Ted Cruz Compares Himself to Galileo, Calls Those Who Believe In Climate Change ‘Flat-Earthers’

[Cali_Democrat]

BY ARI PHILLIPS POSTED ON MARCH 25, 2015 AT 10:36 AM UPDATED: MARCH 25, 2015 AT 11:27 AM

A few days after accusing “global warming alarmists” like California Governor Jerry Brown (D) of ridiculing and insulting “anyone who actually looks at the real data” around climate change, newly-declared presidential candidate Ted Cruz (R-TX) upped his rhetoric against those who care about the issue.

Speaking to the Texas Tribune on Tuesday, Cruz said that contemporary “global warming alarmists are the equivalent of the flat-Earthers.”

“You know it used to be it is accepted scientific wisdom the Earth is flat, and this heretic named Galileo was branded a denier,” he said.

In Cruz’s opinion, when it comes to climate change, his denier position places him alongside 17th Century scientist Galileo Galilei, who was also considered to be denying the mainstream knowledge of his day. According to Cruz’s logic, he is taking the minority view that human-caused climate change is not happening, just as Galileo took the minority view that the scientific method should be trusted over the Catholic Church.

Read more: http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/03/25/3638622/ted-cruz-is-like-galileo/

[gratuitous]

1. Booman dismantled this at his website

Under the headline, "Don't let Ted Cruz teach history":

http://www.boomantribune.com/story/2015/3/25/93628/1856

The dispute between the papacy and Galileo was about whether the Sun orbited the Earth or the Earth orbited the Sun. It had absolutely nothing to do with the shape of the Earth.

So, that’s error number one in Cruz’s retelling of history. Error number two is that he can talk about “accepted scientific wisdom” in the context of the 16th and early 17th-Century. When we talk about “science,” we are talking about a method of inquiry that wasn’t really understood until the 19th Century. Galileo wasn’t arguing with “scientists” or any kind of scientific consensus. He was arguing with theologians and priests.

As usual, read the whole thing; it's not very long. Ted Cruz really and truly is walking, talking proof that an Ivy League education is not a guarantee of intelligence.

[LeftishBrit]

2. Actually he has much more in common with the Inquisition than with Galileo.

[hobbit709]

4. that's what I was thinking too.

[eppur_se_muova]

3. I always thought he was rolling his eyes in this portrait ...

?cb=1412584384

guess I know why now.


ETA: There are dozens of portraits of GG on the Web, but in none of them is he doing a facepalm -- attention PhotoShoppers ?

[ailsagirl]

5. Is being a dimwit a prerequisite for being a Repuke?

[Optical.Catalyst]

6. Galileo had the intellect to study the unknown

Cruz has the intellect to be a hate filled partisan.

[BlueJazz]

7. You know those huge strong winds that are blowing across the Mid-West ??

They're part of the wind created by Galileo spinning in his grave.

[CincyDem]

9. Galileo's buried in the Mid-West ?

couldn't resist !

[BlueJazz]

10. I thought he was from Fargo ?

[CincyDem]

12. Now I remember...

Wasn't he Bill Macy's father-in-law...the one who owned the car dealership ???

I knew I recognized him.

[CincyDem]

8. How the F did this guy ever get into (and then graduate from) Princeton.

Seriously, I'm all for diversity of thought but I have little time for diversity of fact.

At some point, one of these guys is going to point to a picture of the setting sun and talk about how beautiful the Atlantic looks this time of day...and 40% of the population will nod their head and say "un huh...beautiful". Then we'll have to endure weeks of Fox faux-poutrage under the heading of "Sun-gate: Leftists try to claim sun sets in the west - commie science programs blamed".

[NuclearDem]

11. Some light reading for the junior senator from Texas:

http://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Galileo_gambit

[Galileo126]

13. Funny, I don't compare myself to Cruz... n/t

[Rex]

14. Oh good! SO when does that asshole start his lifetime house arrest!?

And who will be in charge of imprisoning him? I LOVE how asshole knows nothing about history. It makes it that much more fun to mock the simpleton!

[99Forever]

15. Does it occur to anyone else...

... the actual role this sleazy dirtbag is playing in this political theater?

His job is to make other sleazy dirtbags like Snotty Walker, appear "moderate" and not totally effen insane.

This clown has no more chance of even making thru the primaries, than our Congresscritter Batshit Crazy Lady Bachmann did.

Although he does an exceptional job as a punching bag.

[Codeine]

16. Mama Mia let me go. nt

[hifiguy]

17. Clearly, this imbecile, this cretin, this evolutionary throwback

does not understand the meaning of the well-known English word "irony."

[beam me up scottie]

18. oh ffs...

[Rex]

20. .

[beam me up scottie]

23. lol

Nice.

A creationist calling actual scientists "flat-earthers" ... what is there to say?

[hifiguy]

24. Even worse is the dreaded

[Nye Bevan]

19. "Senator, you are no Galileo" (nt)

[Blanks]

21. I guess he never heard of the little ice age...

Which according to one theory was caused by a decrease in population in the Americas due to the introduction of European diseases.

I suppose that's not a problem if you don't believe in evolution either.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Ice_Age

[Oilwellian]

22. I see a little silhouetto of a man,

Scaramouche, Scaramouche, will you do the Fandango?
Thunderbolt and lightning,
Very, very frightening me.
(Galileo) Galileo.
(Galileo) Galileo,
Galileo Figaro
Magnifico.

[yuiyoshida]

25. Am I detecting some

arrogance from Mr. Cruz? That should go over well with his voters.

[still_one]

26. Time to put Cruz under house arrest

[HassleCat]

27. Good News

I'm happy that Cruz intends to follow in Galileo's footsteps and trust science over religion. Really looking forward to his presidency.

[daleanime]

31. Try to be careful....

if you take 'tongue in cheek' too far, you might swallow it.

[samsingh]

28. i don't think he understand history - no surprise there as cruz is stupid

but his lack of belief in climate change means he's like those who imprisoned galileo

[smirkymonkey]

29. Don't flatter yourself a**hole.

Not even close. Also, you are completely illogical.

[Johonny]

30. Flat Earth? Galileo? In the 16th century even the Pope knew the Earth was not flat.

In the 21st century even the Pope knows climate change is real.

Galileo believed in the Heliocentric Universe which is a totally unrelated subject. I mean if you are going to use Galileo you might want to know something, anything about his argument and scientific research. Just like if you are going to talk about the real climate data you might want to know something, anything about science and the scientific literature on the subject. Ted Cruz can't even insult someone because who feels insulted when an idiot calls you an idiot. They merely laugh even harder at the fool. Ted Cruz you sir are a fucking idiot of epic size.

[Tom Ripley]

32. There are obviously gaps in the knowledge of the highly educated Cubanadian

[hollysmom]

33. rememvber this isthe guy who read green eggs and ham and got the sotry

backwards! Dr Seuss was too hard for him to figure out.

[Gothmog]

34. I found this modified logo for Carnival Cruz on #tedcruzcampaignslogans

[Gothmog]

35. From #tedcruzcampaignslogans