Comments on: Tyson Weighs in on “The War on Science” http://cstpr.colorado.edu/prometheus/?p=4859 Wed, 29 Jul 2009 22:36:51 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: bend http://cstpr.colorado.edu/prometheus/?p=4859&cpage=1#comment-11551 bend Wed, 14 Jan 2009 19:31:30 +0000 http://sciencepolicy.colorado.edu/prometheus/?p=4859#comment-11551 I'm sorry. I didn't mean to invite a political debate on the Iraq war-I guess I chose my analogy poorly. But to answer your question, yes. The Clinton administration was just as interested in consolidating power as the Bush administration. As I said, this attitude is not a strictly Republican phenomenon. Also, you'll notice that I did not say that President Bush "lied." I don't think that he had the intent to deceive. Rather, it seems now in hindsight, that some members of his administration presented, to the president and to the public, a cherry-picked analysis of the threat Iraq posed. I doubt that this is anything less than the modus operandi of politicians, but it is, by my reasoning, "misrepresenting intelligence." I expected it from Bush. I'm expecting it from Obama and I'll expect misrepresentation of facts (intelligence, science, whatever) of every executive in my lifetime. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to invite a political debate on the Iraq war-I guess I chose my analogy poorly. But to answer your question, yes. The Clinton administration was just as interested in consolidating power as the Bush administration. As I said, this attitude is not a strictly Republican phenomenon.
Also, you’ll notice that I did not say that President Bush “lied.” I don’t think that he had the intent to deceive. Rather, it seems now in hindsight, that some members of his administration presented, to the president and to the public, a cherry-picked analysis of the threat Iraq posed. I doubt that this is anything less than the modus operandi of politicians, but it is, by my reasoning, “misrepresenting intelligence.” I expected it from Bush. I’m expecting it from Obama and I’ll expect misrepresentation of facts (intelligence, science, whatever) of every executive in my lifetime.

]]> By: stan http://cstpr.colorado.edu/prometheus/?p=4859&cpage=1#comment-11544 stan Wed, 14 Jan 2009 13:41:12 +0000 http://sciencepolicy.colorado.edu/prometheus/?p=4859#comment-11544 If Republicans in the administration were misrepresenting intelligence in order to consolidate power, what excuse did Bill, Hillary, Al, Madeline, Tom, and the dozens of other Democrats in Washington have for making the same claims about Saddam? And every other intelligence agency in the world -- were they trying to consolidate power, too? Given the nonstop political war that the CIA has waged against Bush throughout his tenure, why didn't we get any leaks at the time "exposing" all this "misrepresentation of intelligence"? If Republicans in the administration were misrepresenting intelligence in order to consolidate power, what excuse did Bill, Hillary, Al, Madeline, Tom, and the dozens of other Democrats in Washington have for making the same claims about Saddam? And every other intelligence agency in the world — were they trying to consolidate power, too?

Given the nonstop political war that the CIA has waged against Bush throughout his tenure, why didn’t we get any leaks at the time “exposing” all this “misrepresentation of intelligence”?

]]> By: bend http://cstpr.colorado.edu/prometheus/?p=4859&cpage=1#comment-11534 bend Sun, 11 Jan 2009 21:38:18 +0000 http://sciencepolicy.colorado.edu/prometheus/?p=4859#comment-11534 A registered Democrat, I find the characterization of Republicans waging a "War on Science" by some members of my party embarrassing. Most of the conservative opposition to policies regarding embryonic stem cell research, climate change mitigation, etc. is based on moral (religious) or ideological (libertarian) grounds. Orthodox Jews aren't waging a "War on Livestock" by refusing to touch pork. I'll stipulate that some Republicans in this administration have misrepresented science just as they misrepresented intelligence leading to the Iraq invasion, but this was because they were consolidating power, which is not a strictly Republican phenomenon. A registered Democrat, I find the characterization of Republicans waging a “War on Science” by some members of my party embarrassing. Most of the conservative opposition to policies regarding embryonic stem cell research, climate change mitigation, etc. is based on moral (religious) or ideological (libertarian) grounds. Orthodox Jews aren’t waging a “War on Livestock” by refusing to touch pork.
I’ll stipulate that some Republicans in this administration have misrepresented science just as they misrepresented intelligence leading to the Iraq invasion, but this was because they were consolidating power, which is not a strictly Republican phenomenon.

]]> By: jae http://cstpr.colorado.edu/prometheus/?p=4859&cpage=1#comment-11532 jae Sun, 11 Jan 2009 05:28:31 +0000 http://sciencepolicy.colorado.edu/prometheus/?p=4859#comment-11532 I guess you can't say it, but I can. Any administration that would tolerate the outlandish abuses of science, decency, honesty, integrity, etc... shown by James Hansen of NASA (as well as many others) could not possibly be blamed for "a war on science." If Obama agrees with all the nuts, will that be "peace with science?" Good Grief! I guess you can’t say it, but I can. Any administration that would tolerate the outlandish abuses of science, decency, honesty, integrity, etc… shown by James Hansen of NASA (as well as many others) could not possibly be blamed for “a war on science.” If Obama agrees with all the nuts, will that be “peace with science?” Good Grief!

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