Doubting Marcus

Programming Note

Starting Monday I’m going to be on the road for nearly two weeks with limited internet access during that time. As a result there may be a few digital tumbleweeds passing through this area shortly.

When I return home there will likely be large changes to the blog for only the 27th time in my couple years here most notably being more frequent posting with (usually) shorter lengths. It’ll be much closer to what I was doing when I started this blog with the benefit of being written by someone who is actually informed.

When I Am Actually On Twitter

I’m sometimes asked when or whether I’m ever actually on twitter and the most reliable answer is during basically any major political event you can find me on twitter, twittering away. Yes I said twittering, language will obey me and it’s much funnier, to me at least, than tweeting.

Ironically tonight may be a bit of an exception because my pseudo-religion is back today and it would be a minor blasphemy to miss opening night.

My Worst Kept Secret

I’m not one for labels, and I don’t affiliate myself with a party, but I’m quite liberal by American standards on most political issues. With the daily back and forth in the presidential election increasing I wanted to talk about politics more openly but I just wasn’t up to the task of playing unbiased observer in what I don’t see as an equal field. While logical fallacies and abuses of cognitive bias know no political affiliation, the denial of climate change and, at best, timid support for teaching only science in science classrooms are party platforms for conservatives in the U.S. While liberals are far more likely to be anti-vaxxers and generally support new-age woo, these are hardly positions that get publicly endorsed by party leaders. And that’s just the major science issues.

Moreover despite initially trying to avoid talking much about politics I realized that over time I’d even answered many value issues. I’ve unambiguously supported LGBTQ rights (as every person should!), my stance on freedom of religion is obvious and at various times I’ve answered questions or posted information about everything from abortion to what I think is the classic bad argument against public safety measures.

Not to mention any long time followers of other skeptic or nontheist blogs probably already know my political positions because I’ve openly discussed them there.

It shouldn’t surprise anyone that not all political positions are compatible with my beliefs about science, rationality and religion. This isn’t to say there isn’t plenty of straightforward analysis to be done about avoiding biases and prioritizing your values when voting, there surely is and I will discuss some of it, but there will also be discussion of broader political philosophy. I just thought in transparency, something Obama and Romney both know little about, I’d confess I can’t play the role of debate mediator on this topic but that I can and will take sides. Know when I do so, as always, I welcome dissent.

It’s Good to Be Back

Two days ago one of my email accounts was apparently hacked resulting in several of my website profiles to be breached. It took several hours to undo the damage and because the last thing I wanted to see was access to my precious tumblr similarly compromised I took every precaution to avoid it which meant not signing back in here until I was sure I was in the clear. Fortunately everything is finally back in order now.

Anyway this interrupted and delayed my ongoing discussion of morality, several private discussions I was engaged in and the official reveal of my worst kept secret. All of these shall commence again in 3…2…1…

Three for the Money… I Mean For Free… Uh Just Read It

I’ve been completing ignoring a few topics of interest for this blog which I don’t want to completely ignore but which weren’t important enough to have their own post. So on when the show:

I’ve become a vegetarian. It’s been over two years since I decided there weren’t any good reasons for me to eat meat but it wasn’t until much more recently that I started to feel cognitive dissonance when eating it. I did it to feel better about myself and I do. I’m sure at some point in the future I’ll make the case here for being vegetarian.

————-

I’ve also not said anything about TAM 2012, which is going on right now, mostly because all I could say is I wish I was there. Again I’m sure some talks from TAM will end up being posted on my blog in the future. Hopefully I’ll be blogging from there next year.

————-

Lastly in the latest in the never-ending atheist blogadrama there was a kerfuffle between Thunderf00t, PZ Myers and Freethought Blogs. Now I usually don’t comment on drama, and when I do I’m always the last to do so as I am now, but if you don’t think there needs to be a sexual harassment policy in a conference setting with hundreds or thousands of people you are kidding yourself. Similarly if you don’t think the availability heuristic can have an effect when speaking about issues like this you too are kidding yourself. However, as Richard Carrier pointed out, it is the responsibility of the listener to take account for the availability heuristic. Perhaps what should be most taken away from this particular drama is the flamboyant, and frankly often belittling, styles of both Thunderf00t and PZ Myers might not be suitable for rational discourse on any topic, let alone for a very sensitive issue like where the line is for sexual harassment and what we should do about it.

In Case You Were Wondering

A few of you may have noticed though I’ve posted videos and quotes contributions of my own have been missing from my blog for about a week or as it’s known in internet time, some of you may have been wondering if I died. The absence could be attributed simply to a busy week and spending a little more than usual time in debates on other blogs.

No matter the reason, in that time I have been working on some page updates to come and larger pieces like my look at conspiracies. Things could return to normal as early as tomorrow and at the latest should get there by Wednesday.

So there you have it. I’m still alive, in case you were wondering.

Keep Your Brooms

Every generation thus far has featured one group withholding the rights of another. In the first couple decades of the 20th century women legally couldn’t vote and blacks couldn’t vote in practice. During that period, despite this unyielding prejudice and discrimination, many individuals exercised that very right to vote in order to get those oppressed minorities that same right. Sadly, there are still people being denied equal rights but today, as we all know, it is the right to get married being withheld from gay and lesbian couples. In the face of this continuing discrimination as a single straight male I’ve decided that I won’t get married until gay people can do the same.

I’m well aware that there are many straight people who share my conviction for marriage rights for all don’t but share my belief that they shouldn’t get married. Obviously my refusal to elope isn’t going to change the laws and allow LGBT couples to get married and unlike those who used the right withheld from others to get them that very right, I can’t elope my way until all others can do the same (though I can and do vote to accomplish this).

This isn’t a protest and accordingly I don’t expect results. I just wouldn’t feel right taking advantage of a right when I know there are others who can’t do the same. I’ve been told that I will back off of this conviction when I am interested in getting married either through pressure of my potential spouse or because they think my idealism just won’t match my actions in reality. However to actually do so would be to betray a part of who I am so until everyone can get married I say keep your brooms. The only way that I can have a clear conscience both now and when future generations look back at our age with the same sense of shame that many now get about women and racial minorities being denied equal rights is if I don’t take advantage of a right not provided to all.

The Long Goodbye

What is the effect of killing someone who was the leader of a death cult? It could serve to strengthen the resolve of its members or they could collapse without the charismatic leader usually needed for such ventures. In the short hours since the news broke I’ve watched nonstop coverage of the assassination of Osama Bin Laden and as a result have seen rampant speculation as to the possible effects on BBC, NBC, ABC, CNN and Al Jazeera. What I haven’t seen much of is the impact that his views on Islam played in his actions with the notable exception of President Obama who said Bin Laden “was not a Muslim leader” and reiterated we are not at war with Islam both of which I find faults in.

While he had steeply declining support around the world it’s near impossible to argue that Bin Laden was not a leader for nearly all Muslims who think that Islam should rule the world. For every Muslim who thought that the strict imposition of Sharia was a good idea not just in their country but globally Bin Laden was quite literally fighting the good fight. It is no less than the No True Scotsman fallacy to say that all of these people are not Muslims or to claim that he was not a leader of those people. However what I do agree with Obama on is that no one has suffered more death, injustice or loss at the hands of Bin Laden and al-Qaeda than Muslims which brings me to Obama’s second point. Despite the repeated words coming from the oval office we are in fact at war with a certain brand of Islam but it is not just America and it’s allies who are fighting this war, it is everyone in the world who does not support the radical version of Islam espoused by the likes of Bin Laden and that includes all other Muslims, which would in fact encompass the majority of all Muslims. I can’t emphasize that latter part enough.

Whether active or passively engaged, particularly since 9/11 the entire world except Jihadis and their sympathizers, has been waiting for the day that word of Bin Laden’s capture or death would run across a ticker and as for me personally I feel relieved but anxious. Anxious to see what lies beyond the death of the world’s most hated man but relieved because I know he can do no more harm in the world.

9/11 was my introduction to global politics as an adolescent but as I think back at all that this man and his lackeys have done to change the world for the worse in the last 9 and a half years, the unimaginable devastation unleashed on uncountable families across the world a part of me wants to actively celebrate but perhaps a larger share wants to cry. No matter the conflict of emotions, today this man just says good riddance to a vile despot, a nefarious obscurantist, a murderous engineer. While I can’t, and wouldn’t, go so far as those who I’ve already seen wish him a inglorious burn in hell for eternity I will say the world is much better off for having him no longer a part of it.

Mark this one down as a victory for civilization, for peace and for humanity.