SCIENTIFIC BETRAYAL

Never before have Americans experienced such dangerous manipulation of essential scientific data, as used by this administration to derail vital environmental reforms, conservation, family planning-- and the list goes on. The resulting long term environmental and social damage are beyond measure, and can only worsen if not curtailed.

Despite their clandestine cloak, or environmental friendly disguise, these sellouts have been evident since Bush first was handed the presidency. They have been exposed by defectors from the EPA, health & human services, etc; and have been documented and chronicled by numerous dedicated environmental organizations including The Union of Concerned Scientists.

The gravity of these unprecedented betrayals eclipses the Monica Lewinski scandal which led to an impeachment, and pose greater dangers than Watergate which terminated a presidency. Blame falls mainly on the populace and our legislators for tolerating this reckless and arrogant occupant of the White House.

yep, geo making things consistent …

… Consistently CORRUPT

Namaste

It would appear that Dubya likes the smog in parent's hometown of Houston, Texas so much that he wants the rest of the USA to have its' foul air (which, btw, is now worse than Los Angeles).

Robert Settgast March 15th, 2008 12:16 pm

DITTO...nothing more to say except; arrest, try and jail

Instead of focusing on the destruction of the planet, the MSM these days is burying us with the 'Spitzer sex scandal' as if this is worthy of our attention. The Republicans have such good control over the airwaves, that Hitler would have been envious of the efficiency of our propaganda.

Screw science, Mammon will provide.

"The gravity of these unprecedented betrayals eclipses the Monica Lewinski scandal which led to an impeachment, and pose greater dangers than Watergate which terminated a presidency."

I'd take Nixon back in a heartbeat--that's how bad Bush is.

The Union of Concerned Scientists has an 'A-Z' list of lies, distortions, and interference.

http://www.ucsusa.org/scientific_integrity/interference/a-to-z-alphabetical.html

This is like the Stalinist era, when every agency had to have a political commissar to ensure that the agency's agenda and announcements were consistent with the administation.

Hook his sorry ass up to an air standard called a tail pipe!!!

Dog bites man. This is not news. As Jim Hightower wrote, there are three things you don't want to see: water running out of your electrical outlets; flames shooting out of your sock drawer; and a press release that starts "Today the Bush administration released revised guidelines for..."

The White House could have made the standards consistent by raising the human health standard instead of lowering the environmental health standard. But even that would have been inappropriate meddling. This is part of the White House's war on progressivism, war on humanism, war on universalism, war on environmentalism, war on peace, war on justice, war on people, war on planet.

Arkitekton wrote: "I'd take Nixon back in a heartbeat–that's how bad Bush is." Interestingly, it was Nixon who signed the Clean Air Act into effect, the law that EPA secretary Johnson believes needs to be amended to "include economic factors." Sad state of affairs when we are pining for Nixon...

redstatelefty writes "this is not news." What is it then? I read a lot of comments on this site to that effect, in a variety of contexts. I assume the point is "we knew this already." But that is demonstrably UNTRUE in this case. We did NOT know about this particular political interference in enviro policy until these last days. Yes, progressives like myself (and presumably redstatelefty) do see this as part of a larger pattern. But it does NOT follow that this is "not news." The fact that most people in the USA are probably unaware of this pattern of political interference means articles like this should be distributed widely at every opportunity. So my advice to the redstateleftys is this: cut the "this is not news" commentary if you are only writing that to make yourself feel wise or something. Give us solutions or don't bother writing.

Peace

The EPA was chartertered by Richard Nixon as a non political agency to protect and improve our environment. It functioned as was intended (even during the Regan years) until this administration converted it to another tool for the special interests.

Blame for the recent blockage of California's pollution and effeciency standards, as well as other outrages, by this administration falls on: The moran voters who helped this administration steal the elections; The five Supreme Court justices who betrayed principal for politics and planted this unfit person in office; and Our legislators for tolerating these unprecedented abuses.

It's all about money, corporate profits in the short term. This heinous behavior isn't limited to Bush though he is an exceptionally virulent example of the diseased mindset. It's CAPITALISM -- the dictatorship of business. Getting a Dim in office won't make that much difference, it's the system that has to go before it kills us all.

I suppose that about 10% of the U.S. population is equipped and willing to read and comprehend this article in a couple of sittings, and these few can easily be shouted down by impressive and credentialed men in suits.

The only way to impart this information to the public would be to present it on television. But the government controls television, and television controls the minds of the public. The situation seems hopeless. Protect yourself and your family, try to survive. That's all we can do now as this ship of fools goes under.

I have been to Houston many times. THAT PLACE STINKS! Do you suppose that if the Bush's moved, the stench would follow?

The culprit is the leader of the opposition, Nancy Pelosi. She must be voted out. How is that going? I have no idea. Nobody seems to care about congressional elections or punishing the leaders. McCain is even with Obama and Clinton and is likely to win. With voters like these what hope can there be? There is, in fact, no solution I can see. I have started hoping for widespread poverty as the only way to get the voters to start thinking, but even then they might just become more stupid. I have no confidence at all in the American people. I do not believe democracy exists in the US anymore. It is all just one very cruel game for power in the abscence of social cohesion. Split up this country, it is no good as it is.

seastar, I didn't mean to offend. My only point was that this is just more of the same. They've been doing this since they took office, and they'll continue to do it. Sure it would be news to most people - but most people will never hear about it, and little notice it if they do. They've been lulled to sleep by the corporate media. They'd rather watch Survivor and American Idol. And please take your own advice about presenting solutions before you snipe at others.

Who has raised the most money in California? Pelosi. She is receiving tremendous support. So much for accountability. Seeing this, how can one not be disappointed? It is all for nothing. We can talk and talk and Pelosi will still win and be the leader of the democrats. It is revolting. We can talk and talk and McCain will still be president and nothing will change, except for the worse. How can one remain enthusiastic like this?

Parks, crops and wildlife do not vote and do not contribute hugely to Republican Political Funds. Possibly neither do the scientists. Therefore their concerns do not matter. However the ozone makers do vote and contribute huge amounts of money. Money always wins. The reality of power is money, military and media control. And bully boy Bush isn't going to change his behavior just to be nice to people that do not matter to him. This is quite a satisfactory arrangement for those in power and with money. The only way out is for the people to take charge and make it a real democracy. Right wing sorts only understand carrot and sticks. You have to imagine and work to make the people become the rulers and owners, and the leaders become the ruled, with no leadership autonomy.

> On another front, the EPA drew criticism for closing some of its 26 research libraries
> to save money ... only about 10 percent of the agency's collections are available.

I am reminded of Rollerblade when Caan goes to see Computer Zero, the index and repository of all of knowledge. And finds the computer has lost several centuries of data along with it's mind.

It's what I've come to expect from Bush's administration. No one is allowed to know, not even government itself.

I can understand George dabbling in the ozone situation.

After all, he's full of greenhouse gas as anyone can tell each time he opens his mouth. It's rather confused greenhouse gas as well and it usually comes out in short spurts that aren't connected.

Besides, George reckons the ozone layer shouldn't be of concern because we can see oil but we can't see the ozone layer so it's a matter of priorities. And dollars! Petro-dollars.

www.dangerouscreation.com

It is interseting that the posters here are up in arms when Bush meddles in science but they praise the politicians in Europe for overrinding their scientific authorities to ban GM crops. Seems as though you all like meddling in science by politicians just fine when it fits your agenda.

i've got the noose ready.

@ mr. obvious...

we have no say in what OUR government does...

OBVIOUSLY, we have no say in what other governments do either.

we call it sovereignty

The article is based on the inappropriateness of politicians meddling in science. I agree. However, I agree no matter whether the issues conform or not with my prejudice. My point is that many poster on this site applauded EU politicians for the same meddling. They want it both ways.

"Mr. Obvious said:

It is interseting that the posters here are up in arms when Bush meddles in science but they praise the politicians in Europe for overrinding their scientific authorities to ban GM crops. Seems as though you all like meddling in science by politicians just fine when it fits your agenda."

We might praise European politicians for listening to and acting on the democratic will of an educated populace, not on GM industry's sold out scientists. This is something our oligarchs openly refuse to do because of legalized political bribery by GM corporations.

Sr. Obvious:

Objectors to GMOs generally want some actual science done beyond the corporate lab. Kinda like the other environmental science discussed here.

In fact, you're not getting the point: science with a political agenda is not science at all. This applies to the article AND your comment!

The efficiency of the media, in distracting us from major news stories, is less frightening than the ability of the populace to be taken in by such manoeuvres, and not even realise it.

Thanks to RuthK for the link. Muzzling of the Surgeon General and violation of the Hatch Act - included in this article:

http://www.ucsusa.org/scientific_integrity/interference/us-surgeon-general-muzzled.html

I don't object to GM science. I object to capitalists who think they should profit from everything they taint, but never want to take responsibility for the adverse effects.

GMOs are for idiots who think humans are smart enough to know better than nature. Only a human supremacist/fool would think that. We dont need technological fixes to problems created by humanity and science.

The fact that Bush overrides science isnt the problem--its that he overrides common sense.

Its common sense that you dont pollute the atmosphere or the water supply. Ditto with GMOS.
We dont need science to point that out.

And Americans gave this guy Bush the Button That Ends The World. Shame, shame on America. And shame on the money-grubbing millionaires in the Lickspittle branch of government, Congress. For Earth's sake, the Republican Party must be abolished and banned, like the Nazi Party before it.

But people in general feel helpless. They are divided and conquered by the corporations that control the news and control their livlihoods, and by the capitalist multi-millionaire 'journalists' that sell the people out. So the people don't know what to believe, and they instinctively don't like 'divisive politics' because that is rude... even though divisiveness is absolutely a supremely vital tool in the well-disguised-by-propaganda-and-dissembling-and-obfuscation game plan for winning amd keeping public office (and thus in their view the ability to seize the fat of the land) of the Bushite/Rovewellian Republicans.

And Bush and Cheney like it like that. Because they can then do whatever the hell they please... and it pleases them to loot our government, and put it into the hands of their crony corporate masters and their goons who can then rape the people's government into extinction (a la the the sick dream of the perverted fascist/corporate toady Grover "MyMoneyMyGuns" Norquist).

The corporate/fascist MSM does massive reporting on sex scandals and other distractive trivia, instead of doing real investigative, truth-seeking reporting (and this fact is parodied constantly on THE DAILY SHOW).

So the above Reuters story on the Bush corruption of science and (surprise!)further environmental degradation and health damage by Bush will go right on by in the MS Media like another 'he said, she said' argument, with no real truth to be had according to the MSM.

Though that there is no truth in this issue is most definitely not the case, and as in most other issues involving Bush, Bush is to be found fanatically opposing the real truth, usually for his own and his cronies' personal gain against that of the people and the government he swore to uphold (first lie of the Bush administration) or his personal capitalist-pig 'philosophy', just like the ringleader of any other criminal gang.

Why doesn't a reporter stand up in the WH press conference and ask Tony Fratto or Dana Perino, "Tony, do you really believe this big piece of stinky elephant-sized shit that you're laying on us? Come on, why did Bush really stick his wick into this environmental issue, when he has NO CREDENCE AT ALL with regard to science (or wisdom) of any kind?"

But the MSM do NOT look behind the curtain to see the lying- sacks-of-shit snake-oil-peddlers pulling the levers of power. No wonder only half of America votes. Nobody to vote for. Nobody to believe.

So 'economics', just a fakery factory of pseudo-science, once again trumps real environmental science and real people, because for Bush money and power trump reality. And yet, on the other hand, Shrub Dubya ("got ta watch tha peeple's money and lower gov'mint expenses and costly regalations") the Bush sees nothing wrong with squandering trillions of sucker-taxpayer dollars to simply ecologically and socially destroy a whole country, Iraq, illegally and for no good reason... other than Bush had an itch for Saddam he just had to scratch; a three trillion dollar itch, but all his, so this government expenditure is all A-OK.

Oh, of course there was also the really big money to be skimmed off the Iraq BushWar from the American treasury/people and sent to the real Owners of the corporate-military-industrial complex (like Big Daddy Bush, the Big Dick Cheney, and Henry 'Kill-em-all' Kissinger), which is after all about the only industrial complex America's got left. And of course, according to Cheney, there was that really big ol' pot of oil to steal. Some real dollars there, especially when you can extract $110 a barrel for it from the American people.

The Bush Crime Family and their evil minions have a god, and its name is Money&Power. It is not about one person one vote. That is the facade, like a corporate stockholder vote (the "accountability moment" of which Bush spoke, the ONE AND ONLY TIME where stockholders 'have a say' and can 'vote' for the board of directors/fascist dictator junta, in a totally rigged 'election'.)

For the Bushites it is, rather, for every dollar you give them one vote, again like a corporation. If envoironmentalists were giving more dollars, they would 'win' (sadly, environmentalists have no dollars because they are not fucking the Earth and its people for them). That is how the Bush Crime Family operates. Winner Takes All The Power, and the 'points' in their game are dollars.

So now Bush can meddle into reality all he wants, like a CEO running his own company into the ground (Enron, Countrywide, MerrillLynch, Citibank) while taking millions and millions of dollars for himself. Only the 'company' he and Cheney are running into the ground... is the good old USA, damaging everyone and everything alive on Earth in the process.

Captialism has got to go. We can now see, with the New China and the 'New' Iraq, what was obscured by capitalist propaganda before; that capitalism has NOTHING AT ALL to do with freedom, and NOTHING AT ALL to do with democracy, and NOTHING AT ALL to do with goodness, morality, ethics, life, the Constitution, or truth. Read Naomi Klein's THE SHOCK DOCTRINE to see how evil so-called free-market capitalism really is. And how capitalism actually needs government to even survive, and ravenously feed on like the corrupting parasite it is.

Just listen to the Big Capitalists now, like that ass-mole Treasury Secretary Paulson from Wall Street, as they beg and threaten the American people's government and the should-be-socialist Federal Reserve (instead controlled by private, unaccountable, Republican, right-wing, will-save-capitalism-at-any-cost, bankers of-by-and-for the bankers... who really hold the power to create/print 'our' money and control 'by decree' interest rates) to save them from the damage of their own Greed in the current debt/credit meltdown.

No more talk of 'free'-market, laissez-faire, leave-me-alone vulture capitalism; the corporate masters want a gigantic bailout from the American people's social-contract government to save their own asses... but even now in the wreckage they themselves have wrought, they only want their own big-capitalist corporate asses saved and nobody else's. The little people must remain debt-slaves. This is where our poor, ravaged, sold-out, bankrupt nation is today, thanks to the Bush Crime Wave.

But, gee, someone like Spitzer must resign within two days, because he had paid for sex with another adult, and that is so very much more icky and impeachable, according to the corporate MSM and the hypocritical Republican braying jackasses, than Bush's mass-murdering, Bush's racketeering by corporate extortion and fraud and larceny, Bush's ongoing desecration and destruction of all life on Earth, and Bush's Treason against the United States Constitution. Thanks a bunch MSM! And oh yeah, thanks again Yale!

No more Welfare for millionaires; Socialism must replace 'free'-market Capitalism. Or the Earth will surely die.

Censorship is NOT progressive!

They have come too far to let go of their positions, money, power without a good fight. Our fascist government will not be voted out, and maybe the only solution will be boycotts of products and national strikes.

I have a problem with the portrayal of the people being victims of the media. McCain had fun with the idea of bombing Iran: Bomb.bomb,bomb Iran. Yet he has the support of 50% of the electorate. What kind of manipulation do you see here? None, except to play to the desire for war. This could only be considered a manipulation if McCain and the press were colluding to fool the people into peace. How likely is that? No, the problem is the people, and the press exploits the weakness of the people. This weakness is for solving problems with a gun, just like in the schools and westerns.

I did not see any meddling in science in this case. He just ignored it in favour of business and economics. Nothing wrong with that, sometimes you have to make decisions, and he is the decider, thats what he does best, he said so.

If the elderly die a little earlier, it's less money spent on social security and medicare, and if it's also good for the economy and good for business, win win win. You think he cares about "human" health? Maybe, but to him, anyone with a net worth less than 10 million is likely not human, and the humans can afford to get away from the pollution.

Some of the posts above state the government doesn't represent our interests. There are a lot of people out there who blame the exodus of basic manufacturing to Mexico and China on "tree huggers" and the EPA, along with the existance of "high" (aka any) taxes or fees on corporations.

The administration exploits this sentiment at the polls, but these folks might not realize the major reason for manufacturing leaving is cheap labor, and the admin is doing nothing to pressure offshore manufacturing to be responsible for human dignity or the environment.

We need to keep people aware of environmental problems, especially global warming, and the necessity for the laws and regulations that have greatly improved our environment since the naive "the world is our cesspool" days of the 1950s and 60s.

Bush & Co get away with sabotage of important environmental protections because he had his Reichstag fire.

WereInThisTogether and ezeflyer: You prove my point. It is OK for Dimas and Borloo to ignore the EU scientific body (EFSA) and ban or prevent use of GM crops because you agree with the decision, but heaven forbid that Bush do the same thing! Sounds just like the double standards of all the politicians to me. Either you trust the scientist's conclusions or you do not. You seem to trust the one's that back up your preconceived notions. Global warming is caused by human activities because their is scientific concensus, but the scientist's consensus on the safety of GM plants is not to be trusted. Their must be a conspiracy if the science says that new technology is beneficial.

Bush rules. It has nothing to do with science, truth . . .

kelmer March 16th, 2008 2:51 pm

"The fact that Bush overrides science isnt the problem–its that he overrides common sense.
Its common sense that you dont pollute the atmosphere or the water supply. Ditto with GMOS.
We dont need science to point that out."

BINGO! In the Bush Administration, profit-taking will always override common sense.

kelmer - You prove that common sense is not as common as it used to be. When you ignor science, you ignor evidence and move to religion and superstition.

Robert Settgast March 15th, 2008 12:16 pm

"DITTO…nothing more to say except; arrest, try and jail..."

Don't forget confiscate (return our treasury's money) and EXECUTE!!!