Founded in 1660, the Royal Society is one of the most prominent scientific organizations in the world with associations to such luminaries as Sir Isaac Newton and Charles Darwin. Despite that proud history, British scientists are pushing to politicize the society and expel Elon Musk because they disagree with his political views. It is not simply anti-intellectual but self-destructive for a society committed to the pursuit of scientific knowledge.
Few individuals in history have had a more pronounced impact on scientific and technological advances than Musk. His work on Space X alone has reshaped space technology. The upcoming mission to rescue the stranded scientists only highlights his transformative role and that of his company.
However, more than 2,700 scientists have signed an open letter that cited his public attacks on figures such as Anthony Fauci. They also noted that ‘The situation is rendered more serious because ‘Mr. Musk now occupies a position within a Trump administration in the USA that has over the past several weeks engaged in an assault on scientific research in the US that has fallen foul of federal courts.’”
It is unclear what cases are being referenced, since there have been several rulings against efforts to enjoin DOGE and Musk. More importantly, such litigation has only just begun. Whether the challengers or the Administration have “fallen foul” is yet to be determined.
Others made it clear that they simply disagree with Musk’s views.
Professor Dorothy Bishop, a University of Oxford psychologist, resigned earlier from the society, stating “I just feel far more comfortable to be dissociated from an institution that continues to honour this disreputable man.”
Others accused Musk of spreading “disinformation,” a much-abused category in the United Kingdom as a basis for censorship.
Many of these scientists seem selective in their outrage. I do not recall the Royal Society rushing to the defense of the many scientists who were fired or silenced over their dissenting views on COVID-19.
That includes the lab theory that led to scientists being denounced as conspiracy theorists or racists. Now, federal agencies agree that the theory is legitimate and indeed favored by some offices.
Some experts questioned the efficacy of surgical masks, the scientific support for the six-foot rule and the necessity of shutting down schools. The government has now admitted that many of these objections were valid and that it did not have hard science to support some of the policies. While other allies in the West did not shut down their schools, we never had any substantive debate due to the efforts of this alliance of academic, media and government figures.
Not only did millions die from the pandemic, but the United States is still struggling with the educational and mental health consequences of shutting down all our public schools. That is the true cost of censorship when the government works with the media to stifle scientific debate and public disclosures.
There is an alternative. The Royal Society could confine its review to the scientific contributions of figures like Musk. The subjectivity of this criticism should be antithetical to a scientific organization. Science is ideally a field that transcends political, social, and religious divisions. Few figures in history have advanced the cause of space travel and green technology as Musk.
I hope the Royal Society will decline to engage in such political exclusions, but I am hardly hopeful. However, in carrying out this expulsion, they will do far more harm to their society than to Elon Musk.
Jonathan Turley is the Shapiro professor of public interest law at George Washington University and the author of “The Indispensable Right: Free Speech in an Age of Rage.”
Jonathan:
Is there any way you can change this blog so each commentator has to have a unique handle? There shouldn’t be multiple commenters named “Anonymous”…
Only those who love crime, fraud, corruption, and waste and abuse in government have problems with what Elon Musk and his team or doing. Meanwhile here’s some related news you can use:
Expel Elong Musk???? Presuming the Royal Society waves a set of Marxist Virtue Signalling flags in supplication to it’s most emotional Marxist members who support the liturgy of the Democrat Party who claim it is a scientific fact that boys can get pregnant and give birth, here’s the question:
Whose public image will be damaged by doing that? Elon Musk’s?
Or the Royal Society’s, as they bend the knee to kowtow to emotion driven Woke Marxist Useful Idiots within their membership?
Just thinkin’, why Marjorie Taylor Greene bought thousands in Tesla stock after becoming Chair of DOGE subcommittee.
Presuming she did, how often have you openly posted your “just thinkin'” after each time the Democrat’s financial wizard, Commissar Nancy Pelosi, either purchased or sold stocks before moving legislation forward as House Speaker?
As you’ve clearly shown you pay particular attention to issues like this in the House, remind everybody on how much Commissr Pelosi’s personal wealth has increased through her stock trades during her time in office.
Surely you aren’t somebody who only talks of such matters when the people in question are Republicans?
OT
It appears President Trump is crushing Democrats hopes of their sacred Deep State by appealing to the US Founding Fathers. Whoever is advising Trump shoud get a shrine built in their honor.
Trump’s Executive-Power Restoration
His bold order putting ‘independent agencies’ under White House control echoes the Founders.
In case you haven’t noticed, President Trump is trying to assert control over the entire executive branch of government, for better or worse. His latest effort is an executive order published Tuesday that imposes new White House supervision over so-called independent agencies like the Securities and Exchange Commission. This could be a constitutional watershed.
The federal government includes dozens of agencies that are nominally independent of the President even though they enforce laws and exercise other executive power. This wasn’t part of the original constitutional design.
Such agencies took root during the Progressive Era of the early 20th century. Woodrow Wilson in particular disliked the Constitution and wanted government by bureaucratic experts shielded from political control. Thus evolved today’s government alphabet soup of the SEC, FCC, FTC, FEC, CFTC, CFPB, FERC, FDIC, the Federal Reserve, and more.
…His argument, echoed by many modern conservative scholars, is that insulation from presidential authority runs counter to Article II’s command that the President “take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed.” If Congress has charged such agencies with enforcing laws, then the President should be able to supervise how they do their job.
As Mr. Trump’s order explains, “previous administrations have allowed so-called ‘independent regulatory agencies’ to operate with minimal Presidential supervision. These regulatory agencies currently exercise substantial executive authority without sufficient accountability to the President, and through him, to the American people.”
No more.
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/donald-trump-executive-power-article-ii-constitution-independent-agencies-ab0f0f3b?st=nRAJwg
It is instructive how Democrats are all for castrating little boys but howl when their nuts are on the chopping block.
Trump will make eunuchs of all Democrats. win win!!
🍒
Estovir,
Well said and based off from what I am seeing, Democrats might be eunuchs already. Or at least a whole lot of Karens.
Musk is brilliant at most things but DOGE is not it.
If DOGE were really successful, Musk would be speeding up the cures of cancer, Type 1 Diabetes and Alzheimer’s. This week medical experts say Musk’s careless actions will add 20 more years to possibly curing these diseases.
If Musk were truly successful, he would cut maybe 10% of some agencies and divisions to improve results. Musk has cut some agencies 97% – not to make them more efficient but to disable their programs altogether without legislation from Congress.
Republicans in Congress are preparing to give tax cuts to the richest billionaires but take away preexisting conditions rules on insurance companies.
Bottom Line: these tax cuts reduce the nation’s paycheck (revenue) and will increase the annual budget deficit and longterm debt. If DOGE cut every single federal agency by 50% that wouldn’t even make a dent in the longterm debt. Musk and DOGE will not improve results for average Americans with this strategy.
Bottom Line: In his 1981 inaugural address, President Ronald Reagan famously said “Government is not the solution to our problem, government is the problem.”
Government can make you very very rich though especially Democrats with no history of business success out of politics. Democrats dont give a rat’s behind about anyone except themselves
Al Gore Net Worth
$300 Million
John Kerry Net Worth
$250 Million
John K. Delaney Net Worth
$230 Million
Mark Warner Net Worth
$215 Million
Scott Peters Net Worth
$200 Million
Bill Clinton Net Worth
$120 Million
Hillary Clinton Net Worth
$120 Million
Nancy Pelosi Net Worth
$120 Million
Dianne Feinstein Net Worth
$110 Million
Richard Blumenthal Net Worth
$85 Million
Dean Phillips Net Worth
$80 Million
Eliot Spitzer Net Worth
$75 Million
Barack Obama Net Worth
$70 Million
Michelle Obama Net Worth
$70 Million
Claire McCaskill Net Worth
$60 Million
Susan Rice Net Worth
$40 Million
Chelsea Clinton Net Worth
$30 Million
Gavin Newsom Net Worth
$30 Million
Rosa DeLauro Net Worth
$30 Million
Terry McAuliffe Net Worth
$30 Million
Carolyn Maloney Net Worth
$25 Million
Mark Kelly Net Worth
$20 Million
Tipper Gore Net Worth
$20 Million
Alan Grayson Net Worth
$17 Million
Rahm Emanuel Net Worth
$14 Million
Tim Kaine Net Worth
$10 Million
James Carville Net Worth
$10 Million
#74. They watch for opportunities and take them as they arise. Some opportunities are manufactured.
#74. It’s COBAL. What they’re actually doing is an attempt to bring the technology in 2025 from 1950-60s for national security. It’s monumental.
“It’s COBAL.”
COBOL – “COmmon Business Oriented Language”. You mistaken substituted an acronym for your own accurate description: “A”$$hole”…
Trump the Anti-Reagan says: Musk is brilliant at most things but DOGE is not it.
Another Bribery Biden communist apparatchik, attempting to launch a feeble false flag voyage as a Never Trumper inept RINO Republican.
The tell is the economic Marxist trickle down theory:
1. Tax cuts only went to the richest billionaires – and The Rich Don’t Pay Their Fair Share!
2. By eliminating billions in waste, corruption, fraud, and unnecessary hordes within the bureaucracy, somehow or other that will increase the budget deficit and longterm debt
What kind of future do communists like this who work as useless bureaucrat drones within the bureaucracy dependent on excessive taxation and increasing the debt be without all this waste, graft, corruption, and bloated bureaucracy?
I don’t think Musk is too worried about the Royal Society. With the money he has, he could just buy it.
Buy it? Think man, just think before you post.
“Buy it? Think man, just think before you post.”
If you think that those incompetent, pretentious jerks are not for sale, you are even stupider and more delusional than you typically allow yourself to appear here (and dubious though it might be, THAT would be an accomplishment).
#74
It seems all of Europe and the UK are oppressed. There is the oppression of political correctness, too, and feelings of embarrassment for others that can’t be said. It’s simply not going the right path.
Trump wins again!!
Layoffs and firings will proceed!
Suck it, libtards.
PROF. TURLEY! IT’S TIME TO MODERNIZE THIS WRETCHED COMMENT FORMAT!! Stop with anonymous screen names and make it easier to know who is replying to whom. Really annoying and outdated.
Instead of Screen Names we could start with publishing the Commentator’s MAC and IP Addresses instead of pseudonym names.
No more annoying anonymous comments, that’s a great suggestion Mary!
How boring it would be without the anonymity these libturds enjoy to post their nonsense
“start with publishing the Commentator’s MAC and IP Addresses”
IP address id is easily defeated with any VPN. MAC address randomization is not much more difficult (although it does require a little bit of OS-specific knowledge). I do have an occasional issue with the lack of accountability for posts. OTOH there are trade-offs involved (e.g. discouraging posts from users vulnerable to retribution), and Turley and his admins have no doubt discussed the issue and elected to err on the side of anonymity. This is Turley’s blog; that is his decision to make. We (you) have two options only: deal with it; don’t come here to read and/or post comments.
I see no problem in make this Blog a non-profit ‘subscription based’ membership forum at a reasonable price point.
That would eliminate a lot of the ‘drive-by shot from the hip” Comments. A 10¢ Per Comment would also be reasonable, as many would gladly drop a Dime to Comment. ‘Buy Me a Coffee’ for $1 Buck and get 10 Comments. Not a bad deal.
Excellent idea! As it now exists, this comment section has a signal:noise ratio close to zero.
“signal:noise ratio close to zero.”
And you provide no signal, but a great deal of the noise. Your departure would improve that ratio immensely. Please see to it.
Again, Turley’s blog = Turley’s decision. If you don’t like it, feel free to stay away.
Mary, I’ve been screaming about this for a long time and I don’t understand why they don’t end the Anonymous garbage.
HullBobby,
I have always advocated for a pay based comments section. All proceeds go toward a education fund for low income high school students who compete for these funds by a essay writing contest on Constitutional issues. The funds could be used for college or even skills based training.
Agree wholeheartedly. Anonymity is the protective cloak of the trolls.
For Mary and those of you in Rio Linda.
Professor Turley read the First Amendment and understood it to be a significant portion of the full weight and force of the Constitution; the Good Professor takes it seriously.
You can’t handle the truth!
You can’t handle freedom!
You can’t handle the First Amendment!
You can’t handle the Constitution!
You must be the judicial branch!
____________________________________
First Amendment
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
Very ignorant to bring the First Amendment into it. This blog is privately run and 1A has no relevance.
Incorrect.
I’m guessing you didn’t support Hobby Lobby’s First Amendment rights then?
How incredible. It’s a naturally present, God given endowment be it public or private including civil and criminal trials and accusations.
Better yet, Mary… let’s require people to put their first and last names in there. Are you in? After all, what’s the difference between an anonymous name or just a first name like Mary?
Just a lightly-moderated free-for-all. Some of the trolls outright commandeer the section, knowing that if they created a blog of their own, no one would know but them. I have suggested a character limit, with perhaps a limit on daily comments, but I know that would just result in sequences of short posts and multiple identities to evade such constraints, especially from the more pestilential trolls. I have also suggested a paywall for the comments section. If he’s going to allow the rumble to keep rumbling, he ought at least to make a little coin out of it, and weed out the uncommitted.
” Some of the trolls outright commandeer the section, knowing that if they created a blog of their own, no one would know but them”
I have occasionally been annoyed by, and on rarer occasion complained about, the trolls here. However, that is a failing on my part. There is a much more effective solution to the troll problem; one that requires zero changes to the blog parameters. Literally “anonymous” posts are clearly identified. Nearly all of the “named” trolls (however many or few there actually are) use the same identifiers quite consistently. When an existing troll rolls out a new name, their style nearly always gives them away within a few words. The solution is for the rest of “us” to have the self-discipline to ignore those troll posters and their posts, and to assiduously avoid making any reply when that tactic occasionally fails. Apparently that level of self-discipline is rare here. If you are not able to do that, but feel compelled to complain that Turley hasn’t taken steps to shield you from your own failure (that is really what it is), then you are every bit as much of the problem as the annoying anonymice.
Jonathan has a Publisher, however he could Post his Blog Essays with;
Patreon: patreon.com/
Substack: support.substack.com/hc/en-us
Medium: help.medium.com/hc/en-us
A ‘subscription based’ system is the best option to eliminate the Troll problem.
FOR EXAMPLE: DavidStockman use a ‘subscription’ format.
As Low As $1 Per Day To Maintain Your Sanity
davidstockmanscontracorner.com/subscriber-special-2/
davidstockmanscontracorner.com/stockmans-corner-subscription-new-2/
Albeit Stockman’s Blog is a bit pricey for some, a subscription format for Jonathan’s Rag for $20/year would be palatable for most.
Jonathan has overhead cost as well to cover. a subscription subsidy can hedge the overhead and preserve the efforts of the project.
Ref.:
https://americanpressinstitute.org/digital-subscription-pricing/
https://wordsrated.com/newspaper-price-statistics/
#74 do you really think a name would change what they say? Commenting online is very risky, mam.
You need to make that demand of Professor Turley’s former Weekend Contributor and now Public Relations Officer, Darren Smith.
I don’t see the point or the benefit of eliminating anonymous posts. Besides, in my case, my legal name is Anonymous, which I changed several years ago. Should I be forced to lie and use a fictious name like Dennis McIntyre? That would be an attack on free speech.
Something to ponder. Dennis, Gigi, George and all the Anons leftists are aligned with the people in the streets and in Congress that support Hamas.
Think about what Hamas did today and remember that AOC, Tlaib, Omar, Crockett, Pressley and even Bernie think Israel is evil and Hamas is “oppressed”. The lefties on this site support them all and literally despise Trump and Musk. Oh, and Bibi.
Good point Bobby. The hard left is scum.
EPA had $2B set aside for Stacy Abrams boondoggle.
Zelden found it
Even Soviet authorities didn’t dare to expel Andrei Sakharov from the Soviet Academy of Science.
They just expelled him from Soviet Union. In Putin era he would be expelled out of the window.
#74. Roll out Jeremy Bentham and let him vote.
The legislative branch is approx 30 thousand employees as is the judicial branch. At 2 million the executive branch makes it lopsided? Equal branches…
Get a grip. Refund the money and prosecute the traitors and saboteurs.
Personal note–> I don’t want to do this anyway.
America doesn’t need Musk.
It needs only for the judicial branch to start enforcing the law, starting with the fundamental form.
90% of the agencies and departments Musk is looking into may not be taxed for or funded.
90% of the regulation those agencies and departments impose is unconstitutional.
Chilling parrels to John Harrison’s quest to measure longitude at sea, and the resistance to innovation by the British scholars of the time.
Dean, Acadie, LA
Even if all those things were true it would not follow that we don’t need Musk. It’s both-and, not either-or.