Sunday Reading

Whether you're stuck inside or not today, there's a lot of good reading to dive into.

-- Infidel 753 has assembled another eclectic link round-up.  This is the best place to start if you want a broad set of topics of interest to sample.

-- Adam Gopnik at The New Yorker has a great read about why pearl- clutching about the left having a "Trump Derangement Syndrome" completely misses the point:

... The problem is that it refuses to see, or to entirely register, the actual nature of Trump and his actions. Our problem is not Trump Derangement Syndrome; our problem is Deranged Trump Self-Delusion. This is the habit of willfully substituting, as a motive for Trump’s latest action, a conventional political or geostrategic ambition, rather than recognizing the action as the daily spasm of narcissistic gratification and episodic vanity that it truly is.

Recent broad examples of this have come from "things that go boom make Trump presidential" Fareed Zakaria (who was Gopnik's likely target because of this inane piece) and click- bait concern trollers like Caitlin Flanagan (who blames meanies like Samantha Bee for Trump's rise -- really).

-- Showing nascent signs that they may have heard the calls to "do your job," the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform is asking for proof that Trump isn't violating the Emoluments Clause in the Constitution:

On Friday, the Oversight Committee sent a letter to Sheri Dillon — the lawyer who detailed how Trump planned to avoid conflicts of interest during a January 11 news conference — asking her to detail how that plan is being implemented by no later than May 12. [snip]

The Oversight Committee specifically asks Dillon for documents detailing how payments from foreign governments are identified, how they’re calculated, the manner in which they’re donated to the Treasury, how those donations are tracked and reported, whether Trump or his business plan to claim them as a gift for tax deduction purposes, and which entities within the Trump Organization will be responsible for making sure all that happens.

We're certain this caused great butthurt to Trump loyalist/ coverup co- conspirator and Committee chair Rep. Jason "Clouseau" Chaffetz, who's decided to bail out of Congress to avoid any further pain that comes from doing his job.

-- Finally, Prof. Jacquelyn Gill writes about yesterday's March for Science, and why science is intertwined with politics, especially in this age of reactionary denialism:

When science is for everyone, it is transparent, accessible and broadly communicated. It has direct benefits to public health and our economy, contributes to a culture of innovation and discovery, and supports education and engagement at all stages of life. The intersections between science and politics may feel new, but they’re not. The outcomes of scientific research have always extended well beyond the lab and the boardroom. Our work has implications for our environment, public health, civil rights, economics, education and national defense. This means science has always been political. And I believe that this is a feature, not a bug.

March for Science: Earth Day 2017

Today, Earth Day 2017, marchers around the globe are calling for support of science and its role in combatting global climate change. Under the "March for Science" banner, thousands of marchers in Washington, D.C. have gathered at the Capitol in preparation for a march to the White House to demand an evidence-based policy toward environmental challenges worldwide. From Sydney to Berlin to London to dozens of cities in the U.S., marchers are hoping to energize people to resist the anti-science positions of neo-fascist sociopath Donald "Rump" Trump who has proposed deep cuts in environmental and earth science programs. One organizer, Dr. Roger Morris of King College London, summed up the worldwide events:

"These marches are brilliant -- a spontaneous, global response led by young scientists empowered by social media, keenly aware of the global challenges that need to be addressed if their world is to have a civilized, sustainable future. Insular populist politics, which have temporarily triumphed in the US and UK, need to be balanced by the broader vision of youth."

With anti-science nationalism spreading in the U.S. and Europe, it's critical that not only the science community but also the general public demonstrate the belief that science plays a vital role in human progress.