New Dialogue Rules for the CDC
Trump administration has forbade the usage certain words; “vulnerable,” “entitlement,” “diversity,” “transgender,” “fetus,” “evidence-based” and “science-based” from being used in CDC reports. I wonder what is up next, the burning of books? The Trump administration AND Repubs keep establishing new boundaries for their reach into American lives.
Trump’s Chief of Staff Jim Kelly told the analysts that “certain words” in the CDC’s budget drafts would cause those drafts to be sent back to the agency for correction. I wonder who will get fired first at the CDC?
Here is Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin wondering why he did not get the memo . . .
Mnuchin: “Nobody’s told me not to use certain words and I’ve never told anybody in the Treasury not to use certain words.”
You have to wonder whether Steve believes he has been purposely left out. Maybe “evidence based” might work for him if we were to reword it a bit? For example he might (doubtful), he might say;
based upon the evidence of the impact of prior tax cuts, we know that cutting taxes does not stimulate the economy as much as we thought.
Unlikely those words would ever pass his lips.
WWSD (What Would Stalin Do)?
Gulag . . .
Are certain words creeping into your conversation?
Words like, like “fetus?”
And “transgender?”
Well, if so my friends,
Ya got trouble,
Right here in the CDC!
With a capital “T”
And that rhymes with “P”
And that stands for Public Health.
Sandwichman:
Hmmm, a first with you on one of my simpler posts. Hope all is well.
It’s tricky but I think most courts could see politicians ordering scientists who work under the politicians to limit their communications over (inherently) arbitrary (for science) ideological bents as First Amendment violations. Somebody should be getting this into court real fast.
Can childish ignorance fit the definition of a president who cannot fulfill his duties — invoking the Twenty-Fifth Amendment? You wouldn’t think so but this guy sounds like he should be given a box of Crayola’s and some coloring books and be put out to play in the Rose Garden.
Perhaps ot might succeed through COAs and fail at SCOTUS depending . . .
I think the best thing we can do is accept these restrictions and try to develop alternative words and phrases that can be used in their place with clear understanding to listeners. “Vulnerable” can be easily replaced by :”Out of gas”. And “entitlements” can give way “things poor people can’t have.” That should go over well in the MidWest.
Let us abandon the evil term “fetus” for example, and replace it by easily understood “Ohio voter.” Let us no longer speak the vile neologism “transgender,” but instead refer to “West Virginian.” Let us shun the term “diversity” and refer instead to “Being fucked up” — an old Anglo-Saxon usage familiar to us, one and all!
It’ll be hard. I realize, to stop talking about “science-based” data and theories, but it time it can become commonplace — even comfortable — for all of us to refer t9 “God-given” data. And “evidence-based” can become “FBI-investigated.” or maybe “Apostolic”,
Let us agree quickly to these simple changes, and in a generation or two these words and phrases will become familiar to all Americans! It’ll take a but longer, I concede, for Canadians and Australians and other folks to switch from speaking English to American. but I’m sure the change will come with time.
Being in the Right Trumps everything, doesn’t it?
Left bankers in Germany.
“Told off for using the word “depression” in public, [Alfred Kahn] replaced it with “banana”, and announced that the country was heading for its worst banana in 45 years. Told off by the head of United Fruit for using “banana”, he made it “kumquat”.”
http://www.economist.com/node/17956457
“Evidence-based”? “Science-based”?
We don’t need no stinkin’ evidence!
Bob:
Welcome to Angry Bear blog. First comments always go to moderation to screen spammers and advertising.
I agree with you. How is Chicago weather?