While some conspiracy theorists I’ve dealt with might think otherwise, I am wholeheartedly a liberal and perhaps the foremost difference between modern liberals and conservatives is that liberals believe the government has a positive role to play in society. However, I am also a skeptic which often puts me at odds with my government, the right wing and my compatriots all at once. I think that neither the knee-jerk reactionary pro-capitalist patriotism of the far right nor the emotion-driven peace, love and understanding of the far left are conducive to finding real solutions that positively affect our security and welfare.

We live in a world where the issues are both driven and informed by science and technology. As such, I think that the best way to form governmental policy and programs is to apply the best tool we have for understanding how the world, and ourselves, work – the scientific method. Yet very few people are scientists, and even scientists advanced in one field are hard pressed to comment on issues from other fields. So how do we understand, and act, without succumbing to either authoritarianism or ideology?

I believe that by adopting a skeptical worldview we can make better choices. And while the popular notion of skeptics is one of bitter, argumentative naysayers or laissez-faire free-market fundamentalists, and indeed, both those stereotypes can sometimes be correct, the truth of the matter is much different. A skeptical worldview means simply basing our beliefs and actions on evidence, and not allowing emotion to drive the debate. It’s a process of reasoning that seeks to correct for our inherent human fallibilities, including our often flawed reasoning. Furthermore, in order to work effectively, precisely because of our personal fallibilities, skepticism is a communal process requiring the input of as many people looking at a problem from as many perspectives as possible. This makes skepticism inherently self-correcting and helps assure that we do not cling to outmoded beliefs as new evidence becomes available.

In short, a skeptical worldview on the part of citizens seems not only ideally suited but necessary to the proper functioning of a democratic republic. That’s why I chose “Skepticism and Politics” as the theme for this edition of Carnival of the Liberals. I was hoping to highlight posts that speak to this necessary skepticism in politics. Although I didn’t expect many posts on this theme, I was surprised at the number I received. And while not all of them deal with topics typically of concern to the mainstream skeptical movement, they all looked at various issues from a skeptical viewpoint. So without any further dissembling from me, and in no particular order, here’s my top ten picks out of the almost forty posts sent in this biweek.

Phil Plait of Bad Astronomy presents a video produced by the NCSE which shows the hypocrisy and lies of those who would teach their religious belief as science.

Talking about a hypocrisy of a different sort, Between Us Girls tells us The Trouble With Sex In America.

Which brings us to Greta Christina’s wonderful essay Born or Learned? Sexulality, Science and Party Lines. Oftentimes scientific debates are co-opted for political purposes when the reality of the situation is that the science in question doesn’t even apply to the issue at hand.

Then there’s the case of simply putting forth bad science in defense of politics. Doctor Biobrain questions one such study which concludes that pot smoking makes your blood fatty.

Of course, as Richard Hofstadter showed 40 odd years ago and Susan Jacoby demonstrates today, American society has a strong current of anti-intellectualism running through it. Submitted to a Candid World examines one facet of anti-intellectualism and tells us why knowledge isn’t elitist.

But even if we in the reality based community understand the importance of knowledge and science, the fact remains that anti-intellectualism, ignorance and a general lack of critical thinking are endemic in the U.S. and politicians on both sides will continue to exploit them. To that end, Vagabond Scholar says it’s important to understand how the right spins the news to their advantage using the indisputable king of spin, Karl Rove, to make his point. Meanwhile, on the left, Expert Opinion shows us Hillary Clinton’s proposed gas tax holiday puts the lie to her stated opinion on anthropomorphic global warming and reveals herself as caring more for her own self-interest than the world our children will live in.

Let me just take a moment to say that I don’t agree with Expert Opinion on not voting for Hillary, should she be the Democratic nominee (though that’s looking increasingly unlikely now) because of her stance on this one issue. While I harbor no illusions that Hillary Clinton is anything other than the consummate politician she appears to be, and Globally Rational shows just how much of a politician she is, I have to think that she can’t help but be better than McCain.

The intersection of politics and bigotry is often to be found in conspiracy theories which Chip Berlet aptly describes as a narrative form of scapegoating. Atheist Revolution examines the anti-atheist bigotry that is behind the fraudulent Ben Stein documentary Expelled which presents the conspiracy theory that the evil secularists are themselves conspiring to kick honest, skeptical, doubters of evolution out of academia.

Finally, Greg Laden’s post tells us that the best way to change the way Americans think about any given issue, especially those issues dependent on science, is to force the media to promote the rational over the irrational. The good news, at least in some respects, is that we’re winning.

And that’s it for this sixty-fifth edition of Carnival of the Liberals. Carnival of the Liberals returns for #66 in two week’s time on Wednesday, June 4th at The Otherwhirled. See the link for details, but this biweek’s host encourages you to focus your submissions on why you happen to be of a liberal or progressive mind^*. As always, blogcarnival.com is your friend. See you next time.

* Just a note about these themed editions of Carnival of the Liberals. I know some of you are getting tired of them. Personally, I like the idea of having themes every now and then. Ideally they’d be more spaced out over the course of the year. Having this long run of themed editions is not planned on my part, in fact, it’s distinct lack of planning that is the reason we’ve had so many in a row. So after The Otherwhirled’s carnival, let’s try to space out the themed editions a little more, OK?