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From: jfh@rpp386.cactus.org (John F Haugh II)
Newsgroups: comp.org.eff.talk
Subject: Re: EFF and CPSR don't have the same purpose.
Message-ID: <19128@rpp386.cactus.org>
Date: 28 Mar 91 16:21:49 GMT
References: <1991Mar19.213148.14254@vpnet.chi.il.us> <669491914.4141@mindcraft.com> <7846@hsv3.UUCP> <1396@gargoyle.uchicago.edu> <7858@hsv3.UUCP> <1991Mar27.221957.13253@fxgrp.fx.com>
Reply-To: jfh@rpp386.cactus.org (John F Haugh II)
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In article <1991Mar27.221957.13253@fxgrp.fx.com> raphael@fx.com (Glen Raphael) writes:
>                                         Pointing out flaws in proposed
>SDI systems and coming up with alternatives was an important thing for
>*somebody* to do, and for a while it was perhaps the most important
>thing that CPSR, and PSR (Physicians for Social Responsibility), did.

The problem with "socially responsible" organizations is that they have
a tendency towards liberal political agendas and often have few qualms with
making up outrageous lies to validate their points.

I (attempted to) debated Dr. Helen Caldicott once regarding the danger of
nuclear power.  She is a key figure in PSR.  She stood there and argued
that the published (CRC) values for plutonium toxicity were wrong and that
her values, which were between 1,000 and 1,000,000 times greater were
correct.  She very proudly pointed out that she was a doctor.  When I
cited my sources, she continued to insist she was correct.  She claimed
that danger due to radiation exceeded danger due to chemical toxicity,
even though the published information stated just the opposite.  I wouldn't
doubt that popular belief is still that plutonium is far worse as a
radioactive substance than as a chemical poison - and it is a =very=
poisonous substance.

Another amusing example is the outlawing of DDT.  Despite laboratory evidence,
much of it generated by the environmentalist factions, proving that DDT is
perfectly safe in the environment, DDT was outlawed because the public had
been brainwashed into believing DDT is harmful.  There was also evidence of
falsified or intentionally misleading information presented to the EPA when
the hearings were conducted.  Yet, DDT is still outlawed - even though
many pesticides currently in use are far more harmful to the environment,
and many of these decompose to DDT-related compounds.  DDT saves lives, both
human and livestock, yet some "socially responsible" collection of people
decided that, contrary to scientific evidence, DDT is a technological
boogie-man.

The problem as I see it is that the public is technologically illiterate.
In the case of plutonium, everyone gets rabid at the word "radiation".  If
they knew that PC's emit "radiation" in various forms and at various
frequencies, they'd probably demand the government do something about it.
It isn't widely known, for example, that high resolution color monitors
generate small amounts of X-rays because by the higher voltages.  It
isn't some great health hazard - but it still exists.

In the case of DDT, "Silent Spring", a work of fiction, was held up as a
work based on scientific fact, even after the information was disproven.
The public didn't understand the implications of the various experiments
(such as the famous "egg thinning" hoax) or such concepts as "solubility",
(which explained why cited levels of dissolved DDT in fresh water were
false and later exposed to be caused by adding alcohol to the water, which
is itself toxic to marine life) and the misleading information (pelican
depopulation which was actually caused by bill-slitting performed by
fishermen) was already accepted as established fact.

So you expect me to believe that "Computer Professionals for Social
Responsibility" is behaving scientifically and responsibly?  Fat chance.
-- 
John F. Haugh II        | Distribution to  | UUCP: ...!cs.utexas.edu!rpp386!jfh
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