PushingTheEnvelopeWithLaughingGasVille
Last week Philip Cross, the former Chief Economic Analyst for StatsCan, wrote an OpEd in the Financial Post titled 'What War On Science?'.
Initially, Mr. Cross argues that 'everybody does it'.
What, precisely, everybody does, particularly those governments that do not muzzle their staff scientists, I'm not exactly sure.
Then, just before he offers up the 'what are they whining about anyway because total funding is up' gambit, Mr. Cross lets fly with a bizarre argument that links the 'good' science to the GDP.
That laughable argument goes like this:
"...Some of the tension between government and science revolves around how science relates to economic growth. Higher growth is how the scientific establishment justifies its ample government funding..."
So...
Should we start stuffing air conditioners, heating ducts, and breakfast cereal boxes with heart-smart asbestos flakes immediately?
Sheesh.
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Tip O' The Toque to Jessa Gamble and her piece posted at 'The Last Word On Nothing'.
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3 comments:
What and start up asbestos mining in Canada and export it again.?
Anon-Above--
Well....If one were to follow the good Mr. Cross' pretzel logic to it's illogical conclusion...
Yes.
.
“I have no affiliation with any organization other than a Research Fellowship at the CD Howe Institute…”
Bingo!
“The proliferation of dodgy research at a time when social media leverages the results is a good reason for management to be cautious in letting scientists communicate with the media.”
When “management” is comprised of our politicians, and in a democracy communicating with “media” should mean us, I call bullshit, Mr. Cross. I’ll make up my own mind whether to believe a scientist or a politician. Especially when it comes to a politician who believes we walked with dinosaurs.
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