Trump is Doubleplus Ungood for Science.

Since his inauguration, Donald Trump and his unorthodox manner of governing has received numerous comparisons to the the totalitarian regime of George Orwell’s 1984. Last week, the Trump administration went a step further to validate these seemingly alarmist inculpations when it was revealed that it has forbidden the CDC from using 7 different words and phrases on official budgetary documents. If this doesn’t worry you, I implore you to consider it further.

According to the article, the CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention) is being instructed to refrain from using politically inconvenient language such as “fetus” and “vulnerable” and otherwise benign phrases such as “evidence-based” and “science-based.” This is troubling for 2 different reasons, both of which affect every side of the political spectrum. First, by saying that certain words are “forbidden”, the Trump administration is thwarting legitimate examination of public health threats. For example, when discussing the effects and possible cures to Zika virus, it is imperative that a distinction be made between “babies” and “fetuses”(because Zika affects fetuses which then leads to deformed babies). This idiomatic inexactitude is simply not acceptable when we are discussing real and present dangers to our citizens. Furthermore, these words have long been a part of medical and scientific vernacular for their specificity. Sacrificing their use for political ideology is something that would be expected from the Ministry of Truth, not the United States government.

The second and perhaps more salient point is the message the Trump administration is sending to the scientific community and the world at large. Think about this for a moment: the Center for Disease Control and Prevention is not allowed to use “science-based” and “evidence-based” in official communications. Let that sink in. The governmental agency which is tasked with protecting the health of our citizens is forbidden from using “science-based” rationale. We are not just arguing semantics here; this decision has real world consequences. Much like the current administration’s inability to accept that carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas, this further demonstrates either a fundamental lack of understanding of science or a nefarious attack on it. In 1984, the State changed facts that were inconvenient. Unfortunately for us, health hazards and climate change don’t go away because Big Brother refuses to acknowledge them.

The United States became a world leader because of our ingenuity and innovation that undoubtedly stemmed from our understanding of the natural world through science. By undermining the sciences and the intelligent minds who conduct such beneficial work, the Trump administration is doing a great disservice not just to America but to the World. I would like to think that the health of our citizens and the habitability of our planet are not partisan issues, but until the Congressional Republicans show they have the courage and prudence to stop the war being perpetrated on science, it is imperative to make sure people are aware of what is happening and that everyone is registered to vote. We can not wait for someone to saves us. If there is hope it lies in us.