10 ms·

"A lot of what you're seeing as attacks on me, quite frankly, are attacks on science, because all of the things that I have spoken about, consistently from the

"A lot of what you're seeing as attacks on me, quite frankly, are attacks on science, because all of the things that I have spoken about, consistently from the very beginning, have been fundamentally based on science," "And that’s the reason why I say people who then criticize me about that are actually criticizing science" It's a problem with differentiating science from the scientists, and when someone mistakes themselves for an arbiter of truth, they damage public trust in science as a concept. The scientific method, big S Science, is the best tool humans have. People are fallible, flawed, arrogant, tribal idiots, and Science lets us rise above our weakness. Criticizing Fauci for being a weaselly political hack, repeatedly lying in public "for the greater good", lashing out with the above claims, and other serious ethical defects are fine - he's human. He is also capable and trained in understanding scientific data, and is undeniably an expert. However, as he has made so abundantly clear, he's lost perspective and recognition of his own flaws and biases, and doubled down on the politicization of science and the pandemic response. We need apolitical dispassionate scientists with the understanding that they as people are separate from their studies and recommendations. When the scientist starts lying to the public for reasons that amount to "I know better" or "the public is too stupid or incompetent to handle the truth," it undermines Science. "Believe Science" should be a no-brainer. It shouldn't be a team blue political slogan, or used to defend personal failings - both of which are despicable.

jacquesm 5y ago
The attacks on Fauci are despicable. Note that he's anything but a weaselly political hack, but he did get replaced by one during the Trump reign. The man has more integrity than the bulk of that particular administration.
- naasking 5y ago
  I'm honestly baffled by this. The man literally lied to the public and openly admitted to lying. There are plenty of legitimate criticisms of Fauci, and plenty of reasons to be question whether public health officials should be lying to the public about public health.
  - NikolaeVarius 5y ago
    > openly admitted to lying Proof please
    - naasking 5y ago
      Fauci admits to lying about masks and explains why: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kLXttHlUgK8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kLXttHlUgK8 Maybe you think Fauci changed his mind based on new evidence on mask effectiveness, but he literally says he advised against masks due to a fear of PPE shortages, and not due to changing evidence. So either way he lied: either he lied about mask effectiveness thus spreading health misinformation, or he lied about why he advised against wearing masks thus undermining public trust in his advice. Fauci admits to moving the goalposts on vaccination rates and explains it's because of his "gut feeling that the country is finally ready to hear what he really thinks": https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/24/health/herd-immunity-covid-coronavirus.html https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/24/health/herd-immunity-covi... I could dissect these even further and point out numerous other instances, but these are egregious enough to undermine public trust IMO. Public health officials should not be deceiving the public, they should be above reproach.
      - jacquesm 5y ago
        And your parents told you that if you ate spinach you'd be just as strong as Popeye. Were they lying? Yes, absolutely. Were they wrong? No, eating greens is good for you. You have a peculiar standard for truth, it seems to depend on which side of the debate someone is for the person to be held to the 'lily white' standard or the 'can shoot someone on broadway and get away with it' standard. Riddle me this: If Fauci had said 'masks work but we need you all to hang back and not buy them because we need them for the medical profession' resulting in a mass run on masks resulting in even larger numbers of death in care workers how would you view him? Is there any way in which according to you he could have discharged his duty without engaging in lies (white or otherwise) to get to a desired effect without further collateral damage?
        5y ago

jacquesm 5y ago

The attacks on Fauci are despicable. Note that he's anything but a weaselly political hack, but he did get replaced by one during the Trump reign. The man has more integrity than the bulk of that particular administration.

naasking 5y ago
I'm honestly baffled by this. The man literally lied to the public and openly admitted to lying. There are plenty of legitimate criticisms of Fauci, and plenty of reasons to be question whether public health officials should be lying to the public about public health.
- NikolaeVarius 5y ago
  > openly admitted to lying Proof please
  - naasking 5y ago
    Fauci admits to lying about masks and explains why: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kLXttHlUgK8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kLXttHlUgK8 Maybe you think Fauci changed his mind based on new evidence on mask effectiveness, but he literally says he advised against masks due to a fear of PPE shortages, and not due to changing evidence. So either way he lied: either he lied about mask effectiveness thus spreading health misinformation, or he lied about why he advised against wearing masks thus undermining public trust in his advice. Fauci admits to moving the goalposts on vaccination rates and explains it's because of his "gut feeling that the country is finally ready to hear what he really thinks": https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/24/health/herd-immunity-covid-coronavirus.html https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/24/health/herd-immunity-covi... I could dissect these even further and point out numerous other instances, but these are egregious enough to undermine public trust IMO. Public health officials should not be deceiving the public, they should be above reproach.
    - jacquesm 5y ago
      And your parents told you that if you ate spinach you'd be just as strong as Popeye. Were they lying? Yes, absolutely. Were they wrong? No, eating greens is good for you. You have a peculiar standard for truth, it seems to depend on which side of the debate someone is for the person to be held to the 'lily white' standard or the 'can shoot someone on broadway and get away with it' standard. Riddle me this: If Fauci had said 'masks work but we need you all to hang back and not buy them because we need them for the medical profession' resulting in a mass run on masks resulting in even larger numbers of death in care workers how would you view him? Is there any way in which according to you he could have discharged his duty without engaging in lies (white or otherwise) to get to a desired effect without further collateral damage?
      - 5y ago