[LEPS-L:7933] RE: Misinformation?

[Heath, Fred]

Dear Mark,
	I don't think Mike meant the scientists are any smarter, it just
that they have the PR might of these large companies behind them and are
trained to make presentations which present only the facts which back the
necessary (from the comany's viewpoint)  conclusions. Dissenting scientists
are sometimes smeared. Remember how a tobacco company tried to make one of
their own top scientists sound like he was crazy after he jumped to the
other side.
	This is not to say that opposition scientists can't exaggerate or
push a particular agenda, but they are usually scientists first and not the
marketeers which folks can become in working for the chemical or tobacco
companies. 

	 Michael Gochfeld wrote:

> > I cannot agree about equally adept.  Again I'll refer to the 
> > scientists 
> > hired by the tobacco industry to attempt to mislead the 
> > public and the 
> > scientists into believing that "there is really no proof that smoking 
> > causes lung cancer".  These are well funded, highly professional 
> > mis-leaders, often equipped with colorful videos and dazzling 
> > graphics. 
> > 
> > Most scientists, and certainly those who argued the contrary position 
> > for years were hardly their equal.
>  
> Michael - you make it sound like some conspiracy.  Isn't it true that
> these
> "highly professional mis-leaders" are simply scientists and colleagues who
> are being retained and paid?  Aren't they similarly trained and equally
> capable of speaking out of both sides of the mouth at the same time?
> 
> Why is it "certain" that these scientists are not equaled by their
> colleagues supporting the opposition?
> 
> Mark Walker
> Oceanside, CA
> 
> 
>  
> 

 
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