In which Scott Adams – THE Scott Adams – informs one of my occasional critics that she’s completely full of equine ejectus:
This blogger, who calls himself PZ, is evidently a highly educated scientist, extremely informed on the topic of evolution, and quite passionate. But for reasons that fascinate the trained hypnotist in me, that brilliance doesn’t extend to comprehending The Dilbert Blog….
When people misrepresent the views of their opposition, and attack the misrepresentation, they lose all credibility with me. Both sides in the evolution debate do that with gusto. Why would I believe people who prove to me they are either dishonest or biased or worse?
PZ’s misrepresentations of my views are incredibly clever. (He’s a smart guy.) And he uses quotes from my writing to make it seem impossible that he’s misinterpreting me. Here are just a few examples.
I said it’s POSSIBLE for scientists to have herd mentality. PZ interprets that as if I’m saying scientists DO. Then he attacks the misrepresentation. (How much credibility can you have if you argue it’s not POSSIBLE for scientists to have herd instinct on this issue?)
Now, I could have told Scott that Pharyngula, or as I prefer to think of her, Pharyngurl, was a run-of-the-mill, intellectually dishonest, little left-wing academic at a sub-par state school. But it’s so much more enjoyable to watch him discover this for himself.
However, the funniest thing with regards to this episode, yet, is how it has led Orac to conclude that Scott Adams is a “wingnut”, that favored term of disapprobation meant to indicate wild extremism among the lunatic, bed-wetting left. At this rate, within thirty years, the meaning of the term “extremist” will be reversed, not unlike that of the word “liberal”, and will serve to indicate an individual whose views are shared by at least 75 percent of the populace.