Nutt gets busted

graeme

<a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8334774.stm">In simple terms, disagree with Govt., get chopped.</a>

Respected scientist publishes paper claiming ecstasy less harmful than alcohol. Home Secretary sacks him, saying "we can't have confusion between scientific conclusions and What We Tell The Plebs Is Good For Them (and can tax them on)".

Guess you all read the news so posting a link to BBC story is perhaps redundant, but was just astounded by this.

Any ideas what's next on this Government's "Deny discussion - forcefeed the masses" agenda?

ADGS

Hardly unique to this government - the war on drugs is international and always takes the 'na na na I can't hear you' approach to anything so dangerously subversive as evidence, expertise or facts.

Alex

Interesting that when this was debated in parliament yesterday, almost all the MPs who spoke, both Tory and Labour, disagreed with your view and sided with the Home Secretary on the matter. They saw the adviser as uppity and out of line. Only the Lib Dems and SNP came out as clearly against. (See [p13-16](http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200809/cmhansrd/chan134.pdf).) I particularly like "Scientists should be on tap and not on top".

ADGS

Closing ranks to protect their own, what a surprise. I was just directed to some Daily Heil coverage of the matter, which I'm sure both Red Tories and Blue Tories are happy to take as the voice of the people on this matter:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-1224858/Yes-scientists-good-But-country-run-arrogant-gods-certainty-truly-hell-earth.html
I especially liked the comparison of Nutt to Josef Mengele.

jandb

Soviet Russia, Nazis and Margaret Thatcher .. what more could you ask for from a Daily Mail article.

David

It's a great url.