"The opposite for courage is not cowardice, it is conformity. Even a dead fish can go with the flow." —Jim Hightower
Based on your briefing, it sounds like Larry Tabak has betrayed science and the American people by putting this health communications study on ice — essentially going with the flow for political reasons.
If so, it would fit my definition of "corrupt". It would reveal Tabak to be a political hack in a job that requires vision, courage and moral integrity.
I would love to be proven wrong. But how else to explain Tabak's egregious action in placing this crucial study "on hold"?
"Without data" is Republicans' entire point. For governance, it means flying blind, a huge risk (natch). That's what they want because it creates opportunities for missteps on which they can blame Dems, regardless of public harm. But it goes beyond kneecapping good governance: it's about political power. For rightwingers it forecloses on facts that can sway lawmakers and voters. A win-win!
This is a tried-and-true GOP playbook. They've used the same moral filth to block scientific studies of gun violence, drug use, reproductive health and more. Key idea: If ya can't beat 'em, blind 'em!
Thanks Ira. I like kneecapping as a verb. You are so right. I remember they passed legislation to prohibit the collection of gun violence data so that lawmakers would not know how to address the issue. Stinks on ice.
Thank you for listening. The authoritarian approach, "trust the experts", did not work on adults. We wasted our time and we wasted our best opportunity to educate and to guide people in how to think for themselves. There are so many fruitful ways to educate people. Let's do it.
"Trust the experts", is the least effective goal/method to motivate adults. Adults need a point of reference they can use to make their own judgements. In my practice, I try to educate my patients as much as possible so they can understand how to make the healthiest choices for themselves and their families/friends and understand why they might want to make those healthy choices. I do a lot of listening in order to find their personal motivations, and a lot of teaching based on science so they can understand how their biology works and use that knowledge to make their own healthy choices. What if an icon showing an objective measure (rate of increase in Covid infections in the county, for example) were posted in an upper corner of the TV screen during every news show? Or on a highway billboard sign? Or other publicly accessible site? And include a short news segment on every news channel teaching and giving local information on the pandemic and the meaning of the icon, human interest interviews with citizens about the icon, pandemic, rate of increase or decrease, how the interviewee is practicing ways of preventing communication of disease? This is just one idea. The point is to give adults some way of making their own assessment and learn how to make healthy choices for themselves and their communities. "Trust the experts" is not effective. And if "experts" are any way related to the government, many people will be turned off. People will trust someone from their community, so recruit those trusted community members to teach and share their experiences. Teach and enable, and adults will use the tools. IMHO
Thank you Catherine. You have given me a lot to think about. The description of your technique to educate patients is respectful and probably works well. Im glad you took the time to tell me what is working. Thank you.
"The opposite for courage is not cowardice, it is conformity. Even a dead fish can go with the flow." —Jim Hightower
Based on your briefing, it sounds like Larry Tabak has betrayed science and the American people by putting this health communications study on ice — essentially going with the flow for political reasons.
If so, it would fit my definition of "corrupt". It would reveal Tabak to be a political hack in a job that requires vision, courage and moral integrity.
I would love to be proven wrong. But how else to explain Tabak's egregious action in placing this crucial study "on hold"?
Thanks for your comment Ira. That's why we are writing to him to ask that he collect the data. Without data it is hard to make choices.
"Without data" is Republicans' entire point. For governance, it means flying blind, a huge risk (natch). That's what they want because it creates opportunities for missteps on which they can blame Dems, regardless of public harm. But it goes beyond kneecapping good governance: it's about political power. For rightwingers it forecloses on facts that can sway lawmakers and voters. A win-win!
This is a tried-and-true GOP playbook. They've used the same moral filth to block scientific studies of gun violence, drug use, reproductive health and more. Key idea: If ya can't beat 'em, blind 'em!
Thanks Ira. I like kneecapping as a verb. You are so right. I remember they passed legislation to prohibit the collection of gun violence data so that lawmakers would not know how to address the issue. Stinks on ice.
Learned to conjugate "kneecap" decades ago in French I: je kneecap, tu kneecap / vous kneecap, nous kneecapons...
Thank you for listening. The authoritarian approach, "trust the experts", did not work on adults. We wasted our time and we wasted our best opportunity to educate and to guide people in how to think for themselves. There are so many fruitful ways to educate people. Let's do it.
"Trust the experts", is the least effective goal/method to motivate adults. Adults need a point of reference they can use to make their own judgements. In my practice, I try to educate my patients as much as possible so they can understand how to make the healthiest choices for themselves and their families/friends and understand why they might want to make those healthy choices. I do a lot of listening in order to find their personal motivations, and a lot of teaching based on science so they can understand how their biology works and use that knowledge to make their own healthy choices. What if an icon showing an objective measure (rate of increase in Covid infections in the county, for example) were posted in an upper corner of the TV screen during every news show? Or on a highway billboard sign? Or other publicly accessible site? And include a short news segment on every news channel teaching and giving local information on the pandemic and the meaning of the icon, human interest interviews with citizens about the icon, pandemic, rate of increase or decrease, how the interviewee is practicing ways of preventing communication of disease? This is just one idea. The point is to give adults some way of making their own assessment and learn how to make healthy choices for themselves and their communities. "Trust the experts" is not effective. And if "experts" are any way related to the government, many people will be turned off. People will trust someone from their community, so recruit those trusted community members to teach and share their experiences. Teach and enable, and adults will use the tools. IMHO
Thank you Catherine. You have given me a lot to think about. The description of your technique to educate patients is respectful and probably works well. Im glad you took the time to tell me what is working. Thank you.