A Modest Proposal: Let's Change Earth's Orbit
scientificamerican.com
scientificamerican.com
What are we (the U.S.) doing that results largely in the pool of political candidates comprised of people who are so out of touch with reality and lack basic common sense? How do we instead incentivise our best minds to run for office?
Stop electing the idiots when they run?
Almost all problems in democracy start with education.
After reading the Snopes page on the comment, clearly it was deadpan humor that for some reason people made way too much of.
https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/tipping-point/
"Only Johnson knows for sure what he was thinking as he questioned Admiral Willard, and he later claimed he was “speaking metaphorically” and “kidding” (although critics noted no trace of humor was apparent in his words, tone, or body language, nor did he react or offer correction when Admiral Willard addressed his concerns about the island’s “tipping over” as if they were meant literally)"
Gohmert, who asked about “moving the moon”, knows very well that task is beyond our capabilities. He was suggesting that effecting the earths climate -at all- is beyond our capabilities. He’s completely wrong, and being a jerk, but he didn’t genuinely ask if we could move the moon.
This reminds me of when the last president said “I could shoot someone and still be popular” and people genuinely thought he literally meant that. Being an asshole is worth calling out - we don’t have to pretend they’re completely brain dead. The more interesting conversation is: can the BLM and forestry services effectively curb climate change with a bigger budget?
In this case it was malice, and not stupidity, although the rule of assumption stands - this is the exception to that rule. One could argue being unaware of how we -do- effect the climate is stupidity, and I’d agree - but if you comment “this guy really thinks we can move the moon!?!??!” You’re falling into a well constructed trap designed to prevent a real conversation between the isles.
Given the political affiliation and lack of context for the questioning, my assumption was that Gohmert was trying to point out how ridiculous it is to think that people can act on a scale large enough to affect the planet. This applies both ways: to create climate change or to reverse its effects.
The man may indeed be dumb as a bag of rocks, but without some more context to this exchange there's no way to know.
It's just a big cloud of gas, after all.
That worries me far more than the prospect of anyone actually trying to implement this spectacularly stupid idea.