Politicized Science

Politicized Science

A look at the ruthless politicization of science by the Bush Administration in the latest issue of Dissent:

"Traditionally, it's been seen as scientists' role to determine, say, the effectiveness of condoms or how much humans contribute to climate change; it was then left to politicians to decide how to deal with those findings. That's no longer the case. Rather than gathering evidence, conservative ideologues have begun emphasizing the virtue of relying on one's gut convictions first and then looking for the evidence to back them up. They don't need a scientific study to know that global warming is a myth, the Earth was created in seven days, and Saddam Hussein was only moments away from handing weapons of mass destruction over to al-Qaeda. If the data show otherwise, then departments have to re-organize so they get it right. It could be argued that this disdain for the scientific process on principle is the Achilles' heel of the conservative movement, crippling its decision-making abilities not only in areas of health and safety, but also in the 'War on Terror.'"

very true