“If you tell a big enough lie and tell it frequently enough, it will be believed.” -Adolf Hitler
I read a paragraph on Gregg Henson’s blog today. Normally, I agree with him, but today he just rubbed me the wrong way because something he wrote was insanely wrong, but it’s something I’ve talked about here before.
In talking about President Obama’s disheartening end of the federal funding for embryonic stem cell research ban, he said the following.
I’m really happy that Barack Obama reversed George Bush’s partial ban on stem cell research.
I think George W. Bush’s biggest mistake was not allowing scientists to use EVERY available avenue to find cures for disease. Bush allowed the nut bag right wingers to push him to ban stem cell research and I think he will always be disgraced for his decision. His ban put us 7 years behind in the search for cures for everyday diseases like Alzheimer’s, diabetes and cancer. I will ALWAYS hold it against him that he let the nutty right make the call.
Hitler was right. Apparently, if you tell a lie long enough, people start believing it.
First of all, there is not now nor has there ever been a ban on stem cell research in the United States. That’s not open for debate or interpretation and anyone who argues otherwise is grossly uninformed. No matter how much you try to pin this on “Jesus freaks,” there is no such ban, Gregg.
As I’ve said before, there is a halt on federal funding for new lines of stem cells created from embryos. What that means is that under President Bush, there would be no new lines of stem cells created from embryos done with federal money. You could start your own pharmaceutical company tomorrow, grow your own lines, and harvest the hell out of them without fear of prosecution or arrest because there is no ban on doing so; you just won’t be able to get federal grants to do so. In fact, if you apply for it, you can even use any number of existing lines of stem cells created from embryos that the federal government already has in its stores!
Doesn’t seem like standard operating procedure for something that was, with the stroke of a pen, made illegal, does it?
It always strikes me as odd when I read someone who’s a generally open-market type complaining that without the federal government’s intervention, embryonic stem cell research can’t go anywhere. It strikes me as even odder that we’re constantly hearing about the potential for embryonic stem cell research as if it’s the only area where progress can happen, while other countries who have no such funding freezes are making tons of advancements using adult stem cells like this one, and this one, and this one, and of course this one.
For a similar example of verbal gymnastics, check out IT.tv Episode 43, where I come out against driving.
I’m really disappointed that Gregg not only fell for this stupidity, but also went along and perpetuated the myth. I guess in that way, he does agree with President Obama.