[THS] Galileo 2010 by Michael Carmichael

[Peter Webster]

http://www.planetarymovement.org/go/newsflash/galileo-2010-by-michael-carmichael/

Galileo 2010 by Michael Carmichael 

Today, a struggle is taking place in Great Britain between prejudice and
science. The Conservatives have attacked a major scientist and are attempting to
humiliate him through a trial-by-tabloid of dogma versus science.

Here is a brief backstory. Exactly four hundred years ago in 1610, Galileo Galilei
published The Starry Messenger, a book that defined his monumental theory that the
sun - not the earth - is the center of the solar system. Galileo's theory flew in the face
of long-established Catholic dogma that the earth does not move. Eventually, Galileo
would collide with the awesome power of the Pope.

In 1632, Galileo faced trial for heresy, a capital offense. During his trial, Galileo was
threatened with the instruments of torture that were maliciously brandished in his
face. Under duress of the dual threats of torture and execution, Galileo recanted -
but he lived under house arrest for the rest of his life in a form of suspended
animation rather like Aun Sang Suu Kii, and he became the Renaissance icon of
injustice and the overarching powers of the Papacy. For these reasons, Galileo is
indisputably the most iconic figure of scientific persecution, a genius whose ideas
displaced religious orthodoxy with reason and fundamentalist fantasies with rational
analysis.

Today in Britain, the tabloids are unfolding yet another case of scientific inquisition.
In the Information Age, the Tabloid Editor has replaced the Papal Inquisitor. Instead
of astronomy, the field of pharmacology is the latest battleground between the forces
of fundamentalist orthodoxy and the scientific community.

scienceofmarijuanaTargeting Dr. Les Iversen, a scientist with impeccable credentials
and the Chairman of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs , The Mail on
Sunday published a sensationalist diatribe against the scientific analysis of drugs that
would abolish the entire field of drug reform. The slanted story pointed out that Dr.
Iversen published a book about the medical uses of marijuana, The Science of
Marijuana, and is an advisor to the Beckley Foundation , a scientific research
organization that has established the gold standard for objective analysis of existing
drug laws with the publication of The Global Cannabis Commission Report of 2008
that called for sweeping drug reform.

To tarnish Dr. Iversen with the taint of political controversy, the deeply conservative
tabloid quoted a right-wing member of parliament named Ann Widdecombe (Britain's
answer to Michelle Bachmann) who had the effrontery to say, "The fact that he was
prepared to lend his name to a body pushing for softer policies on drug use means
he should not be advising the Government on this issue."

There we have it. Because of his scientific research, Dr. Iversen stands accused of
thoughtcrime. According to Widdecombe, only malleable simpletons who are willing
to agree with orthodox policy should be appointed to the post of scientific adviser to
the government for we have no need for rationality and no respect for divergent
viewpoints - none whatsoever.

In the case of Dr. Iversen and the Beckley Foundation, we witness the collision of
inveterate orthodoxy versus scientific analysis exploding in the pages of an
inquisitorial tabloid that fortunately does not possess the power of physical torture. In
2010, we have advanced from the unspeakable tortures of the Inquisition to
psychological torture by tabloid.

The head of the Beckley Foundation is Amanda Feilding, Lady Neidpath. One decade
ago, Lady Neidpath and her husband established the Beckley Foundation for the
scientific analysis of the mind and the broad spectrum of human consciousness.

In addition to work on cannabis-marijuana, the Beckley Foundation has obtained
official licenses from the government to conduct the first research with LSD in
decades. LSD is one chemical along with many others that can alter human
consciousness. For a quarter of a century, LSD and other psychedelic substances
were the cornerstones of research into altered states of consciousness, but religious
orthodoxy merged with political pressure - and government repressed this rich field
of scientific research - much to its discredit.

The current situation is rather like the 16th century, when Copernicus published his
revolutionary work to inform the public that the sun was the center of the solar
system. Copernicus' book was banned, and it was over 60 years before Galileo
published his much more lucid and convincing scientific analysis based on
astronomical observations with a telescope.

In the clash of orthodoxy versus science, the future of civilization is literally at stake.
>From evolution to global warming to drug reform, the scientific community confronts
orthodox dogmas to help guide civilization toward justice and survival.

By accusing intellectuals of thoughtcrime - such as Dr. Iversen and Lady Neidpath -
the modern inquisition threatens our very existence.

In America in a parallel development, Michelle Alexander has just published her
eloquent call for drug reform, her highly acclaimed book, The New Jim Crow .
Alexander argues very forcefully that the drug laws do little more than legitimize
racism via the premeditated and systematic incarceration of racial minorities. In
America, the drug laws destroy the lives of a disproportionate amount of racial
minorities where up to 50% of the young male population is permanently engraved
with the indelible stain of criminality. The same is undoubtedly true in Britain.

In 2010, four hundred years after the rise of Galileo, science must reject the yoke of
orthodox dogma. Not only our survival, but justice itself depends upon it.

Michael Carmichael is the founder of Planetary.