Vicious Honesty

PJ O'Rourke flays the President on his reversal of the ban on federal funding of embryonic stem cell research.

A few choices quotes:

"President Obama went to hell not with the stroke of a pen, but with the cluck of a tongue. His executive order was an error. His statement at the executive order signing ceremony was a mortal error: 'In recent years, when it comes to stem cell research, rather than furthering discovery, our government has forced what I believe is a false choice between sound science and moral values.' A false choice is no choice at all--Tweedledee/Tweedledum, Chevy Suburban/GMC Yukon XL, Joe Biden/Triumph the Insult Comic Dog. Is there really no difference 'between sound science and moral values'? ... A false choice means there's no choosing. The president of the United States tells us that sound science and moral values are united, in bed together. As many a coed has been assured, 'Let's just get naked under the covers, we don't have to make love.' Or, as the president puts it, 'Many thoughtful and decent people are conflicted about, or strongly oppose this research. And I understand their concerns, and I believe that we must respect their point of view.'"

Well, last time I checked, there was a difference between morality and science. There always has been; in fact, they don't have much to do with one another as far as compatible subjects go. Science is at best neutral, it is certainly not by necessity good. It can be quite good, for a great many people, but without morality in the picture as well it is merely a tool without anyone to guide it. A tool that can be used to create a vaccine against polio, or a tool that may or may not help anyone but will certainly kill teeny weeny babies while trying.


HT: The Anchoress, who I recommend highly that you read. Any woman who loves PJ as much as I do gets my "Google Reader" vote, any day.