[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xGCxbhGaVfE[/youtube]
I think that the right wingers have decided that if liberal propaganda can be put forth as “the truth,” why by god, so can right wing, and/or religious propaganda be put forth as well. HE points us to topic of intelligent design as depicted in the “documentary” Expelled. Ben Stein (who actually writes for the NY Times occasionally) is the person behind the documentary which proclaims “no intelligence allowed.”
By the way, this reminds me of the NAMBLA guys who march at gay rights rallies because they falsely believe they too have “rights.” I am not sure that there is a place of the extreme right in the world of documentaries. Why this is, I don’t know. What I do know is that the docs that are popular with the Academy tend to be leftist more than rightist. And this doc will likely ruin any credibility Ben Stein may have had.
Apparently, as HE tells it, a critic was shut out of a screening of the film but went anyway, then panned it, naturally – and why wouldn’t he pan it? It’s a silly concept from the get-go, one that assumes an “intelligent” being “planned” life as we know it, the end result being smarter creatures roaming the earth. I’m going to ramble a bit so bear with me. Intelligence is something predators need but it doesn’t guarantee you long-lasting survival; in fact, many of the most hearty species evolved to a state where they were in harmony with their environment, took care of their waste, and have thus survived millions of years. We’re not quite there yet and from the looks of it, we ain’t gonna last that long unless we get a lot smarter in a hurry. Environmental changes usually wipe out a species and it looks like we’re headed in that direction, either by the natural order or by our own hand. What, pray, is so intelligent about that? Gorgeous and fabulous we are. We are a magnificently evolved species but just because we got where we’ve gotten on our intelligence doesn’t necessarily mean that will continue to help us survive. Moreover, intelligent design seems to favor mankind as the most successful, or the whole point of life in the first place. Phooey to that.
Okay, done rambling. The fact is, this “documentary” will likely be shown at religious gatherings and may be dragged out for the occasional Frontline. I’m, frankly, surprised this debate continued to thrive. I can understand scientists who want to poke apart Darwin’s theory of evolution but they lose me when they start talking about a higher being doing things on purpose. Then again, I suppose we’ve evolved to believe that there is a point to all of it; otherwise, what’s the point.
