Science vs. Ideology

[Jim heartfield]

In message <19991103152505.22682.qmail at hotmail.com>, Carl Remick
<carlremick at hotmail.com> writes
> I'm thinking of the recent tendency to pepper 
>people with contradictory findings about whether high-carbohydrate or 
>high-fat diets produce more lasting weight loss; whether anti-oxidants 
>reduce or promote cancer; whether tea, coffee, alcohol, etc. is a net risk 
>or benefit at whatever level.  Endless examples can be cited, of course, all 
>of them deeply tedious controversies.  The effect, at least in the U.S., has 
>been to produce the most hypochondriacal society ever seen. If I were of a 
>conspiratorial cast of mind, I could well suspect that this escalating 
>hysteria has been deliberately induced to keep the public's mind off other 
>topics ... such as politics.

Well, I certainly agree with you on that score. I used to think it was
an Americanism to be so faddish bout food and health, but Britain and
Europe are overtaking even the West Coast with their health panics.

And yes, I agree that this introspection is related to the anti-
political age. Though which is horse and which cart, I'm not sure. A bit
of both I guess.

-- 
Jim heartfield