U.S. Pushing Conservative Science

mozumder writes "Does abortion lead to breast cancer? Does condom use lead to increased sexual activity? According to the government, the answer is now inconclusive. The New York Times has a story on how the government is altering low-level scientific conclusions to satisfy conservatives. Will this lead to a mistrust of the government? Or is the government now correct?"

Comments

Mod parent up through the roof

[interactive_civilian]

Posts like this one make me wish that some posts on /. could exceed the +5 limit. This hits the nail on the head.

I left the US about a year and a half ago (and if the current trends continue, I may never return), and now I am teaching English in Japan. My students often ask me what I think about what I think of North Korea developing nuclear weapons (as well as US vs. Iraq, the "War on Free^H^H^H^HTerror" and other things), and I usually tell them that I am not worried about North Korea. I am much more worried about what the number one manufacturer of nuclear weapons in the world is trying to do. They often ask me what Japan can do to improve its economy, and I usually tell them that Japan needs to get all of its eggs out of the US Economic basket and spread them around, so if that basket falls, not all of the eggs will break. They often ask me why I don't like the US and I usually respond by asking them why they aren't afraid of George W. Bush.

I know I am getting way off-topic here, but I'm in a ranty mood and I have karma to burn. I read recently (maybe a few weeks ago) in the Daily Yomiuri (a Japanese newspaper) that President(emperor?) Bush wanted to reserve the right to pre-emptively use nuclear weapons against enemies he feels are a direct threat to the United States. Umm...hello...if that isn't the scariest thing you have heard in a long time then you are not listening. Of course, what do Americans think about nuclear weapons? Well, according to my sister (a school teacher in upstate New York...so take this with as much salt as you like), there was recently a poll in some paper (yeah, I know...how much more vague can I get) which stated that 80% of those polled said they would agree with and support an nuclear retaliatory attack on anyone who attacked (whether the poll specified nuclear or not, I don't know) the US.

Ok, so, now I am off topic, quoting unreliable sources, and not backing up anything I am saying...goodbye karma, I knew you well...but honestly, I am becoming very afraid of the position that the US federal government is trying to take within and outside of its own borders. And living in the only country in the world to ever be attacked with a nuclear weapon has helped me put a different perspective on things.

If President Bush gets re-elected, how long before he "dissolves the imperial senate" so to speak? Will the ACLU and the EFF be enough of a "rebel alliance" to restore peace, or will we find out how Star Wars could have ended? (sorry for the Star Wars references, but Bush reminds me so much of Palpatine)

Ok...sorry for the rant. I usually don't but this has been sitting inside for a long time. Feel free to mod me down through the floor boards, but mod the parent up...I think I'll just start sending my students to that post.

Peace On Earth. Purity Of Essence. and all that.