[Newsbot]

Title: Canada's PM Stephen Harper faces revolt by scientists
Category: Political
Posted By: DrCaleb
Date: 2012-07-09 14:08:27
Canadian

[Prof_Chomsky]

I've always wondered what would happen if a country actually based its policies and economy solely on science and fact, especially one with the unlimited natural resource wealth of Canada. I'm sad to say I don't think I'll live to see it.

[andyt]

Well they can't base their economic policies on fact, since there they are so few and far between. You know "put two economists in a room and you come out with three opinions."

But environmental policy could certainly use a good dose of scientific input. You're still going to have to balance competing interests tho, and science can only help so far in that regard.

[raydan]

Prof_Chomsky Prof_Chomsky:

I've always wondered what would happen if a country actually based its policies and economy solely on science and fact, especially one with the unlimited natural resource wealth of Canada. I�m sad to say I don�t think I�ll live to see it.

That's because economy isn't really a science... it's voodoo mixed in with a little palm reading and astrology.

I'll go hide now before Lemmy gets here.

[andyt]

You got the palm part right, but they're not using it for reading, IYKWIM.

[Prof_Chomsky]

raydan raydan:

That's because economy isn't really a science... it's voodoo mixed in with a little palm reading and astrology.

I'll go hide now before Lemmy gets here.

I know it’s not hard science in the way that we can know 100% how it will react because there are so many variables, but we clearly know the fundamentals that work and don’t. There are so many examples of various economies driven to help society to be drawn on as a foundation. Same goes for the educations system, free media, labour laws, regulations etc.

I guess I’m a dreamer, but I whole heartedly believe it’s possible to run a country truly for the betterment of the people of that country, not an elite, rich, or power class. Start with a base of 1950’s, dabble in a dash of 2010 human rights, modern technology, and start baking.

[andyt]

What fundamentals of economics are we not following? Neo-liberal theory?

Scientific education, what would that look like? During the period you mention, behaviorism held sway - we'd be teaching children in little boxes.

Free media and labor have no scientific backing that I can see.

Countries are always run by the wealthy. After the depression and WWII, people got scared for a while and wanted to try to moderate things. But since the rich got busy to try to reverse that trend right away, just took a while to show up. And unionized labor got fat and comfortable, their leaders wanted to be just like the fat cats they were negotiating with.

I wouldn't put my faith in science to solve this problem, just a slim chance that enough Joe the Plumbers wake up some day. Doubt it tho.