The Enemies of Reason
The Guardian's Comment is Free has just posted an article by me about Dawkins' problamatic relationship with the Enlightenment. The readers' responses haven't been quite as hostile as they were last time. The most powerfully expressed objections seem to be that a.) Dawkins doesn't need to address corporate and state efforts to promote irrationality, because that's John Pilger's job and b.) I am an elitist bastard.
(there are more subtle and interesting criticisms than that, in fact)
My favourite comment so far comes from 'Henuttawy' -
Ah, how sad. The expectant followers of the great Prophet Dawkins find that his attempt at a Sermon on the Mount merely tried to put the world to rights by attacking the likes of horoscope-writers.
As was related in the gospel according to St. Dawkins, Chapter II, verses 14-18:
And then didst the followers of the Prophet Dawkins gather together in CIF.
"What about the really big issues, O lord?" the followers cried unto him. "What about the really big fibs, the ones that multinational corporations, politicians and the like tell? Wilt thou also tell them to be less economical with the truth?"
"Shut your stupid faces," the Prophet said unto them, pocketing the fee which Channel 4 had given him. "For unlike the faith-heads, they have big-shot lawyers and the media behind them! In other words, they have power!"
"But how does this help to establish the new religion of reason, O lord?" the followers asked their Prophet.
"Never mind that - just keep repeating the new lord's prayer of gimme proof, gimme proof, gimme proof," the Prophet sayeth unto them. "Just don't ask politicians and multinationals the same question, that's all..."
(there are more subtle and interesting criticisms than that, in fact)
My favourite comment so far comes from 'Henuttawy' -
Ah, how sad. The expectant followers of the great Prophet Dawkins find that his attempt at a Sermon on the Mount merely tried to put the world to rights by attacking the likes of horoscope-writers.
As was related in the gospel according to St. Dawkins, Chapter II, verses 14-18:
And then didst the followers of the Prophet Dawkins gather together in CIF.
"What about the really big issues, O lord?" the followers cried unto him. "What about the really big fibs, the ones that multinational corporations, politicians and the like tell? Wilt thou also tell them to be less economical with the truth?"
"Shut your stupid faces," the Prophet said unto them, pocketing the fee which Channel 4 had given him. "For unlike the faith-heads, they have big-shot lawyers and the media behind them! In other words, they have power!"
"But how does this help to establish the new religion of reason, O lord?" the followers asked their Prophet.
"Never mind that - just keep repeating the new lord's prayer of gimme proof, gimme proof, gimme proof," the Prophet sayeth unto them. "Just don't ask politicians and multinationals the same question, that's all..."
posted by Dan Hind at 3:31 AM
2 Comments:
YALE SHARES PROFITS FROM AIDS DRUGS
The high cost of living, Feb 2002
By Philippe Demenet
http://mondediplo.com/2002/02/04stavudine
"...So how do you explain that the big drugs manufacturers, all of them making record profits, invest three times as much in marketing and administration as in research and development (11)?
---
(11) In December last year, two researchers at the University of Boston School of Public Health, Alan Sager and Deborah Socolar, published a comparative study of changing manpower levels. The US pharmaceutical industry employs nearly twice as many people (81% more) in marketing as in research. The gap has widened considerably over the last five years. In 2000 BMS spent $3.86bn on marketing and administration compared with $1.93bn on research and development..."
Thanks for the note, chapultepec.
It kind of confirms my own sense that the corporations are an imperfect environment in which to conduct public interest research.
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