RE: Are nukes making you fat?

["Stabin, Michael" <michael.g.stabin@vanderbilt.edu>]

> Do the people who peddle this junk actually believe it?



No, of course not. But that is the sad state of affairs in US politics

today. Activists of one political party or the other or on one side or

another of a controversial issue do not in general use facts, logic and

persuasion to make their case. Instead, they appeal to character

assassination of members of the other side and any emotional argument

they feel they can get away with to frighten the uninformed and perhaps

gain some political leverage. Anti-nuclear activists, particularly

Gofman, Sternglass, and their followers, have consciously chosen this

form of tactic, and not just in unusual circumstances, but as their

method of choice. I see folks on both sides of the LNT debate resorting

to such methods and immature arguments at times. We could debate the

merits and safety aspects of nuclear power as a society, but there is no

chance to do so, as the debate is dominated by these disingenuous

attempts to win the argument at any cost (i.e. costs to society, to the

personal integrity of the participants, and just raising the general

irritation factor). The Lincoln/Douglas and Cheney/Lieberman debates are

models of how reasonable people can disagree strongly while debating

intelligently, but our airwaves are dominated instead by stories about

possible sexual misconduct of politicians (please keep any political

debate not related to radiation off line; I'm using this to make a

general point). Taking cheap shots like this is just so much easier than

actually thinking, and in the short run, unfortunately, it often

actually works. In the long run, though, I think good arguments win out.



Mike





Michael G. Stabin, PhD, CHP

Assistant Professor of Radiology and Radiological Sciences 

Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences 

Vanderbilt University 

1161 21st Avenue South

Nashville, TN 37232-2675 

Phone (615) 343-0068

Fax   (615) 322-3764

Pager (615) 835-5153

e-mail     michael.g.stabin@vanderbilt.edu 

internet   www.doseinfo-radar.com



 

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