Thanks for posting the reference Jim.
A good article, though it still doesn't sufficiently highlight the main problem I had with Shermer's article - it was never really an analysis of positions - just another typical promotion of the "equality" of "extreme" left & right positions, leaving the only "proper" place in the muddled middle, never challenging the status quo. A typical American media voice whose main goal is to police the limits of acceptable discussion. Also could be stronger on the way Shermer conflates denial of basic scientific consensus (evolution, global warming) with disputes about the implementation of specific technologies (GMO, nuclear power, etc.) under capitalism.
From the perspective of the SFTP list I would be interested in people's reaction to some of the comments following the article, regarding Shermer ignoring the anti-vaccine issue as a easier shot at the left. Among activist circles in the Bay area I have had to challenge a lot of the residue of the autism/MMR debacle that still keeps a left anti-vaccine ideology alive under the rubric of popular challenges to corporate pharmaceutical companies . Given the large share of public health activists on our (with more direct experience on this issue) I would be interested in their reactions to the issues of vaccine safety and public input.
On Jan 23, 2013, at 2:35 PM, Jim Tobias <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> ...with plenty of references to SftP on sociobiology in an otherwise even
> more interesting article:
> http://skepchick.org/2013/01/is-there-a-liberal-war-on-science/
>
>
> ***
> Jim Tobias
> Inclusive Technologies
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