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

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.

• WASHINGTON - The U.S. government is making it harder for scientists to speak to their global colleagues and restricting who can attend an upcoming major AIDS conference, a congressman charged Thursday.
• Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., said he has a letter showing that the Health and Human Services Department has imposed new limits on who may speak to the World Health Organization.
• Under the new policy, WHO must ask the Health and Human Services Department for permission to speak to scientists and must allow the department to choose who will respond.
• For the first time, political appointees will routinely be able to keep the top experts in their field from responding to WHO requests for guidance on international health issues," Waxman wrote in a letter to HHS Secretary Tommy Thompson.
• "This is a raw attempt to exert political control over scientists and scientific evidence in the area of international health," Waxman wrote.
• "Under the new policy the administration will be able to refuse to provide any experts whenever it wishes to stall international progress on controversial topics."
• A spokesman for the Health and Human Services Department was not immediately available for comment.
• Waxman also complained that the department had cut back a list of scientists planning to attend the International AIDS Society conference in Bangkok, Thailand, next month.
• "I ask you to rescind this ill-advised policy until it can be adequately reviewed and justified," Waxman wrote of the restrictions on WHO requests.
• He also urged Thompson to review his decision on the Bangkok conference.
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