Conservatism and idiocy's peculiar union

There is no necessary connection, I am sure, between conservatism and idiocy. Lately, however, the noisiest conservatives here in the U.S. have revealed themselves to be either the most cynical bastards the world has ever seen—or, well, idiots. I’m sure you know why I say that.

A few days ago, I noted a new poll that revealed that even more Brits than Americans now favor teaching creationism and “intelligent design” in the public schools.

That blew me away.

Tonight, I read Ben Goldacre’s column in the Guardian (Influence from the Sun and the Moon).

Goldacre notes some idiocies recently blurted forth by some contemporary British conservatives. They are remarkable.

He offers a recent remark by Conservative MP (for Bosworth), David Tredinnick. Tredinnick is a proponent of alternative medicines. Said Tredinnick,

It is no good people saying that just because we cannot prove something, it does not work ... I believe that the department needs to be very open to the idea of energy transfers and the people who work in that sphere.

Energy transfers. I see. He goes on:

In 2001, I raised in the house the influence of the moon, on the basis of the evidence then that at certain phases of the moon there are more accidents. Surgeons will not operate because blood clotting is not effective and the police have to put more people on the street. … I am talking about a long-standing discipline – an art and a science – that has been with us since ancient Egyptian, Roman, Babylonian and Assyrian times. It is part of the Chinese, Muslim and Hindu cultures... Criticism is deeply offensive to those cultures … and I have a Muslim college in my constituency.

Tredinnick is obviously an idiot. Those who question Tredinnick’s peculiar beliefs, reports Goldacre, are met with charges of superstition and ignorance. Skeptical scientists are, says Tredinnick, "deeply prejudiced, and racially prejudiced, too, which is troubling."

Meanwhile, writes, Goldacre,

the flag bearers for conservatism at the Spectator magazine are now promoting climate change denialism … and Aids denialism, even in its print edition. ¶ And the Next Left blog recently pointed out that of all the top 10 Conservative blogs, every single one is sceptical about man-made climate change.

What on earth is going on?

And why are British MPs so goddam ugly, tell me that!