Democrats aren’t the party of science: Jonah Goldberg – USA TODAY
Jonah Goldberg 9:38 a.m. ET April 8, 2017
Hillary Clinton at Georgetown University on March 31, 2017.(Photo: Susan Walsh, AP)
As fate would have it, Hillary Clinton spoke at the Hillary Rodham Clinton Awards for Advancing Women in Peace and Security, where she emphasized the importance of peace, of women and of women in peace. When women participate in peacekeeping peacemaking we are all safer and more secure and boasted of evidence-based research that backs up this claim.
And shes right. Including women in the peacemaking process is often a valuable way of securing peace in war torn countries.
But she also got in what was seen as a partisan shot at the Trump administration. At one point she began a sentence by saying, Studies show and then interrupted herself: here I go again talking about research, evidenceand facts."
The crowd laughed, cheered and loudly applauded for a while, proving that theres nothing like working out your best material with a friendly audience. Clinton laughed at her supposedly very funny joke, too.
She also said, "Before anybody jumps toany conclusions, I will state clearly: Women are not inherently more peaceful than men. That is a stereotype. That belongs in the alternative reality."
Again, if you dont get the joke, the reference to alternative reality is apparently a jab at Kellyanne Conway, who once said something silly about alternative facts.
But heres what I think is funny. Clintons wrong. Shes the one peddling an alternative reality.
Don't panic about 'alternative facts': Column
The right can't defend Trump's behavior: Jonah Goldberg
Yeah, theres a stereotype that women are inherently more peaceful than men but, as a generalization (which is what stereotypes are) its true.
This is an evidence-based conclusion backed by a great many studies.
In 2015, according to the FBI, 7,549 men were arrested for murder and non-negligent manslaughter. Only 984 women were. Men were four times more likely to be arrested for violent crimes and ten times more likely to be arrested for illegal possession of a weapon.
Its not just in America. Disproportionate male aggression is a human universal, appearing all over the world and across thousands of years. In almost every society men are the ones who are overwhelmingly involved in wars, in all kinds of intergroup aggressions and intragroup homicide, writes Dorian Fortuna at Psychology Today.Men mobilize themselves in armies of violent fans, incriminalgangs, in bands of thugs, etc. These observations are as old as the world and have allowed us to create a clear distinction between male and female sexes regarding their predisposition to violence.
Throughout history, reports The Economist magazine men have killed men roughly 97 times more often than women have killed women.
The male inclination for violence has a lot to do with testosterone, which is most plentiful in young men who, in their natural habitat, fought other males to impress women (you can head down to Fort Lauderdale during Spring Break to document this phenomenon yourself).
Steven Pinker writes in The Better Angels of Our Nature, his sweeping history of violence, that to the extent that the problem of violence is a problem of young, unmarried, lawless men competing for dominance, whether directly or on behalf of a leader, then violence really is a problem of there being too much testosterone in the world.
POLICING THE USA:Alook atrace, justice, media
We're scaring off future Einsteins: USD president
Interestingly, one of the things that is most likely to make men less violent is getting married, proving thatClinton is right when she says that women have a pacifying effect. What public policies should flow from all this is a topic for another day.
Whats annoying aboutClintons cheap partisan preening isnt simply that shes wrong (and I suspect she knows it). Its that she is perpetuating an infuriating tendency of liberals today to claim science is always on their side.
Theres a decidedly undemocratic flavor to this kind of argument. Patrick Moynihan famously said that everyone is entitled to their own opinions but not to their own facts. Liberals want to turn that on its head and claim that their opinions are facts and anyone who disagrees isnt merely voicing a bad opinion but it somehow living in alternative reality or denying science. Its the secular version of claiming that God is on your side.
Clinton is peddling stale, corporate feminismas settled science in part because shes pandering to a friendly audience, but also because shes too lazy to shed her own alternate reality.
Read or Share this story: http://usat.ly/2nVXz2a
Read the original here:
Democrats aren't the party of science: Jonah Goldberg - USA TODAY
- Opinion | Democrats need to talk about the word genocide - MS NOW - April 5th, 2026 [April 5th, 2026]
- Who Democrats selected to replace former NC Sen. Graig Meyer in General Assembly - Raleigh News & Observer - April 5th, 2026 [April 5th, 2026]
- Democrats pay visit to ICE detention facility where abuse claims are rife - The Guardian - April 5th, 2026 [April 5th, 2026]
- Trump plan to shift student loan oversight to Treasury draws Senate Democrats' backlash - Government Executive - April 5th, 2026 [April 5th, 2026]
- New poll comes with alarm bells for Democrats ahead of Virginia redistricting vote - politico.com - April 5th, 2026 [April 5th, 2026]
- Meet the woman who wants Democrats to get hot, not bothered - USA Today - April 5th, 2026 [April 5th, 2026]
- Democrats must step up to fix public education in NC | Opinion - Wilmington Star-News - April 5th, 2026 [April 5th, 2026]
- Local Democrats lean into claims Husted is out of touch with real world - Toledo Blade - April 5th, 2026 [April 5th, 2026]
- Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear set to headline Colorado Democrats annual fundraising dinner - Denver Gazette - April 5th, 2026 [April 5th, 2026]
- Opinion | Democrats vs. the Freedom Foundation - wsj.com - April 5th, 2026 [April 5th, 2026]
- In rural Virginia, excitement and dread grows over Democrats redistricting referendum - MyNorthwest.com - April 5th, 2026 [April 5th, 2026]
- Democrats are so far the only major party with a ballot-qualified candidate in the U.S. Senate general election in New Mexico - Ballotpedia News - April 5th, 2026 [April 5th, 2026]
- Contributor: What can Democrats stand for when there's no Trump to stand against? - Los Angeles Times - April 5th, 2026 [April 5th, 2026]
- Tom Homan: Democrats don't want to reform ICE they want to handcuff it - Fox News - April 5th, 2026 [April 5th, 2026]
- Maine Democrats flip their votes to put far-reaching data privacy bill in doubt - WGME - April 5th, 2026 [April 5th, 2026]
- New Hampshire Democrats prepare to make case for first-in-the-nation primary status - WMUR - April 5th, 2026 [April 5th, 2026]
- For many Democrats, Bondis and Noems firings were a key step but not the last - MS NOW - April 5th, 2026 [April 5th, 2026]
- North Carolinas Electoral Future May Hinge on Rural Black Voters Who Feel Ignored by Democrats - Chapelboro.com - April 5th, 2026 [April 5th, 2026]
- Ohio is too expensive. Ohio House Democrats plan to introduce series of affordability bills - Ohio Capital Journal - April 3rd, 2026 [April 3rd, 2026]
- GOP infighting, Democrats' unmet demands and a CLEAR windfall: Who's winning and losing the DHS shutdown - Fox News - April 3rd, 2026 [April 3rd, 2026]
- Schumer had a plan to win back the Senate, but some Democrats aren't on board - PBS - April 3rd, 2026 [April 3rd, 2026]
- Some Oregon Democrats get an unlikely primary foe: Their partys top boosters - Oregon Public Broadcasting - OPB - April 3rd, 2026 [April 3rd, 2026]
- Democrats are starting to like congressional Democrats again - YouGov - April 3rd, 2026 [April 3rd, 2026]
- Texas Democrats are pooling resources, holding joint rallies in latest effort to win the November midterms - CBS News - April 3rd, 2026 [April 3rd, 2026]
- Anti-regulation Democrats? Top takeaways from the governors race forum in Fresno - latimes.com - April 3rd, 2026 [April 3rd, 2026]
- Democrats Probe Into Noem, Lewandowski, Hones in on Pro-Trump Donors Contracts - NOTUS News of the United States - April 3rd, 2026 [April 3rd, 2026]
- Thursdays Campaign Round-Up, 4.2.26: Democrats sue to block Trumps order on mail ballots - MS NOW - April 3rd, 2026 [April 3rd, 2026]
- Democrats be warned: Trump knows your weak spots - miningjournal.net - April 3rd, 2026 [April 3rd, 2026]
- Democrats Start to Hammer Vulnerable Republicans Over War in Iran in Ads - The New York Times - April 3rd, 2026 [April 3rd, 2026]
- Q&A: The Strategy Behind Democrats Recent Mayoral Wins - campaignsandelections.com - April 3rd, 2026 [April 3rd, 2026]
- Democrats flipped another GOP seat but not for the reason youd think - MS NOW - April 3rd, 2026 [April 3rd, 2026]
- No Kings in America, Real Resistance in Rome - How Liberal Democrats and AIPAC Allies Hijacked the Movement While Italy Actually Fights Empire and... - April 3rd, 2026 [April 3rd, 2026]
- The Republican Fundraising Advantage Keeping Democrats Up at Night - NOTUS News of the United States - April 3rd, 2026 [April 3rd, 2026]
- Whatever happened to North Carolina Democrats? - springhopeenterprise.com - April 3rd, 2026 [April 3rd, 2026]
- Democrats dont like Donald Trump or other Dems, polling shows: Bottom has fallen out - PennLive.com - April 3rd, 2026 [April 3rd, 2026]
- Election 2026: Six Democrats on May ballot vying to face Rep. Turner in November - Dayton Daily News - April 3rd, 2026 [April 3rd, 2026]
- Not just the base: Democrats in recent elections are flipping independent and Republican votes - CNN - April 1st, 2026 [April 1st, 2026]
- Democrats and voting rights advocates vow to fight Trumps latest order: massive and unconstitutional suppression effort as it happened - The Guardian - April 1st, 2026 [April 1st, 2026]
- Kornacki analyzes what it will take for Democrats to win back the Senate - NBC News - April 1st, 2026 [April 1st, 2026]
- Why Democrats still face an uphill climb to win the Senate: From the Politics Desk - NBC News - April 1st, 2026 [April 1st, 2026]
- Senate Democrats are Breaking All the Wrong Records - House Committee on Appropriations (.gov) - April 1st, 2026 [April 1st, 2026]
- Political stunt: Democrats scold DeSantis over $5.5M cost to rename Palm Beach airport after Trump - WLRN - April 1st, 2026 [April 1st, 2026]
- President Trump Acts Where Democrats Refused Bringing Relief to TSA Workers and Travelers - The White House (.gov) - April 1st, 2026 [April 1st, 2026]
- Trumps overtime tax break is a hit. Democrats arent sure what to do about it. - Politico - April 1st, 2026 [April 1st, 2026]
- Democrats think taxing the rich will create affordability | Letter - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel - April 1st, 2026 [April 1st, 2026]
- Cory Booker says Democrats have failed this moment and calls for new leaders - The Guardian - April 1st, 2026 [April 1st, 2026]
- Andy Beshear Thinks Democrats Should Start Talking Like People - Politico - April 1st, 2026 [April 1st, 2026]
- Why Democrats Are Accusing the FBI of Trying to Smear Rep. Eric Swalwell - Time Magazine - April 1st, 2026 [April 1st, 2026]
- CT Democrats push forward spending increase for $28.8B state budget that boosts education, services and more - Hartford Courant - April 1st, 2026 [April 1st, 2026]
- Schumer had a plan to win back the Senate. But some Democrats arent on board - Los Angeles Times - April 1st, 2026 [April 1st, 2026]
- Democrats look to win Southern Az legislative races in bid to flip statehouse - Tucson Sentinel - April 1st, 2026 [April 1st, 2026]
- Democrats take a page from the GOP playbook with new partisan voter registration program - azmirror.com - April 1st, 2026 [April 1st, 2026]
- Democrats flipped another GOP seat. The reason isnt what you think. - Yahoo - April 1st, 2026 [April 1st, 2026]
- Democrats win another special election, the 30th red-to-blue flip of Trumps second term - Yahoo - April 1st, 2026 [April 1st, 2026]
- The Trump-voting pastor Democrats think could cost them a chance at a Nebraska Senate seat - CNN - April 1st, 2026 [April 1st, 2026]
- Democrats are trying to connect the dots on Trumps 2026 plan - CNN - April 1st, 2026 [April 1st, 2026]
- Four Democrats face off for open Metro Council seat. Who are they? - The Courier-Journal - April 1st, 2026 [April 1st, 2026]
- NY Democrats to blow state budget deadline again with little progress on talks: At the beginning of the middle - New York Post - April 1st, 2026 [April 1st, 2026]
- GOP, Democrats face pressure to end DHS shutdown: Join the live discussion - The Hill - March 26th, 2026 [March 26th, 2026]
- Fetterman urges fellow Democrats to 'do the right thing' as government shutdown takes toll on workers - Fox News - March 26th, 2026 [March 26th, 2026]
- Hoping to unseat Collins, Maine Democrats battle it out in an expensive U.S. Senate primary - NPR - March 26th, 2026 [March 26th, 2026]
- Homeland Security Talks Hit Snag as Democrats Demand ICE Restrictions - The New York Times - March 26th, 2026 [March 26th, 2026]
- DHS funding deal on shaky ground as Trump and Democrats both decline to embrace it - NPR - March 26th, 2026 [March 26th, 2026]
- Democrats face test as rare Ethics hearing examines Cherfilus-McCormick fraud allegations - The Hill - March 26th, 2026 [March 26th, 2026]
- Democrats look to boost offshore well cleanups - E&E News by POLITICO - March 26th, 2026 [March 26th, 2026]
- Democrats Have Fundraising Edge in Virginia Redistricting Battle Ahead of April Referendum - The New York Times - March 26th, 2026 [March 26th, 2026]
- Florida Democrats flipped two legislative seats in 2026 special election, their best performance in years - CBS News - March 26th, 2026 [March 26th, 2026]
- Florida Democrats flipped 2 legislative seats Tuesday. Is it a harbinger of trouble for the long dominant GOP? - Florida Politics - March 26th, 2026 [March 26th, 2026]
- Vast majorities of Democrats and Republicans are concerned about technology's effect on misinformation and personal privacy - YouGov - March 26th, 2026 [March 26th, 2026]
- Cory Booker wants Democrats to 'Stand' and fight - NPR - March 26th, 2026 [March 26th, 2026]
- Democrats revive allegations around Trump classified document case in latest political battle with Justice Department - CNN - March 26th, 2026 [March 26th, 2026]
- Missouri Democrats' efforts to restore child care subsidy funding thwarted in the House - KCUR - March 26th, 2026 [March 26th, 2026]
- Blakeman thought his matching funds were secure, then Democrats objected - Newsday - March 26th, 2026 [March 26th, 2026]
- FEMA official who has claimed to be teleported is unfit for role, Democrats say - Mississippi Today - March 26th, 2026 [March 26th, 2026]
- Scalise on DHS Shutdown: It is a Disgrace What Democrats are Doing to Hardworking Families - Congressman Steve Scalise (.gov) - March 26th, 2026 [March 26th, 2026]
- How Democrats win on foreign policy The US is drifting Leftward on Israel and Iran - UnHerd - March 26th, 2026 [March 26th, 2026]
- Republicans Seethe as DHS Talks Derail After Democrats Retread Their Offer - News of the United States - NOTUS - March 26th, 2026 [March 26th, 2026]
- Wheels Up for Senate Democrats Who Leave TSA and Americans Grounded - House Committee on Appropriations (.gov) - March 15th, 2026 [March 15th, 2026]
- Opinion | The Democrats Could Still Mess This Up - The New York Times - March 15th, 2026 [March 15th, 2026]
- Democrats set a turnout record in Texas, so is this the year it turns blue? - NPR - March 15th, 2026 [March 15th, 2026]