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Damn the Facts. Full Speed Backward.
I haven’t dragged economist-columnist Paul Krugman over here for a while because he’s been so ticked-off about everything in Washington, DC, but his NYTimes column today deserves a mention. He blows the whistle on Republican members of a commission charged with investigating what caused “the current financial and economic crisis in the United States.” For the GOP crew, it seems that ideology is bulldozing reality one more time in the political swamp. Read Krugman’s opinion here, and get the NYT if you appreciate the thinking.
I think what’s important in this episode is the continuing trench battle to control “the narrative” for political advantage. Is there nothing off limits to “spin?”
When the news about the Republicans on the FCIC first came out, Krugman wrote this on his blog: “I really do wonder how this country can remain governable, when one party insists on creating its own reality. Next thing you know they’re going to reject the theory of evolution. Oh, wait …”
I’ve found myself quite frequently commenting that the Republicans are acting like creationists (or climate change deniers for that matter). Facts don’t matter. Evidence does not matter. All that matters is following the ideological narrative, regardless of whether there is any possibility it is true. And yes, there are those on the left who do the same thing, but they don’t even come close to the level of influence that this type of behavior has on the political right.
It still makes no sense to me. Why is it a good idea to set public policy by ignoring evidence and historical facts? It’s as if there are two competing world views: one in which evidence-based policies are seen as the right decision and another in which ideologically driven policies are seen as the right decision.
Nothing and no one.
Sadly.
As for evidence, when you can’t trust the state crime lab to tell a strait story, how can you trust the MSM?
Regards — Cliff