Never thought of it that way Santanu. While it does make some profoundly cynical sense, there is a downside to it though: Because these are the people who control the hearings and the pathway to funding of basic research and higher education that the Govt. must do and private enterprise won't.
On Nov 14, 2012, at 8:01 AM, "Roy, Santanu" <s...@mail.smu.edu> wrote: > Dilip-da: > I agree with you about the general apathy towards science, but there is > something more too - a hostility towards science in the minds of the > religious fringe (quite a large fringe). They truly believe it to be a dark > art and would like to retain some political control over it. Having these > kind of representatives provides some form of assurance to this section of > the population, and allows government to function with less friction. As long > as these representatives are sufficiently corrupt to compromise on their > "principles" (they always are), they do serve a useful purpose. The crazies > must feel included. > Santanu. > ________________________________________ > From: assam [assam-boun...@assamnet.org] on behalf of Dilip Deka > [dilipd...@yahoo.com] > Sent: Wednesday, November 14, 2012 7:46 AM > To: A Mailing list for people interested in Assam from around the world > Subject: Re: [Assam] Hot News from USA > > Think of the reason why the science committee gets such members. > To start with, science is not an attractive subject in USA. So, anything to > do with science gets lower ranking than say economy, finance, health,social > security etc. Thus, the science committee does not attract the star players. > The rejects who do not get selected to any other committee opt for the likes > of science committee.The common man does not care what rubbish the science > committee puts out or what the members utter in the name of science. The > importance of a committee is measured in terms of how many dollars it > influences. > Dilip > ======================================================================= > > --- On Tue, 11/13/12, Chan Mahanta <cmaha...@gmail.com> wrote: > >> From: Chan Mahanta <cmaha...@gmail.com> >> Subject: Re: [Assam] Hot News from USA >> To: "A Mailing list for people interested in Assam from around the world" >> <assam@assamnet.org> >> Date: Tuesday, November 13, 2012, 9:42 PM >> If it is not theater of the absurd, I >> can't imagine what would be! >> Faat diya boxumoti paatale' lukaon! ( Please Mother earth, >> split asunder, so I can hide from this shame). >> >> >> >> >> >> On Nov 13, 2012, at 9:35 PM, amlan saha <a.s...@alumni.tufts.edu> >> wrote: >> >>> Ah, the ever amusing Science Committee, which counts >> among its members the >>> likes of >>> >>> - *Todd Akin* - "If it’s a >> legitimate rape, the female body has ways to >>> try to shut that whole thing down.” >>> - *Paul Broun* - “All that stuff I >> was taught about evolution and >>> embryology and the Big Bang Theory, >> all that is lies straight from the pit >>> of Hell,” >>> - *Roscoe Bartlett* - “There are >> very few pregnancies as a result of >>> rape, fortunately, and incest — >> compared to the usual abortion, what is the >>> percentage of abortions for rape? It >> is tiny. It is a tiny, tiny >>> percentage.” >>> - *Randy Neugebauer* - "join together >> in prayer to humbly seek fair >>> weather conditions” after several >> destructive tornadoes and droughts. >>> - *Dana Rohrabacher* - “We don’t >> know what those other cycles [of global >>> warming] were caused by in the past. >> Could be dinosaur flatulence, you >>> know, or who knows?” >>> - *Jim Sensenbrenner* - railed against >> "scientific fascism" and called >>> climate change research an >> "international conspiracy". >>> - *Sandy Adams* - voted in favor of a >> bill to teach theories that >>> contradict the theory of evolution. >>> >>> Rohrabacher and Sensenbrenner are now in the running to >> take the gavel of >>> the Committee in the 113th Congress! >>> >>> >>> On Tue, Nov 13, 2012 at 10:05 PM, Chan Mahanta <cmaha...@gmail.com> >> wrote: >>>> >>>> He is still a Congressman you know, lame duck as he >> is. But it is >>> appalling to see the pea-brained people that are in the >> Science >>> Subcommittee. It is a pathetic joke. >>>> >>>> >>>> On Nov 13, 2012, at 7:02 PM, "Alpana B. >> Sarangapani" < >>> absarangap...@hotmail.com> >> wrote: >>>> >>>>> I meant - if it were a hot topic, then!. : ) >>>>> >>>>>>>> I can see why Bobby Jindal is >> urging HIS people to “stop being the >>> stupid party” . >>>>> >>>>> What about him, in spite of being Rhodes >> Scholar being a gung-ho >>> supporter of the NRA? >>>>> >>>>> I thought Todd Akin lost. Can he still serve at >> a (any) Congressional >>> Committee? >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> Sent from my iPad >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> On Nov 13, 2012, at 3:20 PM, "Chan Mahanta" >> <cmaha...@gmail.com> >> wrote: >>>>> >>>>>> I didn't get that, A. >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> On Nov 13, 2012, at 3:14 PM, "Alpana B. >> Sarangapani" < >>> absarangap...@hotmail.com> >> wrote: >>>>>> >>>>>>> But that would have made India's cases >> similar to that, stronger, >>> don't you think, C-da? : ) >>>>>>> >>>>>>> >>>>>>> >>>>>>> Sent from my iPhone >>>>>>> >>>>>>> On Nov 13, 2012, at 2:58 PM, "Chan >> Mahanta" <cmaha...@gmail.com> >>> wrote: >>>>>>> >>>>>>>> Oh, darn A! >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> Looks like I had been losing sleep >> over nothing. >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> But anyway, it was fun reading >> about it. Where else can we get such >>> interesting news from? I mean >>>>>>>> other than Missouri. Did you >> know our very own Todd Akin serves at >>> the Congressional Science Sub-committee? >>>>>>>> I can see why Bobby Jindal is >> urging HIS people to “stop being the >>> stupid party” . >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> Used to think that India had >> problems, you know? >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> On Nov 13, 2012, at 2:44 PM, >> "Alpana B. Sarangapani" < >>> absarangap...@hotmail.com> >> wrote: >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> It has (or is) never been a hot >> topic even to think or discuss >>> about it, let alone be tensed about it. : ) >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> Sent from my iPhone >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> On Nov 13, 2012, at 12:29 PM, >> "Chan Mahanta" <cmaha...@gmail.com> >>> wrote: >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>> Folks, >>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>> I am greatly relieved to >> share a terrific piece of news that many >>> of us Markhowas have been sweating under since November >> 6: That the leader >>> of the Secessionist movement from Texas is a real >> Gandhian, says "---We >>> walk in the same vein as Gandhi and those guys" >>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>> For more on it, look up: >>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>> Read more: >>> http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1112/83776.html#ixzz2C8161Xxo >>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>> Now my question to our >> friends from Texas is if they too are >>> equally relieved. >>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>> cm :-) >>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>> PS: I understand that Texas >> Governor 'Oops' Perry, once a >>> secessionist himself, will not back the new freedom >> seekers. >>>>>>>>>> >> _______________________________________________ >>>>>>>>>> assam mailing list >>>>>>>>>> assam@assamnet.org >>>>>>>>>> http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> >> _______________________________________________ >>>>>>>>> assam mailing list >>>>>>>>> assam@assamnet.org >>>>>>>>> http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> >> _______________________________________________ >>>>>>>> assam mailing list >>>>>>>> assam@assamnet.org >>>>>>>> http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org >>>>>>> >> _______________________________________________ >>>>>>> assam mailing list >>>>>>> assam@assamnet.org >>>>>>> http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> >> _______________________________________________ >>>>>> assam mailing list >>>>>> assam@assamnet.org >>>>>> http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org >>>>> >> _______________________________________________ >>>>> assam mailing list >>>>> assam@assamnet.org >>>>> http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org >>>> >>>> >>>> _______________________________________________ >>>> assam mailing list >>>> assam@assamnet.org >>>> http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org >>> _______________________________________________ >>> assam mailing list >>> assam@assamnet.org >>> http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> assam mailing list >> assam@assamnet.org >> http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org >> > > _______________________________________________ > assam mailing list > assam@assamnet.org > http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org > _______________________________________________ > assam mailing list > assam@assamnet.org > http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org _______________________________________________ assam mailing list assam@assamnet.org http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org
