Saturday, August 27, 2005

Bell Curve Question

For reasons that are a little unclear to me, the pseudoscientific racist tract The Bell Curve has resurfaced as a hot-button topic. I will admit to being only passingly familiar with it, much as I am only passingly familiar with Mein Kampf. Digby, by way of Atrios, provides an extremely alarming run-down of the horrors contained within, and Philalethes provides some even more disturbing background on the rich racist eugenics tradition behind Richard Lynn, who the authors are rilly big fans of.

But here is my question: How does the racist and social-darwinist segment of the Republican party reconcile its fondness for The Bell Curve's emphasis on the importance of IQ with their disdain and mistrust for liberal "intellectual elites"? If IQ is so all-fired important, shouldn't they be listening to everything "intellectuals" say with hushed reverence? And shouldn't they maybe not be worshipping a president who brags about being a C student?

I know, I know, if they can advocate Darwinism in the socioeconomic sphere and Intelligent Design in the scientific/educational sphere, then cognitive dissonance isn't really a problem for them. Hell, I think it might even be their power source.

1 comment:

HopeSpringsATurtle said...

Intellectuals have no morals you silly rabbit. And republicans have God's ear. Think your way around that one mr smarty-arty man.