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Further evidence that the CDC has become hopelessly compromised by leadership that buckles to political pressure from the White House, instead of upholding the agency's mission. https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/white-house-and-cdc-remove-coronavirus-warnings-about-choirs-in-faith-guidance/2020/05/28/5d9c526e-a117-11ea-9590-1858a893bd59_story.html
I'm hurt, and I'm angry.
Hurt for the excellent scientists and health practitioners at the CDC who are seeing their advice uncut by political machination.
Angry for our country as one of our leading lights is tamped out for political gain — at the cost of thousands of lives.
Hurt for the excellent scientists and health practitioners at the CDC who are seeing their advice uncut by political machination.
Angry for our country as one of our leading lights is tamped out for political gain — at the cost of thousands of lives.
I'm angry at the White House for continuing past the 100,000 death mark to treat this pandemic as a public relations crisis instead of a public health crisis.
Take this bit from the story. The CDC isn't supposed to adapt their advice to political whims, and it's outrageous that the White House demands such.
I can rant about compromised actors within the CDC leadership who allow this, but the ultimate source of the problem is clear.
I can rant about compromised actors within the CDC leadership who allow this, but the ultimate source of the problem is clear.
One of the most painful things for me is to see the CDC expunge its public health *guidance* in an attempt to bolster the White House's policy *objectives*.
We need the CDC to provide its public health guidance as an impartial and scientifically excellent institution.
If the White House then wants to avoid strong action based on CDC's advice, so be it.
The institution would remain a national and even worldwide treasure.
If the White House then wants to avoid strong action based on CDC's advice, so be it.
The institution would remain a national and even worldwide treasure.
Being ignored by a short-sighted, cynical, and opportunistic executive branch is one thing. But once the CDC begins to capitulate to political pressure by self-censoring the work of the own excellent scientists and health professionals, so much more is lost.
It's painful to see.
It's painful to see.
Meanwhile, it may be time for @Twitter to update its standard message when you search for a COVID related topic.
To be clear, I'm not saying that because I take pleasure in dunking on the CDC. It's terrible.
I mention it because the White House has squandered the immeasurable power conferred when our institutions are considered the world authorities in science and medicine.
I mention it because the White House has squandered the immeasurable power conferred when our institutions are considered the world authorities in science and medicine.
There is no legitimate actor in this country who benefits from this in the medium or long term. Whatever your policy objectives, they are advanced by access to good information and hampered by inability to obtain it.
Destroying the country's scientific institutions because the facts don't fall the way you them to—that's like gouging out your eyes to avoid seeing bad news. It works momentarily, but the bad news doesn't disappear, and now you no longer have the advantage of sight in responding.
