We told you a while back about some of the fun distortions of American history that have made it into textbooks written to Texas's terrible history standards, but history isn't the only subject that goes off into rightwing fantasyland in Texas textbooks.
I was going to write some funny satirical comment as I usually do, but I can't this time. I'M PISSED! I am so tired of right-wing lunatics poisoning our children's minds with utter bullshit because it fits their foolish (but profitable) world view. It's bad enough that Texas is diluting the education of their own 6th graders, but unfortunately, Texas plays such an important role in national educational book publishing, that this crap will start leaching into systems across the country. It's an abomination.
I will now return you to your regularly scheduled dick jokes.
It's a cultural signifier. One theory is that individuals embrace one or the other position because it reinforces their self-identification as members of a certain cultural group. The question of whether it is truth or fantasy isn't a consideration. If supporters of the established science on climate change are "Northeastern and West Coast urban dwellers who have upscale professional careers or who are employed in government or academia" and climate change skeptics are "small town and rural working people from the country's heartland who work in industry or private enterprise and whose lives revolve around God, guns and family" then your position on climate change is heavily influenced by which cultural subgroup you have more affinity with. In essence you adopt the position that is identified with the subgroup that you belong to. Well it's a theory anyway. It supposedly comes into play with the subset of people who aren't very well-informed about the issue, whether due to disinterest or misinformation or due to difficulty understanding the issue's outlines and evidence. They therefore fall back on their established self-identification to help them decide which position to support. That position then becomes part of their cultural "insignia" and it functions as something that they use to signal to others which group they belong to and help them identify and recognize other members of their group. Finally, their attachment to their group and their strong desire to remain in it prevents them from giving any serious consideration to arguments or evidence that conflicts with that position.
This theory makes a lot of sense. Especially in regards to scientific or statistically-reasoned approaches to issues; those can be complicated and can be difficult to follow (well, not that difficult, but harder than absorbing a mainstream-media-packaged soundbite).
It also explains why poor, undereducated, typically rural, white people keep voting for candidates and supporting policies that are not in their best interests. I'd almost feel sorry for the crackers, but they are messing up the whole country, nay, the world. Both for now, and for future generations.
"All of those touch centrally on the geography—political, economic, cultural, and physical—and cultures of today’s citizens, and of today’s students who will grow up to be tomorrow’s citizens."
Actually, these are students who will grow up to be <i>TEXAS</i> citizens. The One Star State is <strike>determined</strike> doomed to retain its title.
This narrative, that a bunch of scientists have a sinister ulterior motive to mislead the public about climate change&#039;s man-made impact, I really don&#039;t understand how it&#039;s so popular. I mean, it&#039;s easy to see the buy-in motives of oil companies and easily-bought politicians, but to me it&#039;s unbelievable that so many un-invested parties buy the story. Of course, there will always be dumbass conspiracy-theorists that want to believe in a cabal of evil scientists because of their love of conspiracies and evil cabals, but wouldn&#039;t most rational people wonder what purpose a bunch of scientists would have in concocting such an elaborate hoax?
Damn you, evil science cabal, what are you hiding?!!?!
Yeah, I think you&#039;re probably right. So much of the RWNJ noise is magical thinking. &quot;If I ignore it, or pretend it&#039;s not happening, then it can&#039;t hurt me.&quot;
I was going to write some funny satirical comment as I usually do, but I can&#039;t this time. I&#039;M PISSED! I am so tired of right-wing lunatics poisoning our children&#039;s minds with utter bullshit because it fits their foolish (but profitable) world view. It&#039;s bad enough that Texas is diluting the education of their own 6th graders, but unfortunately, Texas plays such an important role in national educational book publishing, that this crap will start leaching into systems across the country. It&#039;s an abomination.
I will now return you to your regularly scheduled dick jokes.
It&#039;s easy to forget to carry the Nimrod, when doing your begatting tables.
&quot;God? What&#039;s a cubit?&quot;
It&#039;s a cultural signifier. One theory is that individuals embrace one or the other position because it reinforces their self-identification as members of a certain cultural group. The question of whether it is truth or fantasy isn&#039;t a consideration. If supporters of the established science on climate change are &quot;Northeastern and West Coast urban dwellers who have upscale professional careers or who are employed in government or academia&quot; and climate change skeptics are &quot;small town and rural working people from the country&#039;s heartland who work in industry or private enterprise and whose lives revolve around God, guns and family&quot; then your position on climate change is heavily influenced by which cultural subgroup you have more affinity with. In essence you adopt the position that is identified with the subgroup that you belong to. Well it&#039;s a theory anyway. It supposedly comes into play with the subset of people who aren&#039;t very well-informed about the issue, whether due to disinterest or misinformation or due to difficulty understanding the issue&#039;s outlines and evidence. They therefore fall back on their established self-identification to help them decide which position to support. That position then becomes part of their cultural &quot;insignia&quot; and it functions as something that they use to signal to others which group they belong to and help them identify and recognize other members of their group. Finally, their attachment to their group and their strong desire to remain in it prevents them from giving any serious consideration to arguments or evidence that conflicts with that position.
Too swoon.
This theory makes a lot of sense. Especially in regards to scientific or statistically-reasoned approaches to issues; those can be complicated and can be difficult to follow (well, not that difficult, but harder than absorbing a mainstream-media-packaged soundbite).
It also explains why poor, undereducated, typically rural, white people keep voting for candidates and supporting policies that are not in their best interests. I&#039;d almost feel sorry for the crackers, but they are messing up the whole country, nay, the world. Both for now, and for future generations.
&quot;All of those touch centrally on the geography&mdash;political, economic, cultural, and physical&mdash;and cultures of today&rsquo;s citizens, and of today&rsquo;s students who will grow up to be tomorrow&rsquo;s citizens.&quot;
Actually, these are students who will grow up to be <i>TEXAS</i> citizens. The One Star State is <strike>determined</strike> doomed to retain its title.
Science: you can believe it when convenient (i.e., medicine and technology) and you can ignore it when not.
Most people aren&#039;t rational.
I will personally drown Jar Jar
Still seems too reality-based for Texas.
No, but tigers and elephants will be first in line when Bangladesh floods.
From its Depository to the present, Texas schoolbooks continue a 50 year history of contributions to the fabric of America.
This narrative, that a bunch of scientists have a sinister ulterior motive to mislead the public about climate change&#039;s man-made impact, I really don&#039;t understand how it&#039;s so popular. I mean, it&#039;s easy to see the buy-in motives of oil companies and easily-bought politicians, but to me it&#039;s unbelievable that so many un-invested parties buy the story. Of course, there will always be dumbass conspiracy-theorists that want to believe in a cabal of evil scientists because of their love of conspiracies and evil cabals, but wouldn&#039;t most rational people wonder what purpose a bunch of scientists would have in concocting such an elaborate hoax?
Damn you, evil science cabal, what are you hiding?!!?!
Yeah, I think you&#039;re probably right. So much of the RWNJ noise is magical thinking. &quot;If I ignore it, or pretend it&#039;s not happening, then it can&#039;t hurt me.&quot;
Fine with me but leave the mosquitoes and the leeches.