If there’s one phrase that really needs to disappear, it’s “the science.” Throughout the COVID oppression, politicians have told us over and over that “the science” says this and “the science” says that — as if scientific opinions were scientific facts; as if scientific truth were monolithic, unchangeable, and indisputable.
This little phrase makes it easier to portray a succession of scientific opinions as facts and shut down debate. How can you argue with “the science?”
In a reasonable world, we would hear phrases such as, “scientific evidence suggests,” or, “at this time, scientific evidence strongly suggests … .” But instead, we are told in no uncertain terms that, for instance, vaccines are safe, boosters are necessary, vaccinating children is necessary and safe, masks stop the spread of COVID, etc., etc., etc.
With real science, new evidence broadens our understanding. The more data we have, the more precisely we can observe and measure, the more robust our analytical capabilities — the clearer our vision becomes of what is actually going on. “The science,” by acting on theories sold as facts, creates a fantasy land, and a dangerous one at that. For instance —
Common sense alone tells us it would be impossible to declare a vaccine safe and effective immediately after it has been rushed to market. Common sense alone tells us it would take months or even years of observation, study, and testing to make such a claim — and even then, there is always the possibility of new data casting into doubt its safety and effectiveness. No truly scientific conclusion can be considered final. Stated as an indisputable fact, the safety of a vaccine becomes the justification for politically mandated vaccinations. But if real science speaks and tells us a vaccine may be safe, or is probably safe — there is no justification for vaccination mandates at all.
So we must be very, very careful to distinguish between real science and “the science.”
Real science instills in us a healthy skepticism, a desire for open and rigorous debate, a striving for deeper knowledge and the ability to accept, and even encourage, differing viewpoints. “The science” demands unquestioning submission, promotes the patently absurd idea that what we know at any given moment is timeless truth, and immediately cancels anyone impudent enough to question the validity of those supposed truths.
Real science deduces or induces conclusions based on evidence. “The science” forms conclusions and seeks out or manipulates evidence to support those conclusions.
Real science is compatible with religion because both seek truth in their separate spheres. “The science” is a religion. “The science” ostracizes, silences, and punishes heretics — a practice its adherents always bring up about the Catholic Church and Galileo, incidentally.
The heroic medical professionals testifying in the video above are not the only victims of “the science.” You and I are, too.
Real science is humble and cautious. “The science” is arrogant and authoritarian. Real science leads to progress. Consider the last two years. Where has “the science” taken us?
(Image Credit – Wikimedia Commons)
