YOUR CURMUDGEON used to subscribe to Forbes. That magazine was one of the best sources of good business reporting available anywhere. But we’ve just lost all confidence in their editorial judgment.
Their latest issue features this Special Report: Charles Darwin and Evolution, which uncritically offers several articles by creationists.
Included in the Special Report’s list of contributors is John West — a Senior Fellow at the Seattle-based Discovery Institute (the DI), where he is Associate Director of their Center for Science and Culture (a/k/a the Discoveroids). That makes him one of the chief Keepers of their Wedge Strategy, and the guru of the cdesign proponentsists (a term described here: Missing link: “cdesign proponentsists”).
West isn’t the only creationist author featured by Forbes. They also have articles by Michael Egnor and Jonathan Wells, two full-blown Discoveroids. And if that weren’t enough, they have an article by Ken Ham — Ken Ham! He’s the creationist entrepreneur who runs Answers in Genesis and the Creation Museum (“Prepare to believe”).
This shameful event is triumphantly heralded in a post at the Discoveroids’ blog: Forbes.com Balances Darwin and Evolution Coverage With Wide Range of Thinkers on Both Sides , which says:
To their credit, Forbes solicited articles from a variety of viewpoints, and the authors include CSC Fellows John West and Jonathan Wells, as well as Darwin skeptics like Michael Egnor and Michael Flannery ..
Yeah, “to their credit.” Or infamy, depending on one’s point of view.
To be fair about it, Forbes also includes articles by authors who aren’t creationists, such as Lionel Tiger and Michael Ruse, but there is no rational justification for the editorial decision to give equal treatment to science and creationism. “Equivalence” in this matter is a confession of intellectual collapse.
The inclusion of even one creationist author in a report on Charles Darwin and Evolution is like including an article by Jeffrey Dahmer in a collection of nutrition articles.
We can’t be bothered trying to figure out why Forbes did such a thing. They did it, and their reasons don’t matter. What we do know is that this once-trusted magazine has thoroughly disgraced itself.
Update: See: Open Letter to Steve Forbes.
Copyright © 2009. The Sensuous Curmudgeon. All rights reserved.
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The Sensuous Curmudgeon 
Gotta wonder — what were they thinkin’??
The creationists have been planning and acting for quite some time. The reaction against them is relatively recent and has to compete with well established and powerful people. No doubt someone high up in Forbes is an ID sympathizer.
The problem is that to the ignorant, and by that I don’t mean stupid, I mean uninformed, information given by CrIDers sounds more than just plausible, especially to those with god in their pocket.
Even CEOs fall prey to well planned propaganda campaigns.
Tundra Boy says: “Even CEOs fall prey to well planned propaganda campaigns.”
If they are predisposed to do so. It’s very disappointing that Steve Forbes is now on the creationist side.