Science Under Attack
by DarkSyde
Thu Mar 09, 2006
Via DemFromCt, an article in a recent edition of Nature again confirms the widespread frustration of scientists at the Bush Cheney Administration for meddling in science policy based purely on ideological and financial priorities:
Science Under Attack
The highlight of the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) last week was an impassioned session organized by the Union of Concerned Scientists in the wake of revelations about how the administration's political appointees have sought to control the messages communicated by scientists to the public. And judging from the response at a packed and emotional hall in St Louis, a great many US scientists now believe that the Bush administration is prepared not only to ignore scientific facts in making policy decisions, but also to suppress findings that conflict with its own priorities.
Similar complaints have been coming from virtually every legitimate scientific agency for years now. And there's no reason to expect it to stop. Future areas of science where right-wing control freakery will likely rear its ugly head even higher are reproductive and developmental science, climate science, pharmacology, toxicology, energy, and on and on. Basically, any portion of science that contradicts a preferred ideological position, or which the CEO billionaire wing of the GOP finds inconvenient for the value of their stock options, may be savaged, suppressed, or corrupted, if it hasn't been already. The article concludes:
Yet Congress, in particular, should be doing much more to defend [science] from White House interference. And researchers should stand up and be counted with colleagues in the federal government in their hour of need.
Researchers you might have a shot with. But if Congress is unwilling to investigate acts by the Bush Administration which may be flatly unconstitutional and/or blatantly illegal, it would be borderline delusional to expect that they're going to suddenly stand against King George on matters of science. It seems apparent at this point that there is only one way to get to the bottom of any of a dozen potential scandals plaguing this White House: We're going to need a real Congress, not bootlickers and sell outs. That means we have to fire enough Representatives and Senators, and hire enough replacements, to get a majority of patriots in one or both bodies who will put America, the law, and the Constitution above covering for the White House, at the expense of we the people.
by DarkSyde
Thu Mar 09, 2006
Via DemFromCt, an article in a recent edition of Nature again confirms the widespread frustration of scientists at the Bush Cheney Administration for meddling in science policy based purely on ideological and financial priorities:
Science Under Attack
The highlight of the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) last week was an impassioned session organized by the Union of Concerned Scientists in the wake of revelations about how the administration's political appointees have sought to control the messages communicated by scientists to the public. And judging from the response at a packed and emotional hall in St Louis, a great many US scientists now believe that the Bush administration is prepared not only to ignore scientific facts in making policy decisions, but also to suppress findings that conflict with its own priorities.
Similar complaints have been coming from virtually every legitimate scientific agency for years now. And there's no reason to expect it to stop. Future areas of science where right-wing control freakery will likely rear its ugly head even higher are reproductive and developmental science, climate science, pharmacology, toxicology, energy, and on and on. Basically, any portion of science that contradicts a preferred ideological position, or which the CEO billionaire wing of the GOP finds inconvenient for the value of their stock options, may be savaged, suppressed, or corrupted, if it hasn't been already. The article concludes:
Yet Congress, in particular, should be doing much more to defend [science] from White House interference. And researchers should stand up and be counted with colleagues in the federal government in their hour of need.
Researchers you might have a shot with. But if Congress is unwilling to investigate acts by the Bush Administration which may be flatly unconstitutional and/or blatantly illegal, it would be borderline delusional to expect that they're going to suddenly stand against King George on matters of science. It seems apparent at this point that there is only one way to get to the bottom of any of a dozen potential scandals plaguing this White House: We're going to need a real Congress, not bootlickers and sell outs. That means we have to fire enough Representatives and Senators, and hire enough replacements, to get a majority of patriots in one or both bodies who will put America, the law, and the Constitution above covering for the White House, at the expense of we the people.
2 Comments:
Or, how about getting government out of the research and education businesses entirely, and then we don't have to have this discussion. Name 10 things that government (or a government agency) has developed or discovered aside from space exploration and weapons of destruction? What are the leading schools in the U.S. -- of any level? Any public? As long as ALL taxpayers are paying into r&d and education then ALL taxpayers will get a say in (or to lobby or control)how those funds are spent whether their disagreements are reasonable or otherwise. If you take away x-party's right or x voter's right to lobby for y, no matter how crazy it may seem, then all our democratic rights are eroded a little bit more.
As for the dig at CEO billionaire wing of the GOP -- well, the same is easily said of the CEO billionaire wing of the DNC. Which is all the more reason to get government out of this business entirely -- so that government funding can't do the bidding of any business. Business will do its own bidding and it will rise up to create products and services which serve its customers. Unless, of course, it can get government funding (who wouldn't take free money, and if company A doesn't then they are screwed competitively when their competition, company B does).
Long before government got in the R&D business, private citizens and business were doing this work just fine and through the ages managed to discover all kinds of things, and develop and invent stuff from, like, cars to cures for TB and measles, just to name two things. It was the government that controlled the internet but it lay stagnant until unleashed by private industry.
I am not an advocate for private industry but business is run by the marketplace and study after study after study has found that the consensus found in the marketplace is almost always correct -- in every imaginable way tested. Individuals may be wrong but our collective voting in the marketplace proves remarkably prescient. It really is a wonderful system. Why do we keep wanting to muck with a good thing? I think it's because we don't like the messiness of the market, and we think that by this and that tweak and control here and there that we can better control it. But our controls (such as government funding for science) has unintended consequences. . .
pamela-
it has been proven time after time that government meddling in research and big pharma safety and pricing does not produce the intended results. in fact this is true with all businesses that are "controlled" by government over regulation.
the Thimerosol preservative/Autism article that rpr linked to, was a prime example. lost data, ignoring studies and big pharma protectionism to the detriment of our citizens and people around the globe who are also ingesting these drugs.
apparently, when this safety issue was highlighted, instead of responsibly halting production , big responsible government buried legislation in some larger, off subject bill.
and every 4 years we have to hear the talking heads bleat about voter apathy.
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