in him: Why only liberals like astroturf.
Eight beers and three shots of tequila: Why only liberals hate astroturf.
So blitzed the devil on his shoulder is now calling a cab 'cuz dude, this guy's just too wasted: Liberals just don't understand that he IS astroturf.
Martin Wagner | February 10, 2006 12:04 AM
Self-righteousness and a complete lack of introspection...
Well, I was pretty full of myself when I was 24. But I wasn't this big of a punk-ass beeyatch. I got over that phase by, oh, 21 or so!
John Scalzi | February 10, 2006 12:36 AM
Yeah, I'll be the first to admit that in many ways I was no big prize at 24 myself. It would appear there is more going on here than just being 24.
Brandon | February 10, 2006 07:38 AM
I like this quote:
He said that anyone who disagrees with Dr. Hansen "is labeled a censor and is demonized and vilified in the media — and the media of course is a willing accomplice here."
Yes, the papers are filled with the demonization of folks who disagree with, wait, who now?
I agree that there's a lot more going on here than the bluster of youth. Thankfully, self-righteous bull-pucky knows no age.
John League | February 10, 2006 09:10 AM
"...running for state legislature down in Texas sooner or later."
Definitely sooner. This is his opening: he'll never be more famous, more wronged by pinko liberals or more demonized by the mainstream media. In other words, a perfect Republican candidate with built-in appeal to other pitiful, put-upon conservatives.
Brandon | February 10, 2006 09:23 AM
I fear we're living in a world where people will soon be saying "I may not know science, but I know what I like."
Stephanie | February 10, 2006 09:43 AM
John, we got rid of him as fast as we could. Alas, he went the same direction as the last self-righteous ideological twit we shed ourselves of....
John Scalzi | February 10, 2006 09:45 AM
Heh. I love me the Texas, you know, but you guys forget that one of Texas' major tasks is to keep them types of folk down home. That's what Texas is for. Just like California is a honeytrap for them damn libruls.
Deano | February 10, 2006 09:59 AM
I always remember that old quote (from a U.S. cavalry officer) - "If I owned Texas and I owned Hell, I'd rent out Texas and live in Hell."
Jim | February 10, 2006 10:42 AM
Granted that there is doubtless a lot of political correctness in various climate issues, and doubtless Dr. Hansen may have ties to (gasp) Democrats, and yada, yada, yada... but no matter where you find yourself in regard to various political positions and at the risk of injecting age bias into this, what the hell is some new hire kid fresh out of college (degree or no degree) doing telling experienced researchers with earned doctorates what they can say and not say? (And he was a journalism major which means he has all the scientific credentials of, say, an elementary education major.)
John H | February 10, 2006 10:48 AM
Deano: One that I heard when I was in the army was, "The reason Oklahoma is so windy is because Texas sucks." Of course, in Texas they just switch the order around.
Gabe | February 10, 2006 10:56 AM
If there were no stupid people then the bar would be raised for the rest of us. Think about that for a moment.
John Scalzi | February 10, 2006 10:57 AM
I'm willing to accept a relative decline in exchange for a general increase, personally.
Gabe | February 10, 2006 11:16 AM
W.W.P.D.?
John Scalzi | February 10, 2006 11:20 AM
Well, Petey should shell his ass like a peanut. But we can't all be Petey.
Gabe | February 10, 2006 11:23 AM
Yes, but have you seen the way Petey eats? It could take like two hours and at the end of it most of Deutsch-bag would be wasted.
Smurf | February 10, 2006 12:38 PM
what a Deutsch-bag.
Smurf | February 10, 2006 12:41 PM
Doh! Beaten to the punch (line).
Bobarino | February 10, 2006 12:53 PM
Self-righteousness and a complete lack of introspection...
By golly, if there's a more concise recipe for success in American politics today, I don't know what it is.
John Scalzi | February 10, 2006 01:12 PM
Yes, it's a bipartisan tatic, too, even though at the moment the Bushies are the most obvious example of it. They do seem to have a special knack for it.
Stephen | February 10, 2006 01:15 PM
I do like how he put his degree on his resume because he expected to receive it, then, whoops! forgot to change it. My resume now has "Global Overlord" on it because I expect that to be my next job.
SAP | February 10, 2006 01:32 PM
No doubt he'll be running for the state legislature down there in Texas sooner than later. Y'all have fun with him. Try to keep him there, if you please.
Ah, hell, not another one. And an Aggie to boot.
Steve Eley | February 10, 2006 01:54 PM
I talked about this in my most recent Escape Pod intro. My opinion is that the Deutsch story is grounds for a little optimism. Sure, it took a while, but he was eventually enough of an instigator that he was bounced out on his ass, and Griffin put out an agency-wide message saying "Right, enough of that shit." It'll be some time before anybody will be able to screw with NASA again, and the press fallout may prompt other agencies to start looking at their own embarrassing policies.
Couple that with the Dover judgment, and you get clear indications that there at least a few people in positions of authority who still know how to think. These may only be minor victories in the war against ignorance, but they are victories nonetheless.
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LizT | February 9, 2006 09:30 PM
Thank you for saying just exactly what I was thinking when I read this article. He's learned nothing, and I'm sure he'll continue to inflict his stupidity on the Texans.