On Bush and Intelligent Design

Wouldn’t you like your kid to get a job with BIG shoes? Photo by Sosa.

PZ Myers at Pharyngula is gathering a list of science blogs that oppose George W. Bush’s endorsement of Intelligent Design as a sensible theory, a move he describes as ‘boneheaded’. Myers is of the opinion that teaching faith as science to American children is a bad thing. Well he’s a nice guy, but I have to disappoint him. I think it might be a good thing. It’s all a matter of perspective. Obviously I wouldn’t want British children taught this gibberish, but would it be such a bad thing for America to return to the Dark Ages? Science has created a superpower that has landed on the moon, won the race to sequence the genome and, with the Internet, has control over the biggest communication network in history – and placed it in the hands of someone who thinks the voices in his head are messages from God. True, a return to faith won’t remove people like Bush from power, but it might remove some of the power from people like Bush. What benefits would there be from an increased fundamentalist presence in education?

It’s hard to tell. Biotech could potentially expand our knowledge of biology in much the same way that electricity revolutionised Physics. America through Edison, Bell and so on became immensely powerful in a relatively short space of time because they embraced the new opportunities science offered. America’s can do philosophy meant it could compete with European powers that had been the major forces in the world for hundreds of years. By turning their back on Biotech it may be the turn of Korea, China or maybe Europe to take the lead at the frontier of knowledge.

The great thing from the outsider’s perspective is that science is interwoven. The barriers between disciplines can seem arbitrary when you look close up. Where does Biology end and Chemistry begin? Where does Chemistry end and Atomic Physics begin? By pulling at one thread the fundamentalists are trying to destroy the whole scientific tapestry. Would this convince the Americans to leave the 18th century and return to the 21st? I don’t know. I suppose there’s the danger that hurt by their loss of influence in the world there’d be a urge to lash out with unnecessary wars, but being behind in science it might mean that the world could impose peace on America on its terms. At the moment America’s technological lead is simply too great to do this for now. The ID lobby would appear to be on every Anti-American’s side right now.

Which is odd.

One attraction is that ID does offer the promise of employment for Americans. If there are going to be waves of immigrants taking the top research positions in American universities then they’re going to need housemaids, lawnboys etc. Should I get a well paid job at a top university then I’ll be delighted to show my gratitude. The Bush twins will never want for a job. Which reminds me, does the USA have a minimum wage?

However I don’t think this is going to happen. Not all American leaders have been Bushes. A few of them had a real cracker of an idea, the Bill of Rights.

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

The 1st Amendment. Ratified 1791.

You can say what you like about the USA, but its citizens guard their freedoms jealously. The push of ID into classrooms strikes at the heart of America’s finest achievement, its constitution. Another great achievement of the USA is the principle that no-one is above the law, not even the President. They are tenacious and will even keep on investigating a President until they find what it is they’re guilty of, even if it’s nothing to do with the original charge. Extremists love the politics of division, because passionate division squeezes rational discussion, but any President who attempts to attack the constitution will find that it is the something that Republicans and Democrats are both willing to defend. If, however, they could leave off doing that until I have my tenured and well-paid professorship with twin housemaids I’d be very grateful.

I think a creationist America would, on the whole be a bad thing. It can be generous nation and a force for good and the world would be weakened if America was rendered stupid. But a slide into superstition for the world’s most powerful nation is not without opportunities which the rest of world should be open to. Even if the USA does end up under a black cloud those at the edge should have a silver lining. —–