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Politics : Formerly About Advanced Micro Devices -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: RetiredNow who wrote (549476)	2/11/2010 7:41:49 PM
From: TimF	Respond to of 1586540

if tomorrow the big political debate became about banning transfats in all foods across the US, how long do you think it would be before the big food companies and fast food chains start spending billions on advertising, fake science reports, and propaganda aimed at discrediting the science behind the link between transfats and heart disease? They would likely never spend billions on such things, esp. if you mean all in one year, or all from one company no matter what the time frame. The science is more established than the science about smoking when the tobacco/cigarette companies first tried that game (even if it is less established than the idea of smoking being harmful was when they finally stopped), and more importantly the food companies don't have transfat as their product. Its one ingredient, that can often be replaced (if not without a bit of cost, and/or with a relatively unhealthy replacement that just isn't as bad as transfats). OTOH a weakness in your example your using to illustrate the argument, doesn't necessarily refute the argument. Politics and special interests can corrupt science, and perhaps even more so public perceptions of science. I accept that idea, I just think it goes both ways on many issues, including global warming/climate change. Climate science has become one of the more politicized areas of science, but its hardly the only one.

To: RetiredNow who wrote (549476)	2/11/2010 7:45:24 PM
From: Tenchusatsu	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 1586540

Mindmeld, > However, if tomorrow the big political debate became about banning transfats in all foods across the US, how long do you think it would be before the big food companies and fast food chains start spending billions on advertising, fake science reports, and propaganda aimed at discrediting the science behind the link between transfats and heart disease? Not very long. Shall I tell you how the Democrats are in bed with Big Pharma? They are more responsible for increased health care costs than Big Insurance, yet look at how often the Democrats blame the insurance industry for blocking health care reform. Tenchusatsu