Two plus two

George Orwell once said that "Freedom is the freedom to say that two plus two make four. If that is granted, all else follows."

Now we have the case of George C. Deutsch, a Bush-appointed NASA public affairs spokesperson. Among other things, this man:

* threatened "'dire consequences' against an outspoken climate scientist," James Hansen, who was alarmed about global warming...

* "tried to prevent Hansen from giving an interview to National Public Radio, calling it 'the most liberal' media outlet in the country"...

* "instructed another NASA scientist to add the word 'theory' after every written mention of the Big Bang, on the grounds that the accepted scientific explanation of the origins of the universe "is an opinion" and that NASA should not discount the possibility of 'intelligent design by a creator'"...

* and "wrote that the big bang was 'not proven fact; it is opinion'".

If any government actions deserve the label "Orwellian," George C. Deutsch and his antics would have to qualify. The government's direct attempts to muzzle scientists whose views are inconvenient to its policies, and to replace fact with fiction in the public sphere, do not speak well for the future of this country's dynamism, pragmatism, or freedom, to say nothing of our creation of sound public policies.

Although it's depressing and disheartening, it is fairly clear why the Bush administration, supported by oil companies, would want to keep a lid on data about global warming. This has been the administration's pattern since day 1. Denial of the proven facts of climate change is a staple of Republican political strategy.

But why should the Bush administration want to prevent scientists from talking about the Big Bang theory? Has the anti-science wing of Bush's political base grown so powerful that they have forced the president to begin implementing the foundations of theocracy?

It seems increasingly impossible that the Bush administration will get anything right, ever. After the bright spot of hope created by Bush's plan to boost math and science education, along comes George C. Deutsch and proves that Bush is still the point man for the anti-science movement. and if this Washington Post article is right, Deutsch may be only the tip of the iceberg in an administration-led effort to muzzle government-employed scientists all across the nation.

As for the despicable Mr. Deutsch? He was forced to resign his post in disgrace after it turned out that he lied about having a college degree. One Orwellian toadie down, God knows how many to go.

Two plus two equals four. Vote Democrat.