Niall Ferguson, a conservative Harvard Professor and Daily Beast columnist whose questionable anti-Obama economic theories made him a Tea Party darling, yesterday claimed the 2008 economic meltdown, which he attributes to Keynesian economics, was essentially caused by homosexuality, because gay people are supposedly inherently selfish because they do not have children and therefore don’t care about future generations. And if you’re looking for the bow to tie this box of nonsense, John Maynard Keynes was gay.
READ: Â Harvard Professor Apologizes For Claiming Homosexuality At Core Of 2008 Worldwide Economic Meltdown
Let’s not waste time arguing the “merits” of Ferguson’s malarkey.
Ferguson apologized today, not entirely, but sufficiently for many to consider the matter “closed.”
Somewhat conservative Andrew Sullivan is one who considers the matter closed.
Calling Ferguson’s comments “stupid, offensive, and absurd,” Sullivan writes:
I’ve known Niall as a friend since we studied history together at Oxford. This has not deterred me from criticizing his public arguments on the merits, so I’m not a suck-up. But I have known the man closely for many years – even read Corinthians at his recent wedding – and have never seen or heard or felt an iota of homophobia from him.
…
He cannot unsay something ugly. But he has done everything short of that. I am biased, but that closes the matter for me.
And one other small thing: if he really believed gay men had no interest in future generations, why would he have asked me, a gay man with HIV, to be the godfather to one of his sons? And why would I have accepted?
Except, there are others who will always compromise their name to further a sick agenda.
Take Bryan Fischer, the public face of the certified anti-gay hate group, American Family Association, who wholly ignored Ferguson’s apology and retraction, and spewed this:
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2/2) Keynesian debt is killing us. Keynes’ homosexuality will destroy Western civilization. Homosexuality is not benign.
— Bryan Fischer (@BryanJFischer) May 4, 2013
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You can rest assured that Fischer will use Ferguson’s retracted, apologized, stupid, offensive, and absurd comments this week and share his theories about homosexuality with his one million or so listeners who tune in daily to one of the 180 radio stations that broadcast Fischer’s hate speech and falsehoods across 40 states, or who read Fischer’s somewhat syndicated column or just watch his YouTube videos.
This is why ignorance and homophobia are dangerous, even when they are retracted.
You can’t unsay something.