Science and Politics?

There seems to be an almost explosive growth of using "science" as a tool for politics. The NEJM has an article by a member of the former Presidents Transition Team berating alleged new participants in the current Administration.

NEJM facilitated the following rant:

Reasonable people may disagree about how to interpret data, but they do not ignore scientific method by giving credence to flawed, fraudulent, or misrepresented studies. They may disagree about the moral significance of fertilization, but they do not delete implantation from the stages of pregnancy and do not confuse the public debate by conflating opposition to abortion with opposition to contraception. They may disagree about the morality of using cadaveric fetal tissue for research, but they do not claim that it is useless. Ignoring, denying, or reimagining reality has real consequences for public policy and human health. Whether in the debates regarding climate change, evolutionary theory, or human reproduction, alternative facts are just fiction, and alternative science is just bad policy.

Now this person, the writer, a Law Professor somewhere out West, argues against some current appointees regarding birth control. I do not know any of the parties but I do claim a bit of logic. All of the references she uses are from the left wing press, not a single one from one of her alleged offenders. Frankly any attorney knows that you use the words of the alleged offending party, at least somewhere!

All her claims are without merit unless she can spell out in the words of the alleged offenders. Lawyers do not make scientists but at least lawyers use facts. This article seems to me to be totally devoid of any facts substantiating directly her claims.

The other dimensions are also the presence of and domination by former elected politicians now holding the mantle of scientific hierarchy, like that of the AAAS, and using that position in my opinion as a means to position their political views.

Eight years ago the battle was over poor economics and shaky healthcare, now we seem to be battling over made up religions, holding the other party out to be Satan! Grow up folks.