Dr. Jill Stein Is Anti-Science, Bad for the Environment, and Deserves Her Anti-Vax Label

[Grey Lemercier]

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2016/07/27/jill-stein-is-anti-science-bad-for-the-environment-and-deserves-her-anti-vax-label/

I’m a strong progressive with socialist leanings, but more than anything else, I’m an environmentalist working for biodiversity — it’s my life’s passion. I campaign hard for Greens running in local elections. While a government environmental scientist, I successfully blew the whistle more than once on politicized agencies’ illegal actions to permit corporate pollution. I pushed my agencies hard to put science over politics and stop dragging their feet on climate change. While working for a non-profit conservation group, I managed successful statewide biodiversity campaigns, criticizing politicians and government agencies who were obstacles. In my personal life, I’m a naturalist and organic gardener, who lectures about gardening for wildlife. For these reasons, I would not dream of voting for Green Party candidate Jill Stein and will be voting for Hillary Clinton for President. Does this surprise you? It shouldn’t.

For weeks I’ve been following the debate as to whether Stein is a pseudoscience peddler, wondering if there was any truth to those who claimed she was being unfairly characterized as anti-vaccination and anti-science. I’m not wondering anymore. In an extremely disappointing statement last week, Stein responded to the concerns she’s anti-science when asked about vaccinations:

What I say to those people is that we need regulatory agencies we can trust. I’m definitely not anti-vax; what I have raised is the issue that we need an FDA that’s working for us, that’s not working for the pharmaceutical industry. I think that makes some people uncomfortable, so they’re trying to smear me as being anti-vaxxer. I’m not anti-vax; I’m just saying we need good, reliable data so that the American people know what we’re doing. I mean, it’s like saying the FDA, that has leadership from Monsanto, should tell us what kind of food is safe? No, you get Monsanto out of there, you get the pharmaceutical companies out of there, and then we can trust…

Stein insults progressives like me by claiming the real reason we’re concerned that she’s promoting vaccine distrust is that we’re part of a conspiracy to smear her. Does she honestly not understand our sincere concerns over her accusations that the U.S. vaccination program is untrustworthy and corrupt? That doctors who vaccinate do so without good data? That they don’t know what they’re doing? Does she not see why we’d be concerned that her accusations rest not on evidence, but known myths and vague, unspecified claims of conspiracies that make reference to Monsanto, which has nothing to do with vaccines?

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[rjsquirrel]

1. She's a loony bird and a narcissist

Every bit as bad as Trump except for having no supporters.

[procon]

2. I can't understand what the BoBs think she will do for them?

Their thinking seems very shallow. Everything is black or white, up or down, and they're focused on just one or two key talking points without putting any consideration into all the interconnected nuances and consequences of their decision not to vote for Hillary. They are so determined to maintain their unworkable versions of idealistic purity they've lost sight of the goal.

[JI7]

6. the only goal is to feel pure and superior to others

[immoderate]

3. Sure sounds like Jill is getting smeared.

She denies being anti-vax. And the blogger certainly wants to promote Monsanto, and the nuclear industry.

--imm

[Grey Lemercier]

4. She needs to be smeared, she is a threat to the US, as every deluded vote she pulls from the plazzy

left, nappy rash crowd means the fascist Trump is that much closer to a White House address come January.

[The Second Stone]

5. A medical doctor that claims she "is not anti-vaccination" is weird

A medical doctor should take every opportunity to mention that vaccinations are the number one medical saver of lives of all time, outnumbering all other medical methods combined. Or some such. A real medical doctor does not couch a vaccination regimen with an off topic rant on the FDA and pharmaceutical companies.