Sunday, December 27, 2009

Idiot of the Week

Mr. FIDELL: Really the question is, is there a military purpose served by such an order? You can't have an order that doesn't advance some military purpose. That's sort of black letter military justice. And this, I think, does. I don't think the name of the game here is, how many courts martial can we try for violations of this regulation? The real question is, is it going to have a deterrent effect on behavior? And I have to assume around the edges it probably will.


CONAN: Around - so, the deterrent affect is what's - that's the military affect here?
Mr. FIDELL: Yes.


That's military 'expert' Eugene Fidell flaunting his ignorance yet again, above on NPR's Talk of the Town to Neal Conan who should have pursued the above but didn't.


When the hell has there ever been a deterrent against sex?


The AIDS crisis didn't deter sex. Abstinence-only didn't deter sex. Chastity pledges didn't deter sex.


Eugene Fidell is no expert on the military and he's even worse when it comes to other topics.


Before he's next allowed to speak of the 'deterrent' effects of prohibitions, we suggest he familiarize himself with Prohibition. Better yet, just don't ask him to speak.