Science In Its "Rightful Place": The "NEW" Science Guy

Mr. Obama is the new science guy. In fact, it's high time Bill Nye step† aside: there is a new science whiz in town, and he is the presumed leader of the free world. Not necessarily the world of free thinking, maybe not even the world of the politically free; but definitely the leader of that world which believes the best things in life should be free. (I jest, sort of.)

I have talked about Mr. Obama's love of science -- and his broadly known aptitudes in the hard sciences, aptitudes as effective as epicycles -- in other essays here, particularly one drafted shortly after Mr. Obama's inauguration. In that fine piece, "Wielding 'Wonders' While Hating Science," I focused particularly on Mr. Obama's proud pronouncement that "we will restore science to its rightful place." (OK, I admit that I laugh every time I type those words.)

It is heartening to know that others, like syndicated columnist Mona Charen, also notice the absurdity of Mr. Obama's claim. In her most recent column, "The Empirical President," Ms. Charen spots the irony in Mr. Obama's aspirations: Mr. Obama's plans for the country, plans he believes are rooted in science, are far more fiction than fact; more fantastical than empirical. Indeed his proposed energy plans are really quite, well, adolescent at best and infantile at worst. Admittedly these are my words, not Ms. Charen's, regarding Mr. Obama's plans, but she does put Mr. Obama's plans into a centrifuge and powers it up. She finds his words separate quite quickly from reality.

Seriously, you should read her essay for yourself.

But back to Barack!

In his recent address touting the many excellencies of his new green energy plan, Mr. Obama made these utterly faith-based statements:

But there is no longer a disagreement over whether our dependence on foreign oil is endangering our security. It is. There is no longer a debate about whether carbon pollution is placing our planet in jeopardy. It’s happening. And there is no longer a question about whether the jobs and industries of the 21st century will be centered around clean, renewable energy.

Reading Mr. Obama's statements even now reinforces my suspicion that only a conspiracy of dunces could have put this man into office. Indeed, it was a conspiracy of sorts, perpetrated by the gullible and "open-minded" citizens who voted for the man. But I digress.

Mr. Obama is not really interested in science at all. Well, that's not true. He is interested in exploiting science for political gain in order to convert those gains into politics that reinforce the science he exploits for political gains, or something like that. It is a politics that truly is renewable: circular reasoning always is renewable and sustainable: Mr. Obama is merely ensuring that his infinite loop is suitably and efficiently fueled with fear, anxiety, falsehoods (also known as half-truths), and sweeping proclamations so he and his party can maintain power and control for at least the next three election cycles. His "gift," as he described it to Sen. Harry Reid, is to speak in such a way that people are duly compelled. They may be compelled to stupidity and passive acceptance, but they are compelled nonetheless. Mr. Obama, after all, is irresistible.

He's well nigh the new science guy.


†I recognize that Mr. Nye is not still the televised Science Guy, but his web-site as the science guy keeps his domain safe -- until now. Since Mr. Obama does indeed succeed Mr. Nye, Mr. Obama should be known as the Science Guy de-Nyer and accused of de-Nyeing science.

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