Change

[Perknose]

The bad old Bozo Bush days. So many here want us to forget them, but the misfeasance and malfeasance was both broad and deep.

Distinguished molecular biologist Dr. Elizabeth H. Blackburn, co-winner of the 2009 Nobel Prize in medecine, served as one of only three full-time biomedical researchers on the 18 member President's Council on Bioethics.

In 2004, she was fired from the council, along with another member who disagreed with the administration's position on some of the relevant issues.

Blackburn spoke out about the Council of Bioethics, demonstrating that despite its written mission to be a body that monitors research developments and recommends appropriate guidelines, it was really just a tool for parroting the Bush Administration's positions on certain hot-button issues -- particularly embryonic stem cell research. Thus, Blackburn played a central and important role in revealing the extent of the political interference in science that pervaded the Bush Administration.

She then published a strongly worded account of her experiences in the New England Journal of Medicine. Here is her closing paragraph:

When prominent scientists must fear that descriptions of their research will be misrepresented and misused by their government to advance political ends, something is deeply wrong. Leading scientists are routinely called on to volunteer their expertise to the government, through study sections of the National Institutes of Health and advisory panels of the National Academy of Sciences and as advisers to departments ranging from health and human services to defense. It has been the unspoken attitude of the scientific community that it is our duty to serve our government in this manner, independent of our personal political affiliations and those of the administration in effect at the time. But something has changed. The healthy skepticism of scientists has turned to cynicism. There is a growing sense that scientific research -- which, after all, is defined by the quest for truth -- is being manipulated for political ends. There is evidence that such manipulation is being achieved through the stacking of the membership of advisory bodies and through the delay and misrepresentation of their reports. As a naturalized citizen of the United States, I have an immigrant's love for my country. But our country must not fail us. Scientific advice should and must be protected from the influence of politics. Will the President's Council on Bioethics be up to that challenge?

Thank God for brave, intelligent people of principle like Dr. Blackburn, who stood up to the yammering yahoos of the late, disgusting Bush administration!

 

[JS80]

Council of Bioethics is a political tool? Whodathunkit?!

 

[Fear No Evil]

This is seriously going to impact Bush's re-election campaign.

 

[Perknose]

Originally posted by: JS80
Council of Bioethics is a political tool? Whodathunkit?!

Did you miss the core of her complaint:

"When prominent scientists must fear that descriptions of their research will be misrepresented and misused by their government . . ."

Or do you just chose to ignore it?

 

[Schmide]

Sciencetification serious business.

Edit: Better yet "Sciencetification serious bushiness"

 

[miketheidiot]

Originally posted by: Fear No Evil
This is seriously going to impact Bush's re-election campaign.

those who don't learn from the past are doomed to repeat it.

 

[herm0016]

dwell on the past much? oh yea.. you do.

 

[Fear No Evil]

Originally posted by: herm0016
dwell on the past much? oh yea.. you do.

They need to deflect the failings of the current administration.

 

[JS80]

Originally posted by: Perknose

Originally posted by: JS80
Council of Bioethics is a political tool? Whodathunkit?!

Did you miss the core of her complaint:

"When prominent scientists must fear that descriptions of their research will be misrepresented and misused by their government . . ."

Or do you just chose to ignore it?

Which is exactly what politics is.

 

[Greenman]

Researcher was canned because the guy she worked for didn't like stem cell research and she did.

Researcher writes sour grapes article.

Sour grapes article accepted as fact, sited as evidence of malfeasance, and used to flog a dead horse that's already been beaten down to a small pile of hair.

Bush is gone Perk, he's not going to be charged with any crimes, he's not going to spend any time or money defending himself, he's going to live a life of quiet comfort at the taxpayers expense. It's time to let go of the hate.

I expect Obama will have as many scandals as every other president, and just like every other president, his supporters will say it's no big deal and his detractors will claim he's the Antichrist. And yes, I am jaded, comes of being old.

 

[MikeMike]

so you are saying Obama has not hired people who only parrot his position? and wont fire anyone/relieve them of duty if they disagree with his views?

 

[nageov3t]

Originally posted by: MIKEMIKE
so you are saying Obama has not hired people who only parrot his position? and wont fire anyone/relieve them of duty if they disagree with his views?

you're safe believing whatever you want, but once it hits youtube, he'll throw you in front of a bus before you realize what just happened.

 

[boomerang]

Try to let go of the past.

 

[charrison]

Originally posted by: miketheidiot

Originally posted by: Fear No Evil
This is seriously going to impact Bush's re-election campaign.

those who don't learn from the past are doomed to repeat it.

Yeah it is good thing we learned that adult stem cell research was a waste of time and money..o wait it is not.

 

[imported_inspire]

Originally posted by: Greenman
Researcher was canned because the guy she worked for didn't like stem cell research and she did.

Researcher writes sour grapes article.

Sour grapes article accepted as fact, sited as evidence of malfeasance, and used to flog a dead horse that's already been beaten down to a small pile of hair.

Bush is gone Perk, he's not going to be charged with any crimes, he's not going to spend any time or money defending himself, he's going to live a life of quiet comfort at the taxpayers expense. It's time to let go of the hate.

I expect Obama will have as many scandals as every other president, and just like every other president, his supporters will say it's no big deal and his detractors will claim he's the Antichrist. And yes, I am jaded, comes of being old.

Basically, yeah - perk - do you realize how many more published articles articles I could rant about in P&N that were authored by Leon Kass? How about we just let it go, eh?