Heidi "Lysenko" Cullen

[Gus Van Horn blog]

By Gus Van Horn from Gus Van Horn,cross-posted by MetaBlog

One of the darkest chapters of scientific history occurred in the Soviet Union, when the state decided to dictate scientific doctrine in the field of biology. Specifically, the state actively suppressed biologists in the field of genetics. From the Skeptic's Dictionary (which, regrettably, could stand to be less apologetic for and more skeptical toward Marxism and of the leftist assumption that capitalism is based on religion):

When the rest of the scientific world were pursuing the ideas of Mendel and developing the new science of genetics, Russia led the way in the effort to prevent the new science from being developed in the Soviet Union. Thus, while the rest of the scientific world could not conceive of understanding evolution without genetics, the Soviet Union used its political power to make sure that none of their scientists would advocate a genetic role in evolution.

It was due to [Trofim Denisovich] Lysenko's efforts that many real scientists, those who were geneticists or who rejected Lamarckism in favor of natural selection, were sent to the gulags or simply disappeared from the USSR. Lysenko rose to dominance at a 1948 conference in Russia where he delivered a passionate address denouncing Mendelian thought as "reactionary and decadent" and declared such thinkers to be "enemies of the Soviet people" (Gardner 1957). He also announced that his speech had been approved by the Central Committee of the Communist Party. Scientists either groveled, writing public letters confessing the errors of their way and the righteousness of the wisdom of the Party, or they were dismissed. Some were sent to labor camps. Some were never heard from again.

Under Lysenko's guidance, science was guided not by the most likely theories, backed by appropriately controlled experiments, but by the desired ideology. Science was practiced in the service of the State, or more precisely, in the service of ideology. The results were predictable: the steady deterioration of Soviet biology. Lysenko's methods were not condemned by the Soviet scientific community until 1965, more than a decade after Stalin's death. [bold added]

There are those who are working feverishly to bring back this state of affairs, and I am barely exaggerating. Replace "Larmarckism" with "anthropogenic global warming" and the communists with the Democrats, including their stooges in the news media.

And Heidi Cullen of the Weather Channel wants to make history, I guess, as the first woman to reprise (via Matt Drudge) Lysenko's famous role.

The Weather Channel's most prominent climatologist is advocating that broadcast meteorologists be stripped of their scientific certification if they express skepticism about predictions of manmade catastrophic global warming. This latest call to silence skeptics follows a year (2006) in which skeptics were compared to "Holocaust Deniers" and Nuremberg-style war crimes trials were advocated by several climate alarmists.

...

Cullen's call for decertification of TV weatherman who do not agree with her global warming assessment follows a year (2006) in which the media, Hollywood and environmentalists tried their hardest to demonize scientific skeptics of manmade global warming. Scott Pelley, CBS News 60 Minutes correspondent, compared skeptics of global warming to "Holocaust deniers" and former Vice President turned foreign lobbyist Al Gore has repeatedly referred to skeptics as "global warming deniers." See:

http://epw.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?Fus...37-8FF923FD73F8

http://epw.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?Fus...82-87381DE894CD

...

In addition, Cullen's December 17, 2006 episode of "The Climate Code" TV show, featured a columnist who openly called for Nuremberg-style Trials for climate skeptics. Cullen featured Grist Magazine's Dave Roberts as an eco-expert opining on energy issues, with no mention of his public call to institute what amounts to the death penalty for scientists who express skepticism about global warming. See:

http://epw.senate.gov/fact.cfm?party=rep&id=264568

Cullen's call for suppressing scientific dissent comes at a time when many skeptical scientists affiliated with Universities have essentially been silenced over fears of loss of tenure and the withdrawal of research grant money. The United Nations Inner Governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) process has also steadily pushed scientists away who hold inconvenient skeptical views and reject the alarmist conclusions presented in the IPCC's summary for policymakers. See:

http://epw.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?Fus...;ContentRecord_

Regrettably, there's much more. Notably, the private funding of some scientific research that reaches conclusions Heidi Cullen doesn't like is used as "evidence" that it must be biased.

And this last is even after history has shown us just how "biased" government intrusion into science can be! We are seeing it again, starting with the Big Lie that only government funding can guarantee unbiased research!

-- CAV

http://ObjectivismOnline.com/blog/archives/002223.html