I know i m sounding a sour note, so I should make it clear that I in no way agree with Harper’s muzzling of scientists. I am struck by the parallels to political artistic censorship, of which there is some evidence to be found within Canada at the moment. But I would ask why is it that repressive political regimes always suppress the arts first? They have generally been the canary in the coal mine as it were. I would not say that art is purely subjective of course, any more than I would say that science is purely objective. I worry that the kinds of arguments that you are presenting are precisely the kind of argument you would expect the govt. itself to use against unwanted scientific research in some form or another (albeit from a different point of view, perhaps resorting to faux economics here, or the survival of the country in another etc.) . I sincerely believe pure scientific research should be unfettered; so might I propose that scientists and artists could unite in a common cause here?
