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| 7 days or 7 eras, who's counting? |
Oh dear.... Marco Rubio is one of the great Republican hopes for 2016 and yet he made a major blunder that basically bars him from ever receiving votes from people like me. Not that I vote in the US, mind you, but there are a lot of folks there who would love less taxes and a little bit more austerity in the US budget but could never entrust that task to someone that does not know the difference between 7 days and 7 eras, whatever "eras" mean....
Let's look at the actual quote from GQ who interviewed Marco Rubio, junior Florida Senator, already on any Veep GOP list.
Let's first recognize that this question was absolutely idiotic in the context of the interview. Rubio could have easily brushed it up saying that talking about religion and science matters would require another complete interview he would be delighted to give some other opportunity. But no, the guy dived in and ensnared himself beautifully.
GQ: How old do you think the Earth is?
Marco Rubio: I'm not a scientist, man. I can tell you what recorded history says, I can tell you what the Bible says, but I think that's a dispute amongst theologians and I think it has nothing to do with the gross domestic product or economic growth of the United States. I think the age of the universe has zero to do with how our economy is going to grow. I'm not a scientist. I don't think I'm qualified to answer a question like that. At the end of the day, I think there are multiple theories out there on how the universe was created and I think this is a country where people should have the opportunity to teach them all. I think parents should be able to teach their kids what their faith says, what science says. Whether the Earth was created in 7 days, or 7 actual eras, I'm not sure we'll ever be able to answer that. It's one of the great mysteries.
The first thing that I need to say that I am scientist, man, and that understanding basic science is a clear indicator on your abilities to understand complex problems such as what parameters make a modern economy function. Globalization and Chinese competitiveness is not taught in the Bible, however understanding the Big Bang theory prepares you more to understand complex economic statistics than the book of Genesis.
Second, I cannot fail to note the hypocrisy of Marco Rubio who says that he is not a scientist and thus not able to answer the question, but does so anyway. That a silly blogger like yours truly who will never run for office pretends to have answers to all is one thing, but as the Senator of a major state and a natural candidate to the US presidency does such type of statement is simply unacceptable because it reflect worrisome intellectual flaws. Period.
And third, of course, Marco Rubio is an ignorant on the great questions of our world. It is not that he skipped science classes at school, but what other classes did he skip?
There are not multiple theories on how earth was made. That scientists disagree on how the Bing Bang played out is one thing, but there are some stuff that no one questions such as the expanding universe and the age of this one placed at least at 10 billion years. Earth by the way, is dated at least at 4+ billion years and no serious scientists disagrees with that anymore. Pretending that there are more theories is just a crass attempt at Rubio to ingratiate himself with creationists and derived idiots who pretend that there is a cacophony in the hard science word to force their beliefs upon us. I have news for them and Rubio: if X thinks that earth is 4 billion years and Y thinks that it is 4,5 is not a disagreement on the age of earth it is an disagreement on what technique is used to establish the exact age. Both agree that it is way past 7 days and 7 eras. Both are in full agreement that "intelligent design" or whatever creationism is called these days is just crap.
And that is the problem, the real problem of Marco Rubio's words: he does not understand how science works and thus we are allowed, we owe it to ourselves, to worry a lot about his understanding of other things in life.
PS: I am allowing myself this US politics post because Marco Rubio has been cited often enough in the comment section of this blog and because his Cuban origin supposedly makes him a natural bridge between latinos and the US government between the US and Latin american countries. Well, at least in Venezuela he has his match with Chavez and his earth age theory. I will kindly suggest Senator Rubio to start watching History channel who carries excellent series on how the Universe Functions and how the Earth was made. He can do that at night in motel rooms during his many travels and nicely complete his education, least he wants to sound like the individual below who has been reelected president of Venezuela stating that the human species has only 25 centuries on earth:
Surely Marco Rubio does not want to look as ignorant as Chavez. No?
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UPDATE
Considering the virulence of some comments in a blog that has become quite quiet since October 7 I feel the need to add a few things to the many Republicans that apparently read this blog and are expecting Rubio to be the next GOP candidate.
I have nothing personal against Rubio. As far as I am concerned he can do no worse than Romney and has probably more integrity over all. But the fact of the matter is that he made a booboo with GQ even if his intention was to pander to Iowa. If Iowa is that important I suggest that the US skips election altogether and limit itself to Iowa caucus for the next president choice. Fortunately it is now clear that New Hampshire and Iowa do not have the clout they used to have and it is hoped that this trend will keep on. I need to remind folks that Iowa was won by Obama, by almost 6 points...... So, to go all huffy and puffy over Iowa is really not a good strategy in my book and I predict that more and more candidates will start skipping Iowa altogether.
The other thing is that it is still amazing to me that people assume that by being anti Chavez I am automatically pro GOP. I have never made any mystery of my Liberal, US sense, proclivities, espousing all sorts of Liberal causes associated with my civil Libertarian side. Thus it should be of no surprise that I would not let the words of Rubio pass unpunished. And when a similar idiocy from Obama was reported to me by Fausta I promptly skewered Obama for whom I have no lost love. For me Obama is left of Liberal and had I voted in the US I would have done so for him because Romney was too far on the right and too intransigent on the civil libertarian issues that are closest to me, and more important than a balanced budget. In other words, the Tea Party is not my cup of tea whatsoever.
In other words, I make mine the historical Liberal label, a honorable one that has become associated with the silly left by the GOP in its war against the Democrats with a no hold barred strategy. This is the dark part of the Reagan inheritance where any thing left of the GOP is a socialist/liberal. Exactly what chavismo is doing to the democratic right in Venezuela. I refuse to accept that from Chavez or form the GOP. Fuck them all!