Quick thread:

Blame-the-scientists is a pretty common perspective in this discourse, but it ignores power.

Scientific institutions have far fewer resources to communicate and advocate than :: checks notes :: the $5.7B+ political campaign industry, for example.

Scientists can't really STOP polarization on climate or COVID. They can only mitigate.

To quote Fauci, what's he supposed to do, tackle Trump if Trump says something inaccurate and wrestle the microphone from him?

Pretty sure the Secret Service would have some thoughts.

But blame-the-scientists is an easy way to get attention, pretend to be a brave truth teller, and get some opeds published.

The only downside is it doesn't actually accomplish anything. https://medium.com/s/story/we-need-to-talk-about-reactionary-centrists-f0e6f8c4d58

There's never a solution here: it's always bemoaning the present and hand-waving at an ideal future state that never materializes.

Back on Earth, the rest of us are doing the work. I'd ask dudes like this to join us, but they seem happier armchair quarterbacking.

Anyway. some fun questions for these dudes:

- Do you have an actual concrete plan to address this problem?

- Are you going to do anything to implement that plan?

- If you are such a politics experts, why are your hot takes not persuasive to your peers???

Oh wait a couple more...

- What percentage of your public communications work is devoted to criticizing scientists?

- Are you as accountable for your own words and actions as you seem to think other academics are whom you criticize?