Science is one of the great achievements of the human mind and the biggest reason why we live not only longer but more vigorously in our old age, in addition to all the ways in which it provides us with things that make life easier and more enjoyable.
Like anything valuable, science has been seized upon by politicians and ideologues, and used to forward their own agendas. This started long ago, as far back as the 18th century, when the Marquis de Condorcet coined the term "social science" to describe various theories he favored. In the 19th century, Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels distinguished their own brand of socialism as "scientific socialism." By the 20th century, all sorts of notions wrapped themselves in the mantle of "science."
"Global warming" hysteria is only the latest in this long line of notions, whose main argument is that there is no argument, because it is "science." The recently revealed destruction of raw data at the bottom of the global warming hysteria, as well as revelations of attempts to prevent critics of this hysteria from being published in leading journals, suggests that the disinterested search for truth— the hallmark of real science— has taken a back seat to a political crusade.
An intercepted e-mail from a professor at the Climate Research Unit in England to a professor at the University of Pennsylvania warned the latter: "Don't any of you three tell anybody that the UK has a Freedom of Information Act" and urged the American professor to delete any e-mails he may have sent a colleague regarding the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
When a business accused of fraud begins shredding its memos and deleting its e-mails, the media are quick to proclaim these actions as signs of guilt. But, after the global warming advocates began a systematic destruction of evidence, the big television networks went for days without even reporting these facts, much less commenting on them.
As for politicians, Senator Barbara Boxer has urged prosecution of the hackers who uncovered and revealed the e-mails! People who have in the past applauded whistleblowers in business, in the military, or in Republican administrations, and who lionized the New York Times for publishing the classified Pentagon papers, are now shocked and outraged that someone dared to expose massive evidence of manipulations, concealment and destruction of data— and deliberate cover-ups of all this— in the global warming establishment.
Factual data are crucial in real science.
Einstein himself urged that his own theory of relativity not be accepted until it could be empirically verified. This verification came when scientists around the world observed an eclipse of the sun and discovered that light behaved as Einstein's theory said it would behave, however implausible that might have seemed beforehand.
Today, politicized "science" has too big a stake in the global warming hysteria to let the facts speak for themselves and let the chips fall where they may. Too many people— in politics and in the media, as well as among those climate scientists who are promoting global warming hysteria— let the raw data on which their calculations have been based fall into the "wrong hands."
People who talk about the corrupting influence of money seem to automatically assume that it is only private money that is corrupting. But, when governments have billions of dollars invested in the global warming crusade, massive programs underway and whole political careers at risk if that crusade gets undermined, do not expect the disinterested search for truth.
Among the intelligentsia, there have always been many who are ready to jump on virtually any bandwagon that will take them to the promised land, where the wise and noble few— like themselves— can take the rest of us poor dummies in hand and tell us how we had better change the way we live our lives.
No doubt some climate scientists honestly believe that global warming poses a threat. But other climate scientists honestly believe the opposite. That is why the raw data have had to be destroyed before the latter get their hands on it.
This is tragically the case as regards many other issues, besides global warming, where data are made available only to the true believers and kept out of the hands of those who think otherwise.
To find out more about Thomas Sowell and read features by other Creators Syndicate columnists and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate web page at www.creators.com. Thomas Sowell is a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305. His Web site is www.tsowell.com.
COPYRIGHT 2009 CREATORS.COM
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Clearly, the disinterested approach to science excludes politics as a means to an end. What is true needs nothing added to or subtracted from it.
It is important to note the difference between making a mistake and purposefully distoring the truth. In 1929, Secretary of State Henry Stimson shut down MI8, the state department's cryptanalytic office, after being informed of the interception of classified Japanese correspondence, saying "Gentlemen don't read other gentlemen's mail." He later rescinded that statement, realizing he was wrong.
Senator Barbara Boxer's agenda will not allow her to honestly let the unaltered facts stand apart from her personal interest. Secretary Stimson's fault was that he didn't realize the "gentlemen" were, in deed, not gentlemen. Senator Boxer would have us believe that those scientists who purposefully distorted the facts are gentlemen. They are not. Senator Boxer has consciously created her own fault.
Patrick Chase
Comment: #1
Posted by: Patrick Chase
Tue Dec 22, 2009 9:43 AM
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Dear Thomas Sowell. Good Article. 'GLOBAL WARMING' is another 'SNOW' job. Too bad, only a few of us Taxpayers know this! Your readers may be interested in reading the following and listening to video.
=========================================================================
Kay Hagan (you know, the new US Senator from Greensboro that's going along
with all the 'legislation' so she, too, can get that high dollar salary and retirement), said
and I QUOTE "I'd say that Harry Reid knows how to
get 60 votes, and that was very important to our country in order to move
forward with thhat legislation." "Bribing" the blood-sucking ticks (has
been done too many times) is nothing to be proud of, Ms. Hagan! Corruption
and greed is what most politicians are all about. Ms. Hagan, politicians
have accomplished absolutely nothing in several decades! Politicians have
bankrupted America, sold Americans jobs to foreign countries, for their
own best interests, borrowed trillions, without Taxpayers consent, and you
have the audacity to state this 'healthcare disaster is very important to
our country!' Taxpayers would like to know "when have you read the fine
print in anything that benefited Americans?" "Did you bother to save the
textile and manufacturing companies?" "Do you know that until textile and
manufacturing jobs are returned to America that America is doomed, and
there's absolutely no need for infrastructures, bigger government, as
there will be no one to pay Taxes, including your high-dollar salary,
retirements, and freebies?"
You see, Ms. Hagan, you're just like the rest of the 'blood-sucking ticks'
and it's obvious you'll go along with any 'DEAL MAKING PROGRAMS' the
corrupt and greedy politicians like Reid, Pelosi, Rangel, Frank, Dodd,
just to name a few, have lingered over for several decades, for job
security, and to hell with the honest, hard-working American!
Ms. Hagan, bribery is a crime and you and your politician buddies might
think you're above the law, but your time is coming and, hopefully, real
soon as America can't afford anymore ‘disastrous legislation that been around the table,
repreatedly, for several decades!'
For the people who don't know what's happening to America and that one
trillion has 12 Zeros, and "a zillion is undetermined, because it is
huge", and this 'healthcare reform' that's gone on for years - job security
for politicians, bankruptcy for Taxpayers - should concern everyone!
Politicians got raises and bonuses! Taxpayers received no raise, insurance
premiums were raised! Politicians get the best of healthcare, drugs, and
insurance. Taxpayers get the leftovers; including higher insurance
premiums and even higher co-pays for their GENERIC drugs.
================================================================
If you're concerned about your children and grandchilden, you need to watch Newt
Gingrich's video. He gets paid to tell a story - the one above and below, by me, is 'FREE'!
==================================================================
You have got to listen to this short speech by Newt Gingrich!!
Notice that no mention of political parties is made. Like him or not he tells it like it is.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?gl=US&v=qtjfMjjce2Y
Please watch the video below (send along to
everyone). Newt Gingrich is 'on target' with what he's saying.
WHAT TAXPAYERS ARE SAYING 'IT'S TIME TO TAKE AMERICA BACK, GET RID F ALL
POLITICIANS BY PUTTING THEM ON A SLOW BOAT TO GITMO, TAKE ALL HEIR ASSETS
TO PAY OFF THE TRILLIONS THEY'VE BORROWED WITHOUT TAXPAYRS CONSENT,
AND
WE MUST 'NOT' FORGET TO SEND ALONG THE LOCAL, STATE, FEDERAL PRISONERS,
SOCIAL AND WELFARE RECIPIENTS!
IT'S TIME TO TIGHTEN THE BELTS AND PULL UP THE BOOT STRAPS AND GO 'KICK >
BUTT' - REMOVE ALL 'BLOOD-SUCKING TICKS' FROM THEIR OFFICES, TAKE EYS,
CARS, AND ANYTHING THEY POSSESS, AS THESE GREEDY AND CORRUPT SLOBS
HAVE
DESTROYED AMERICA AND SOLD TAXPAYERS OUT FOR THE HIGHEST DOLLAR FOR
THEIR
RETIREMENT ACCOUNTS, WHICH, INCIDENTALLY, TAXPAYERS NEED TO MAKE SURE
WHERE ALL THEIR FOREIGN BANK ACCOUNTS ARE, SO THIS MONEY CAN BE USED
TO
PAY OFF THE TRILLIONS, WHICH IS GOING TO BE NEEDED TO BUILD AMERICA BACK,
NOT THE FOREIGN COUNTRIES! AFTER 9/11 - DID FOREIGNERS BUILD AMERICA
BACK?
I DON'T THINK SO!
POLITICIANS HAVE COMMITTED 'TREASON' ON THE AMERICA TAXPAYERS - THEY'VE
SOLD OUT AMERICA AND THIS, TO HONEST-HARD-WORKING TAXPAYERS, THEY MUST
PAY
BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE!
BY THE WAY, NO MORE LOBBYISTS, DRUG AND INSURANCE COMPANIES, ACLU,
ATTORNEYS, GIVING MONEY TO ANY POLITICIAN, AS TAXPAYERS ARE FED UP WITH
PAYING FOR ALL THE POLITICIANS 'FREEBIES' AND 'HOLLYWOOOD PARTIES',
'EXTRAVAGANT AND PLUSH LIFESTYLES', THAT'S COST TAXPAYERS THEIR JOBS
AND THEIR SECURITY! DOES THIS SEEM 'FAIR AND JUST TO ANYONE?' I DON'T KNOW
ABOUT YOU, BUT I WANT MY MONEY BACK, SINCE WE'VE BEEN OVERCHARGED FOR
INSURANCE AND DRUGS JUST TO PAY FOR THE POLITICIANS AND THEIR
LIFESTYLES!
==========================================================
You have got to listen to this short speech by Newt Gingrich!!
Notice that no mention of political parties is made. Like him or not he tells it like it is.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?gl=US&v=qtjfMjjce2Y
Comment: #2
Posted by: Shirley deLong
Sun Dec 27, 2009 11:08 AM
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