Mark Shields Inside Politics

[cosmik debris]

His rant on Tom DeLay is wonderful, but near the end he quotes Tom like this:

Later, DeLay would tell The Washington Post's Juliet Eilperin that the low-wage, anti-union conditions of the Marianas constituted "a perfect petri dish of capitalism. It's like my Galapagos Island."

http://www.cnn.com/2005/POLITICS/05/09/real.delay/index.html

What possible significance could the Galapagos Islands have for someone who doesn't believe in Darwinian Evolution? Isn't the reference itself an admission of the validity and significance of Darwin's Origin Of Species? Has Tom given voice to the heresy of Evolution?

[gumby]

1. Well, there it is.

Social Darwinism is Tom DeLay's creed. Anything else is Godless Socialism. See how that works for the Christo-fascists?

The Marianas are way bad. Child sex slave stuff. But, that's ole Tom's perfect model. Tom, like the rest of the Ruling Repukes are nothing less than psychopaths with oceans of blood on their hands.

[cosmik debris]

2. I agree with what you say, but

My point is that he made a plug for biological Darwinism, the anathema of the xtian right. And he made it as if it was a fact, not a theory. I wonder if his voters know that he rejects creationism and semi intelligent design.

[gumby]

3. "It's like my Galapagos Island"

The emphasis here is on MY. DeLay is not talking about 'Darwin's' Galapagos.

DeLay, who is truly a mental case, is usurping Darwin. Darwin was bad, but DeLay is good. Biological Darwinism is bad, DeLay Social Darwinism is good. DeLay was dissin' Darwin. His beloved "world view" is far superior to that godless Darwin.

That's the way I see it.

[cosmik debris]

4. But Galapagos has no meaning

Outside the context of biological Darwinism it is just a bunch of Islands. For him to use it in this context he must accept its significance as an evolutionary laboratory.

Just as you can't say "run with the big dogs" unless you accept the concept of big dogs, So you can't use the analogy of the Galapagos Islands as a laboratory for evolution if you don't accept the concept of evolution. That is why atheists don't say God bless you. Would he say "It's like MY Aleutian Islands"?

[gumby]

5. "But Galapagos has no meaning

Outside the context of biological Darwinism"

Oh, yes it does. It's a target to be pilloried and made fun of. To me, it seems that that's exactly what DeLay was doing. See, He knows better-that other guy made the wrong model-now DeLay is using it correctly (or in a godly way, as they say).

Just because you refer to a concept or theory or quote or historical reference, it doesn't mean you "accept" it. Sometimes people make these references just to mock them in order to prove their own superiority.

[cosmik debris]

6. We are talking past each other.

I don't know whether I am failing to express myself effectively or you are just being argumentative, but it is clear that you don't understand my point and I don't agree with yours. Have a nice evening.

[Demit]

8. LOL! I understand your point, cosmik

It's another example of Rethug hypocrisy you've uncovered. But Ahas! don't work with these guys, or their followers. DeLay's constituents might not understand the allusion anyway, being the good little science-haters they are, and his cronies don't care. He can preen his knowledge in front of Mark Shields with impunity. It was probably even a taunt. Much like the unnamed Rethug who taunted Ron Suskind last year with "we create our own reality". They feel untouchable now, but they will go down, eventually sunk with their own hubris.

[imenja]

7. don't mistake political rhetoric for actual belief

I doubt the guy gives a damn about Intelligent Design or Christianity. It's all a political ploy to him.

[Strawman]

9. Wow. What a quote

There's our future America if we leave these assholes in power. That's the end game for today's Republican Party.

[iamjoy]

10. I Love This Quote (From A Republican)

Frank Murkowski was troubled by the conditions and said "The last time we heard a justification that economic advances would be jeopardized if workers were treated properly was shortly before Appomattox."


Awesome quote, we need to use that everytime they talk about not wanting to raise the minimum wage here.