Galileo and Gitmo

[L. Coyote]

Galileo and Gitmo
By Scott Horton - http://harpers.org/archive/2009/05/hbc-90005052

Sì perché l’autorità dell’opinione di mille nelle scienze non val per una scintilla di ragione di un solo, sì perché le presenti osservazioni spogliano d’autorità i decreti de’ passati scrittori, i quali se vedute l’avessero, avrebbono diversamente determinato.

(For in the sciences the authority of thousands of opinions is not worth as much as one tiny spark of reason in an individual man. Besides, the modern observations deprive all former writers of any authority, since if they had seen what we see, they would have judged as we judge.)

—galileo

Marking the International Year of Astronomy (2009), Florence’s historic Palazzo Strozzi has opened a remarkable exhibition entitled “Galileo: Images of the Universe from Antiquity to the Telescope,” which will continue through the end of August. The exhibition is about much more than the celebrated Italian man of science: it charts the history of astronomy from Mesopotamia through the seventeenth century, when the advent of modern instruments converted astronomy from a matter of philosophical and religious speculation into real science. But of course Galileo Galilei stands firmly in the center of that transformation. He hardly invented the telescope, but he did refine it considerably, and he demonstrated the practical uses of the instrument—both those which could easily be grasped by his contemporaries (the military application) and many that would only really be appreciated by later generations (mathematics and celestial mechanics). The central theme of the exhibition parallels the life of Galileo, a struggle of science to free itself from the silencing bands of religion, a struggle of science to place itself in the service of humanity.

The exhibition also unfolds the story of one of the greatest trials in human history: the proceedings in the Holy Office or Inquisition against Galileo relating to his exploration and embrace of Copernican theory. The case stretches over a long period .....

[Senator]

1. A "Haunting Ring Of Familiarity"

Thought a bit more would be helpful:

But three things are striking about Galileo’s trials, and for a contemporary American they have a haunting ring of familiarity. They are prominent features of the system the Bush Administration constructed in Guantánamo. They are prominent features of the system the Bush Administration constructed in Guantánamo.

• The absence of confrontation and the use of secret evidence. Galileo is given only vague and general information about the charges against him.
  
  
• The use of torture to extract false statements. Galileo was not tortured. But the record reveals that with the explicit authority of Pope Urban VIII, Galileo was subjected to questioning “under the formal threat of torture.” Why was the threat of torture used?
  
  
• The lack of independence in the tribunal; a pre-ordained result. The record shows that the idea that the tribunal that tried Galileo was acting as an impartial body committed to learning the truth and meting out a punishment is farcical.

Galileo's tormentors were of course beyond the reach of any mechanism of accountability.

Such is the case when the rule of men trumps the rule of law.

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[L. Coyote]

2. The correlation of religion and torture is another haunting aspect.

Not to mention, in the current situation, religions and wars.
One of the frightening things about Obama is that he may actually be a religious adherent,
not just pretending for political gain. That could put him in the same class as Bush, a very scary group.

[cali]

3. yes, yes, all people who believe in god are just like bush.

MLK, Thomas Merton, Reverend Coffin, just like bush. idiotic to claim that all "religious adherents" are one and the same. you ruined a good point- the nexus between torture and religion- by that leap in logic.

[L. Coyote]

4. In this context, it is a relevant consideration.

And I don't back up one iota on this. There is reason and there is religious belief.
If your religious belief trumps your reason, and you have political power, you are frightening.
We will see at the end of the day what is really going on with Mr. Obama.

You are the one who interjected "all people" and not me!

[cali]

5. absurd. there is no evidence whatsoever that Obama

allows religious belief to trump reason. far from it. and YOU are the one who made the broad brush statement.

[Senator]

6. I don't find the need to bring religion, as such, into it.

But certainly a religious adherent would be among those more prone to speak and act on belief, in absence of -- or in complete contradiction to, accepted knowledge (science).

And since "pretending for political gain" brings similar results, it is already in the "scary group." There's little difference to the victims if their "leaders" fear the wrath of God or the wrath of republicans.

It's all http://journals.democraticunderground.com/Senator/8">really the same thing, whether is it's those who "know" what's best for Our Christian Nation or the DLC "knowing" what's best for the party. Both are claiming "special knowledge" that cannot be supported empirically.

When it comes to torture, at least the right comes "honestly" to their paranoia. The dithering DC-Dems, like Obama, who treat atrocities as political-business-as-usual are betraying a core level of corruption that sets aside our values and rule of law for a bit of imagined short-term political gain.

And it's this corruption that makes Obamaism worse than bushcheneyism. Because clearly a corrupt police force is a far larger problem than a few transient criminals passing through the village, however brutal they may be.

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