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Bush Stem Cell Ban Wrong, But Not Anti-Science

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mwkruse
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Wired: Bush Stem Cell Ban Wrong, But Not Anti-Science

President Bush's stem cell policy may have been restrictive and misguided, but it wasn't anti-science.

In the wake of Obama's decision to lift Bush's funding ban, many scientists are celebrating the freedom of science from ideology. Their relief is understandable, but the rhetoric is disturbing.

The Bush administration didn't skew stem cell research like it did environmental science: It simply said it wasn't right. Bush's limitations on embryonic research were ethical and legitimate — but not, as many observers have noted, anti-science.

"Some scientists may take home the wrong message: that moral concerns should not restrict what scientists can do. But that's clearly false," said Tom Murray, director of the Hastings Center, a nonpartisan bioethics think tank.

There are good reasons why society puts ethical boundaries on science.

The Nuremberg code is the best-known example of this.  …

Comments

7 responses to “Bush Stem Cell Ban Wrong, But Not Anti-Science”

  1. Mickey Avatar
    Mickey

    Michael,
    I am reminded by the line from “Jurassic Park” that went something along the lines of everybody was so excited bout the thought of what could we do…nobody bothered to as ought we do this.

    Reply
  2. Mickey Avatar
    Mickey

    Michael,
    You know the other thing which concerns me is the revelations which have come forth about the poor ethics of various researchers in the medical professions. With all of the excitement over what “could” be done with stem cells, I worry that “fixed” data to support a desired outcome could become the rule rather than the exception.
    What a disaster it has been with pills like Premarin and Vioxx, imagine the potential consequences of injecting people with cells that may grow independently or reprogram the patients current cell if these cells have not been shown to be safe and effective.
    see the WSJ article here:
    http://blogs.wsj.com/health/2009/03/11/a-new-low-in-drug-research-21-fabricated-studies/
    PS. I have a daughter with Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus who could benefit from replacement of her beta cells which have been destroyed by her own body.

    Reply
  3. Michael W. Kruse Avatar
    Michael W. Kruse

    I keep going back to 1961 and Eisenhower’s famous farewell speech we spoke of the Military-Industrial complex. Few people remember he also talked about the rise of a scientific elite that would form an incestuous relationship with government.
    Science gets funding by claiming to find solutions to substantial problems. Politicians get votes by demonstrating the hardworking efforts to solve real problems. A powerful incentive is created to “find” problems where they may or may not exist to solve them.
    You get a similar dynamic with corporations and their miracle cures, coupled with scientists who want funding as they position themselves as the saviors of humanity.
    Then, as you note, anyone who raises any barriers to the work scientists do is made out to be an idiot, a bigot, or just plain evil.
    As biotech advances, we should be concerned.

    Reply
  4. Dana Ames Avatar
    Dana Ames

    Rod Dreher had a link to a columnist who drew an interesting comparison.
    http://blog.beliefnet.com/crunchycon/2009/03/obama-stem-cells-bush-torture.html#more
    Why is there no publicity about, and encouragement for more, research on adult and umbilical stem cells, which are already -not “potentially”- helping people? Frustrating.
    Dana

    Reply
  5. Michael W. Kruse Avatar
    Michael W. Kruse

    And I should make that I’m not agreeing the articles take that the stem cell ban was wrong, but I do agree with the author’s take that banning stem-cell research is not anti-science.

    Reply
  6. vanskaamper Avatar
    vanskaamper

    Well, what was banned was simply government funding of embryonic stem cell research, was it not? Was it not still perfectly legal to do with private funding?

    Reply
  7. Michael W. Kruse Avatar
    Michael W. Kruse

    I can’t recall at the moment how private research may have been affected.

    Reply

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