Empirical polarization.
"Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not his own facts."
Daniel Patrick Moynihan
I first heard that quote last night, in the shower. I thought, wow, this it so appropriate for what is going on in the ME Community.
My wife's agony-filled life is dominated not by scientific fact, but by the groundless opinion of a small group of psychiatrists. Official policy towards ME is based not on the medical literature but upon wild speculation. What we are a long-time victim of, in the ME world, is I think,succinctly summed up by Eugene Robinson in his blog today : " I'm talking about a lack of agreement on what is provably, objectively true and what is not. Political polarization is old hat. Empirical polarization is something new......The vast majority of scientists look dispassionately at the data and conclude that atmospheric warming and climate change are real. Deniers don't produce data of their own, they just say no, no, no......" http://azstarnet.com/news/opinion/article_0995344c-45c3-5362-9cb7-87ea211f9786.html
..and yet the deniers that ME is real, are listened to, have the worshiping ear of the media, dictate the NICE guideline on ME, are showered with millions of pounds; while I - well, I was reaching out at 3am last night , trying to hold my wife where it hurts, trying to take away the pain....
Where vested interests dominate, it seems there is increasingly little room for facts.
Daniel Patrick Moynihan
I first heard that quote last night, in the shower. I thought, wow, this it so appropriate for what is going on in the ME Community.
My wife's agony-filled life is dominated not by scientific fact, but by the groundless opinion of a small group of psychiatrists. Official policy towards ME is based not on the medical literature but upon wild speculation. What we are a long-time victim of, in the ME world, is I think,succinctly summed up by Eugene Robinson in his blog today : " I'm talking about a lack of agreement on what is provably, objectively true and what is not. Political polarization is old hat. Empirical polarization is something new......The vast majority of scientists look dispassionately at the data and conclude that atmospheric warming and climate change are real. Deniers don't produce data of their own, they just say no, no, no......" http://azstarnet.com/news/opinion/article_0995344c-45c3-5362-9cb7-87ea211f9786.html
..and yet the deniers that ME is real, are listened to, have the worshiping ear of the media, dictate the NICE guideline on ME, are showered with millions of pounds; while I - well, I was reaching out at 3am last night , trying to hold my wife where it hurts, trying to take away the pain....
Where vested interests dominate, it seems there is increasingly little room for facts.
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