Comments on: Ben Stein: Science Kills People http://belowthebeltway.com/2008/04/30/ben-stein-science-kills-people/ I believe in the free speech that liberals used to believe in, the economic freedom that conservatives used to believe in, and the personal freedom that America used to believe in. Sat, 23 Jul 2011 17:00:21 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: Doug Mataconis http://belowthebeltway.com/2008/04/30/ben-stein-science-kills-people/comment-page-1/#comment-211840 Doug Mataconis Thu, 01 May 2008 16:02:18 +0000 http://belowthebeltway.com/2008/04/30/ben-stein-science-kills-people/#comment-211840 James, No, it's Stein who is being way too broad. His assertion that <em>"the last time any of my relatives saw scientists telling them what to do they were telling them to go to the showers to get gassed"</em> Is, quite simply, utter bullshit. Those weren't scientists, they were SS goons sent on a killing mission by a messianic leader. Blaming science for the holocaust is absurd and I would have thought that Stein had more intellectual honesty than that. Apparently, he doesn't James,

No, it’s Stein who is being way too broad.

His assertion that “the last time any of my relatives saw scientists telling them what to do they were telling them to go to the showers to get gassed”

Is, quite simply, utter bullshit.

Those weren’t scientists, they were SS goons sent on a killing mission by a messianic leader. Blaming science for the holocaust is absurd and I would have thought that Stein had more intellectual honesty than that.

Apparently, he doesn’t

]]> By: James Young http://belowthebeltway.com/2008/04/30/ben-stein-science-kills-people/comment-page-1/#comment-211839 James Young Thu, 01 May 2008 15:57:38 +0000 http://belowthebeltway.com/2008/04/30/ben-stein-science-kills-people/#comment-211839 Yes, Doug, but you may recall that both made pretenses to a basis in science ("scientific Socialism," if memory serves) and were hostile to religion. As for "Stein ... blamed science [for mass murder]," I think you're being a little too broad with your brushstrokes. Yes, Doug, but you may recall that both made pretenses to a basis in science (“scientific Socialism,” if memory serves) and were hostile to religion.

As for “Stein … blamed science [for mass murder],” I think you’re being a little too broad with your brushstrokes.

]]> By: Doug Mataconis http://belowthebeltway.com/2008/04/30/ben-stein-science-kills-people/comment-page-1/#comment-211776 Doug Mataconis Thu, 01 May 2008 09:38:48 +0000 http://belowthebeltway.com/2008/04/30/ben-stein-science-kills-people/#comment-211776 James, Stein didn't blame ideology for mass-murder, he blamed <em>science</em>, the one thing that distinguishes Western Civilization from the irrationality of the rest of the world. And I'd contest the idea that Naziism and Communism were really any different from religion to begin with. They also had their own irrational ideas. James,

Stein didn’t blame ideology for mass-murder, he blamed science, the one thing that distinguishes Western Civilization from the irrationality of the rest of the world.

And I’d contest the idea that Naziism and Communism were really any different from religion to begin with. They also had their own irrational ideas.

]]> By: James Young http://belowthebeltway.com/2008/04/30/ben-stein-science-kills-people/comment-page-1/#comment-211728 James Young Thu, 01 May 2008 02:45:21 +0000 http://belowthebeltway.com/2008/04/30/ben-stein-science-kills-people/#comment-211728 Uh, Doug, I'm pretty sure that I wouldn't have phrased it in the same way that Stein did, but it's a dead certainty that atheistic ideologies (Naziism; Communism) have been responsible for many more deaths (probably on an order of magnitude or two) than "blind adherence to religion," and yes, that would include "The Crusades. the Inquisition, the religious wars that tore Europe apart, Islamic Fundamentalism." For example, Naziism managed to kill more Jews in 12 years than millenia of anti-Semitism. Uh, Doug, I’m pretty sure that I wouldn’t have phrased it in the same way that Stein did, but it’s a dead certainty that atheistic ideologies (Naziism; Communism) have been responsible for many more deaths (probably on an order of magnitude or two) than “blind adherence to religion,” and yes, that would include “The Crusades. the Inquisition, the religious wars that tore Europe apart, Islamic Fundamentalism.” For example, Naziism managed to kill more Jews in 12 years than millenia of anti-Semitism.

]]> By: RevAaron http://belowthebeltway.com/2008/04/30/ben-stein-science-kills-people/comment-page-1/#comment-211656 RevAaron Wed, 30 Apr 2008 21:50:45 +0000 http://belowthebeltway.com/2008/04/30/ben-stein-science-kills-people/#comment-211656 Seriously Doug, were you not paying attention to Ben's good word? *Science* kills people, not Nazis! Perhaps in his forthcoming book he can back up this idea. Afterall, it wasn't Anti-Semitic ideologues and their goons that thunk up, pushed for, and implemented the "Final Solution!" It was SCIENCE! I had no clue that Stein was such a tool. His comrades in Die Partei got to him, eh? Or was he always like this? I always pictured him as a bit of an agnostic paleocon, perhaps a Randite minarchist- but not some science fearing, creationism pushing schmuck. Seriously Doug, were you not paying attention to Ben’s good word? *Science* kills people, not Nazis! Perhaps in his forthcoming book he can back up this idea. Afterall, it wasn’t Anti-Semitic ideologues and their goons that thunk up, pushed for, and implemented the “Final Solution!” It was SCIENCE!

I had no clue that Stein was such a tool. His comrades in Die Partei got to him, eh? Or was he always like this? I always pictured him as a bit of an agnostic paleocon, perhaps a Randite minarchist- but not some science fearing, creationism pushing schmuck.

]]> By: MB http://belowthebeltway.com/2008/04/30/ben-stein-science-kills-people/comment-page-1/#comment-211614 MB Wed, 30 Apr 2008 20:37:53 +0000 http://belowthebeltway.com/2008/04/30/ben-stein-science-kills-people/#comment-211614 Derbyshire taking on Stein? Hilarious. That's like fighting fire with fire, I suppose. You know, if fire were stupid. Derbyshire taking on Stein? Hilarious. That’s like fighting fire with fire, I suppose. You know, if fire were stupid.

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