>> The situation you are describing is a messed-up environment that puts politics above science.
This has been going on for a while and just came into sharp focus during the pandemic. Its horrifying to think science is now so politically based that any study that contradicts what the gov is telling you is somehow suppressed because they know better? Do you remember when the Canadian Health Minister said people should ignore any information that isn't coming directly from the government?
Our dystopian future arrived during the pandemic and science went from using a rigorous established methodology to allowing the government to tell us that science is now decided as a popularity contest like a survey. "99% of doctors recommend the vaccine so you should trust "the science" and get it or you're going to kill your grandma!"
> Do you remember when the Canadian Health Minister said people should ignore any information that isn't coming directly from the government?
On that environment, with several groups spreading lies everywhere, and with a public health issue that couldn't possibly turn into a political hot topic, that statement made a lot of sense. That is not suppression of scientific speech. (Suppression of scientific speed happened a lot less than popular press manipulation. Still happened, though.)
Personally, I am much more afraid about how people managed to turn covid into a political hot topic.
There was suppression of speech as well. For example, doctors were fired for publicly stating facts backed by research that turned iut to be more accurate than the offivial narrative.
I remember how in Ontario the actual science, pardon me, the Science Advisory Table, was some meeting that absolutely could not be public and Science™ only occurred in the back room secret meetings, with the Premier coming out once in a while to give updates, telephone-game style
This has been going on for a while and just came into sharp focus during the pandemic. Its horrifying to think science is now so politically based that any study that contradicts what the gov is telling you is somehow suppressed because they know better? Do you remember when the Canadian Health Minister said people should ignore any information that isn't coming directly from the government?
Our dystopian future arrived during the pandemic and science went from using a rigorous established methodology to allowing the government to tell us that science is now decided as a popularity contest like a survey. "99% of doctors recommend the vaccine so you should trust "the science" and get it or you're going to kill your grandma!"