D’Worst List

From PZ I found The BEAST’s 50 Most Loathsome People in America, 2007. I have to say I agree with most of them, but my favorite was # 29, Dinesh D'Souza:

Charges: Wrote a book blaming 9/11 on -- who else? -- liberals, because if we didn't live in a free society, then fundamentalists wouldn't dislike us so. Even conservative nuts blasted D'Souza's empathy for poor al Qaeda. Lately, he's been engaging prominent atheists in debates, revealing himself to be a pseudointellectual ass, and then declaring victory. D'Souza's master plan for attacking atheism is the ridiculous Pascal's wager: Atheists could be wrong, and then they'd go to hell, but if the religious are wrong, then they suffer no ill effect -- aside from living their lives in delusion, of course. And possibly going to someone else's hell for believing the wrong religion. D'Souza seems to think that if he speaks more loudly and rapidly than his opponent, he is winning, but his arguments are weak and idiotic, and he never even attempts to truly debate the existence of any god, which is the ostensible point of these debates. Instead, he likes to compare body counts -- Stalin and Mao killed more than the religious leaders of their time -- rather than actually debate whether there is a God, or for that matter a Jesus. This, of course, is because there is no case to be made.

Exhibit A: "[Atheists] are God-haters... I don't believe in unicorns, but then I haven't written any books called The End of Unicorns, Unicorns are Not Great, or The Unicorn Delusion." But what if everyone you met did believe in unicorns, and not only that, but worshiped a unicorn, held a book about unicorns to be the divine truth of the universe, invoked unicorns in political contexts, and speechified about how non-believers were indecent people waging a war on morality, which could only be predicated on the unquestioning belief in unicorns? Then, maybe, D'Souza would think about writing that book. But of course, that's not really true, because if that was the world we lived in, then Dinesh D'Souza would believe in unicorns.

Comments

[The Grumpy Skeptic]

why do crazy people exist? They make me angry and very grumpy, lol

[debbyo]

Perhaps we can't attribute the blame solely to ignorant individuals, probably victims of religious brain-washing and poor science education. Not to mention victims of recent political leadership (at least in my country, Australia), which has played a major role in popularising stupidity. Experts on ,for example, climate change are portrayed as loony, doomsday tree-huggers. In numerous other areas, including national intelligence, experts have been ignored so that evidence can be compiled for a case that suits the government's political agenda. People who through their expertise are qualified to comment on government policy are dismissed as elitist, being therefore disqualified to speak because of their expertise. Is it any wonder that there is a public distrust of scientists and other experts?

[Kim]

I apologize for posting this question here, but I did not see any other more appropriate place. I am very much enjoying this site and all the comments, but have a simple question. Does "woo woo" have a specific meaning or origin? I eventually figured out that it refers to the pseudo-science, mystical, psycho-babble that seems to be the antithesis of scientific inquiry, but where exactly does the phrase come from? Thanks.

[Bronze Dog]

There's some dispute on the origin. I like the theramin one.

[Mike]

Mostly a good list, but he forgot a top 10 pile of manure: 9/11 Truthers

[hardcase]

Mike, last year's list included Alex Jones at #40:

40. Alex Jones

Charges: A blustery schizoid moron who makes everyone near him look like an ass just for not punching him when they have the chance. False prophet of the lunatic fringe's lunatic fringe, Jones has crafted a paranoid alternate reality incorporating every cockamamie conspiracy ever conceived, from the "murder" of Princess Di to "Atlantis was an inside job." It's all done by the Freemasons or the Bilderbergers, or something like that; politicians and world leaders who meet and perform secret satanic rituals, as if that would be worse than the things they really do in the light of day. Question authority, kids, but question raving maniacs too. We wouldn't be surprised if Jones actually works for the Feds as an agent provocateur to make the left look stupid. Lord knows it worked on those "Loose Change" douchebags.

Exhibit A: The ultimate proof that Jones is full of shit is that he's still alive.

Sentence: Abducted via black helicopter and detained indefinitely in secret FEMA internment camp where men in black ski masks insert microchips into his brain, just as he secretly wishes.

[VikingMoose]

Thanks for this post - what a great list!

cheers,
VM