Bush Administration Censors Scientists In Order to Promote A Distorted, Politically Motivated Scientific View

The Bush administration has gone to great lengths to influence the voice of the scientific community. In a clear case of politics attempting to direct science, the U.S. government has now imposed limits on which scientists can speak to the World Health Organization. The new rules require scientists to get permission from the Health and Human Services Department before they can speak to the WHO. Of this scientific censorship effort, Congressman Henry Waxman has said, "This is a raw attempt to exert control over scientists and scientific evidence in the area of international health." But what's the story behind this story? What's really going on here?

This censorship stems from the fact that commercial interests of corporations closely allied with the Bush administration no longer parallel the interests of international health, and rather than adhering to the fundamental laws of international health and wellness that would require changes in the marketing and production of foods and beverages in the United States, the Bush administration is attempting to erect sort of a Berlin wall to prevent communication between the World Health Organization and U.S. scientists.

As a concrete example of why this is in the interest of the Bush administration, let's examine the role of the sugar industry in the recent attempt by the World Health Organization to adopt a new position that would instruct member countries and their populations to limit the consumption of added sugars. This attempt to limit added sugars in the human diet stood at odds with the commercial and financial interests of the big sugar industry in the United States -- as well as soft drink manufacturers, candy bar companies, and other manufacturers of junk foods.

As it turns out, these organizations have strong financial and political ties to the Bush administration. The sugar industry, for example, donated heavily to the Bush administration during the 2000 presidential campaign, and Big Sugar continues to spend far more money funding Republican candidates than Democratic ones.

What this all comes down to, by the way, is political censorship of the scientific voice of America. The Bush administration, in its unprecedented desire to win at all costs and exercise power and control over the U.S. population, will seemingly stoop to any dirty tactic in order to achieve its political goals. This includes censoring scientists who don't reflect the Bush administration's distorted views on issues regarding health and wellness.

It's easy to imagine that this also has ramifications in the pharmaceutical industry as well. Any scientist who doesn't agree with the Bush administration's views on pharmaceuticals -- and the administration is, of course, closely allied with pharmaceutical companies -- will be prevented from attending international conferences or communicating with the World Health Organization.

The bottom line is that if you thought the war with Iraq was the outer limit of the abuses of power the Bush administration is willing to pursue in its quest for control, think again. As it turns out, it will also suppress scientific truth in order to make sure that only its own distorted pseudo-scientific views ever see the light of day.