Now to really **** you off

(Tom Littleton) wrote in
:

Flyfish adds:

Hmm while I'm certain that these events may seem this way to you, the
claim that science is hostage to political power has been made many
times in my lifetime

I am talking about the practice of American Presidents with relation
to standing Scientific Advisory committees. It is a relatively recent
practice(the committees), not becoming a key part of governance until
the 60's or so. Still, the principle is basic, gather scientists to
debate the scientific merits of ongoing policies related to their
field of expertise. The pols can take or leave the advice, nothing is
or should be binding. Still, the practice of replacing accredited
scientists with businessmen and still more politicians would seem to
defeat the knowledge-gathering aspect of having the committees in the
first place. Not surprising when the leader of the Free World chooses
not to read newspapers.
Still, alarming and dangerous practice.
Tom


Tom this make come as a huge surprise to you but I knew exactly what you
were talking about and while you may think this is a unique event, it is
not, and the same complaints have been levelled before against various
Presidential administrations. One could easily find such complaints made
against Reagan, and if you were to dig deep enough you'd find at least
one, dare I say it, scientist arguing that *gasp* Clinton was ignoring
valid science related to certain trendy theories related to climate (Fred
Singer).....

There is nothing new in rock and roll, or politics....

Flyfish

Flyfish states:
One could easily find such complaints made
against Reagan, and if you were to dig deep enough you'd find at least
one, dare I say it, scientist arguing that *gasp* Clinton was ignoring
valid science related to certain trendy theories related to climate

and, I will repeat, there were no claims to my knowledge that either of those
two presidents expunged scientists from panels en masse. Merely, that they
ignored the advice(which, I thought I clearly stated at the outset, was the
right of the political folks to do). My problem is with not performing the
scientific analysis at all.
Tom