A Psychiatric Holocaust • Nuclear Cleanup at Weapons Sites
$2.50
~~~ ~--~~~~-- /~~ Bringing Up Biotech Influencing the Development of an Industry Editor Illuminating Illness series at the Smithsonian would all be Leslie Fraser helpful. With this sort of background, Business Manager Dear SftP: the point of view of SftP would be Gary Keenan considerably updated. Designer fter so very many mind-opening Certainly there is a place for a A realizations in a lifetime, one radical, alternative view in the David Gerran begins to expect that no new light selection of science publications Cover bulbs can possibly go on, but your currently available, but such a role John Klossner article "Ecology and Immunology" would best be filled by a well Art and Photos by Paul Epstein and Randall Packard informed, open-minded, and Qan/Feb 1987) has given me a whole Mittie Cuerara. Grassroots International. scholastically sound magazine. D.E. John Klossner. Valerry new way of thinking about human Thomsen wrote recently in Science Editorial Committee illness and imperialist behavior. It is News, "We need a dialogue, and the brilliant-and depressing. I am Roger Felix. Leslie Fraser. Stephanie Pollack. kind of dialogue that alters peoples' Joseph Regna. Seth Shulman. Mike Wold throwing my hands up at this point opinions, not mere throwing of and thinking we should all just return snowballs from previously frozen Book Review Editor to our ancestral lands. But where opinions." The future of science will Joseph Alper should I go? Scotland? France? not be well served by any form of Material Requests Germany? Belgium? Or Cleveland? "ism", whether conservatism or Jim Barton -Chellis Glendinning communism, feminism or sexism. Outreach Coordinator Tesuque, New Mexico -fames M. Bryant Jon Beckwith Dallas, Texas Out of Touch, Fundraislng Coordinator Out of Time Gerry Waneck New Technologies Editorial Adviso.y Board Dear SftP: Conference Joseph Alper, Rita Arditti. Jon Beckwith, bout a year ago, good friends sent Philip l. Bereano. Edith Brickman. Dear SftP: Stephen Chor~er. Fran Conrad, A me a gift subscription to SftP, Eric Entemann. Roslyn Feldberg. Ross Feldberg. and now that I've read over several jointly sponsored conference, Marilyn Frankenstein. Douglas Futyama. issues, I feel prompted to write you A "New Technologies: Responding Ted Goldfab. Rae Goodell, concerning several points. Stephen Jay Gould. David Himmelstein. to Future Risks," will be held May Eric Holtzman. Ruth Hubbard. David Kahn, The usefulness of your magazine is 28-29, 1987 at Worcester Polytechnic Charles KopUk. Richard Levins. Richard Lewontin, very hampered by the incompleteness Institute in Worcester, Massachusetts. Karen Messing. Frank Mirer, David Noble, of its raison d'etre. I'm astonished to Representatives of industry, Richard Novick. Connie Phillips. see a publication in this day and age AlVin F. Poussaint. Stephen Risch. Richard Rosen. government, labor, and academia will Virginia Schaefer, Scott Schneider. Miriam Struck, using the obsolete romantic address occupational and Sue Tafler, Michael Tanzer, Scott Thacher. philosophies of dialectical materialism environmental hazards associated with John Vandermeer, Gerry Waneck, and Marxism as its bases, to the new technologies. The conference Joseph WeiZenbaum, Sandy Wiper. virtual exclusion of all points of view will focus on four aspects Steffie woolhancller at variance with such perspectives. identification, assessment, Printing Because these value systems color the management, and prevention-of such Rowley Printing. 395 Main Street prose of very article in SftP, their hazards. Rowley. MA 01969 informative value is lost. The writers, Session topics include trends in SUBSCRIPTIONS: U.S. one year/six issues: SIS. Foreign all of like mind, see no necessity in new technologies, risks of rate: 521. U5. fibraries/atitutions: 524. Foreign fibraries: providing literary citations or biotechnology, advanced materials 530. Member subscriptions jindudes the magazine. our ~ in:IOiher conmunicationsJ: S30. Foreign "objective" evidence, since such and microelectronics, hazards in high !lDaibrrS - remit ., us_ rurrency. with either an philosophies discount the possibility technology, new approaches to new • ..,,...... ,.Manry Order or a died< drawn on a U-5. of objectivity. kinds of risks, liability and insurance, bank. I suggest that the editors and public policy and regulation, and SCIENCE RllllHE PEOPLE is available to bookstores on writers of SftP should become much c011!1ig1ment lion the publisher or through Carrier Pigeon public perception. DistJibutors. flax 2783. Boston, MA 02208. The magazine more acquainted with the current The conference is sponsored by the is availallle 01 microform from Universily MicrofilmS. 300 debate over epistemology and human New Technologies Safety and Health N. Zeeb Rd.. Ann Alllor. Ml 48106. Science for the f'eople is indexed in Alternative Press Index. Box 7229. Baltimore. values in science, as Marxism has Institute, with the participation of MD 21218. proven an ineffective model for Clark University, UMass Medical SCIENCE FOR THE PEOPLE jlSSN 0048-96621 is scientific inquiry in the past fifty School, and Worcester Polytechnic. published bimon!f1ly I>( the Science Resource Center. Inc. years (I refer you to Lysenkoism, for For further information and a nonprofit corporation at 897 Main St.. Cambridge. MA example). Works by Thomas Kuhn, 02139, telephone 617/54 7..()370. Edited in:1 produced I>( registration, contact Barbara Guthrie, the national organization of Science for the People. 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Science for the People March/April 1987 SCIENCE~PEOPLE 19, Number 2
CONTENTS
6 A WIN AT THE NUCLEAR STARTING GATE by Robert Alvarez While nuclear arms control talks continue to bog down over issues like the Strategic Defense Initiative, people living in the shadow of U.S. nuclear arms facilities are taking their own very real initiatives. At the Department of Energy's plutonium processing plant in Fernald Ohio-the starting gate for the nuclear arms race-labor and community pressure has resulted in government promises to clean up the plant. Over a billion pounds of radioactive and toxic wastes are stored at the site in leaking silos, pits. and barrels.
9 BRINGING UP BIOTECHNOLOGY by Barry Commoner "A fundamental question that any of us concerned with biotechnology have to deal with is how to govern the development of a new industry. If you're interested in regulation, I don't see any way of working on that without dealing with the decisions that determine what the industry produces and how it produces it. This introduces the whole question of social intervention in the infant industry itself."
A PSYCHIATRIC HOLOCAUST by Don Weitz The Canadian government collaborated with the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency in funding covert mind-control and brainwashing experiments over thirty years ago. Many of their Canadian and American victims who are still living continue to suffer permanent brain damage, amnesia, insomnia, and a variety of physical and mental disabilities. The son of one victim describes his father as "a broken man .. .with no memory no life. He lost everything."
DEPARTMENTS
2 Newsnotes: Animal testing, female feticide, and more 20 Opinion: Some notes on politico-scientific categories 22 International: Third World scientists confer 26 Grassroots: Berkely students protest against GE 27 Review: The Science Question in Feminism 28 In Brief: The Fast-Food Guide, Women in Science, plus
March/April 1987 least 8,000 female feticides would be performed yearly in Bombay. Such an assumption is hardly far-fetched-one politician who favors banning amniocentesis claims that past studies have found that all but one of 8,000 abortions recentlv performed were on female fetuses. . Of the 50 doctors surveyed, 42 admitted to performing a total of 269 sex determination tests per month. The survey also found that women were pressured to have amniocentesis for sex identification purposes. One-quarter of the doctors who admitted to performing amniocentesis said that they had suggested the test to their pregnant patients. One third said that some women were forced to have the test by their husbands or in to try to curb what he terms "irresponsible laws. CAMBRIDGE research" where researchers have other Amniocentesis may be behind an alternatives for testing. He says that in alleged rise in sex-based abortions in DEBATES ANIMAL many ways the current animal rights Britain, as well. Michael Ridler, of the TESTING ordinance recalls the earlier ON A debate: Kennedy Galton Centre, which analyzes "the call for reports, the scientists amniocentesis test results, claims that ORDINANCE disagreeeing with each other, are all very evidence has accumulated gradually of reminiscent." But he notes, "I think the women who seek abortions after learning ore public hearings are expected lesson learned from the debate over the sex of their fetus. Several British soon before the Cambridge, Massa public review of D~ A is that researchers amniocentesis test facilities have instituted Mchusetts City Council on an ordi should realize that if they are responsible, policies of withholding sex information nance that would require public review of they can work with the ordinance in unless doctors ask for it, and some academic and commercial laboratory place." doctors refuse to tell patients the fetus's research using animals. And while two -Seth Shulmtm sex, to prevent feticide. The problem, specific reports are awaited from the City according to several obstetricians, is most Health Commissioner and from the prevalent among Muslims with strong Animal Commission on the issue, the GENDER CHOICE cultural pressures to bear boys. ordinance has already caused vociferous Back in the U.S., prospective parents debate. & GENOCIDE arc trying to affect their baby's sex prior A preliminary study by the city's to conception by using ProCarc's Animal Commission concluded that emale infanticide has long been a Gender Choice Kit. Fifty thousand kits there was a need for greater public problem in India, where 935 baby girls were sold during the product's first three information on this subject, partially Fare registered for every 1,000 baby months on the market in late I 986, as because of the large amount of academic boys. ~ow technology is helping Indian reported in the New York Times. The kits research using laboratory animals for parents determine the gender of their contain disposable thermometers and toxicity tests and other research conducted children-to-be so that abortion can materials for sampling vaginal mucus so there. In addition to Harvard and MIT, replace infanticide as the preferred that women can monitor temperature this preliminary report cited eight method of disposing of unwanted female changes in ovulation and changes in the commercial labs doing animal testing, children. Female feticide now ensures pH of vaginal mucus. and estimated that some 50,000 animals India of even fewer baby girls. But the Food and Drug Administration per year were sacrificed to research in According to New Scientist, a recent has found that the company's claims for Cambridge. report on Sex Determination Tests and the Gender Choice Kit constitute a While researchers at Harvard and MIT Female Feticide in Greater Bombay found "gross deception of the the consumer." have for the most part bristled at the that most doctors in Bombay perform The kit operates on the theory that prospect of having their research amniocentesis, a procedure which female-producing sperm are more likely involving animal testing reviewed by a removes amniotic fluid from a pregnant to reach the egg successfully just as city board, political watchers say that the woman's uterus, to determine a fetus's ovulation occurs and the vaginal mucus ordinance has a fair chance of passage gender. Amniocentesis detects chromo is more acidic, while male-producing after the next round of reports and public somal defects and fetal abnormalities, sperm do better shortly after ovulation debate expected soon. such as Downs Syndrome and spina when the mucus is more alkaline. The The ordinance was proposed by bifida, as well as revealing the sex of a FDA, however, maintains that there is Councillor AI Vellucci, former Cambridge fetus. The survey, conducted by Sanjeev inadequate scientific data to support this Mayor and key proponent of an earlier Kulkarni of the Foundation for Research theory. But ProCare still stands by its landmark ordinance requiring a public in Community Health, estimated that claims: it offers to refund the $49.95 review board for recombinant ON A 16,000 such tests arc conducted in purchase price if customers are blessed research conducted within city limits. Bombay each year. with a baby of the opposite sex than they Vellucci stresses that the bill does not If all tests indicating that the fetus was were trying for. seek to stop all research on animals, only female were followed by an abortion, at -Stephanie Pollack
2 Science for the People as a citizen and not as a scientist, Hyder powerful in death than I have been in CHARLES HYDER'S does say that his life as a scientist life." supported his belief that "there is no such We at SftP wish we would not face the FAST FOR PEACE thing as a problem that can't be solved." prospect of losing one of the precious few Hyder's five children are mixed in their who struggle so vehemently for peace. harles Hyder is close to death as response to his actions, as are his But we, too, must express our solidarity we go to press, but he says that he colleagues. Many have been to Washington with a strong-willed activist's demands. C is convinced that if the arms race to try to dissuade him from sacrificing his We look to his strength and commitment ~s not turned around the world will perish life. But he will not be deterred. Calm, as a harsh reminder of the determination m a nuclear holocaust. "This problem," serene, and surprisingly lucid considering we all will need to reverse the arms race. he says, "needs to be changed in his lack of food, Hyder says he feels -Seth Shulman advance." "blissful knowing that I will be more Hyder, a 56-year-old astrophysicist and former staff scientist at NASA SJ?ends most of his time in Lafayette Park: d1rectly across the street from the White NO-SMOKING smoker's lungs. Studies have shown that House. To date, he has been fasting for sidestream smoke is absorbed into rhe over three months-the longest known ZONES lungs of bystanders, and that these fast ever undertaken-and vows to passive smokers suffer higher rates of continue to his death if the U.S. lung cancer than people who are not exposed to smokers. government fails to meet his demands. .·.· ..:·v.e~ erill( ISSued..... K. o. o•.·. a p.•. report rh·e. ~,.S. m [)ecember s·u.rgeon. ge.n-with The surgeon general also claimed that Specifically, Hyder seeks a "binding ~ce that the effects of side E.. breathing sidestream smoke can raise the commitment" from the Reagan administra stream · tobacro smoke ·are harmful to everyone~ He called for immediate risk of bronchitis and pneumonia. Eye tion to dismantle all nuclear warheads by nose, and throat irritation are the mos; the year 2000 and not to use or support restrictions on smoking in public places and a "smoke-free society" by the year common effects of exposure to smoke. violent offensive military operations Infants and children under two years old against other nations as an option in 2000. In the U.S,, about 115,000 people die who are exposed to smokers are at special international relations. He demands risk. Studies have shown that these further that the U.S. "pursue an each .year of lung cancer caused by child~en are admi~ted more frequently to aggressive good faith effort" to get the smokmg, and government health officials ~ospttals suffenng from respiratory Soviet Union and the other nations of the estimate that two to five percent of those deaths are to victims who inhale the tllness . and that they show a lower world to join the U.S. in these development in lung function. "I commitments. Countering any criticism smoke passively as bystanders to smokers. This sidestream smoke-.. strongly urge parents to refrain from that his demands are "utopian," Hyder smoking in the presence of children '' insists that it is the arms race which is not produced from the burning end of cigarettes, cigars, and pipes--is qualitatively Koop warned. ' realistic. "My demands," he says, "are -information from New Scientist what 1s necessary if the world is to the same as the smoke that reaches a survive. And if the people insist, the government must abide." While many of Hyder's colleagues disagree with his approach, his efforts have gained much notice and support. Two dozen physicists and astrophysicists, mostly from Harvard and MIT, fasted for one day late last year as a gesture of solidarity with Hyder, urging the government to end the arms race. A group of scientists in Cambridge, Massachusetts has continued to meet regularly to help Hyder's cause, and others from around the world have expressed their support and concern for his cause. According to Hyder, three people have volunteered to continue his fast after his death if his demands aren't met. "Our system responds to dead bodies," Hyder says, "but somehow people think that it is okay to die in war but not to die to stop war. My intent is not to kill myself but to rid the world of the threat of nuclear holocaust. However, toward that end, I sincerely believe that my action can be a pebble which will start an avalanche." While he says he is fasting
March/April 1987 3 contaminated with urethane daily has a FROM OUR risk of cancer between 3 2 and 4, 700 times POURING MONEY that of teetotalers. BEVERAGE MENU Canada set standards for urethane, DOWN THE DRAIN ould you like a drink? On our which is produced naturally in the n Environmental Protection Agency beverage menu we have a selection distilling or fermenting of alcoholic study on the costs and benefits of Wof wines and liquors containing beverages, in 1985. Bur, according to A reducing lead levels in drinking carcinogenic urethane, and for teetotalers FDA commissioner Frank E. Young, the water garnered quite a bit of attention at we have a variety of diet beverages agency does not "think this is an absolute the end of 1986, in part because the study sweetened with NutraSweet, suspected emergency." Among the beverages was released only after being leaked to of causing epileptic seizures and eye found by lJ.S. inspectors to have the press. It found that 42 million damage. Lost your appetite? No need to urethane levels in excess of Canadian Americans may be drinking water which fear: the Food and Drug Administration standards are Almaden Vineyard's contains unsafe levels (20 parts per billion says that our poisoned drinks are safe. Cabarnet Sauvingnon, Gallo Vineyard's or more) of lead. By using corrosion A recent petition by lawyer James Cream Sherry of California, Christian control to reduce lead levels in drinking Brothers' California Treasure Port, water, the EPA concluded, it could Kentucky Gentleman Bourbon, Bois prevent organic brain damage in ar least Kirsh wasser Cherry Brandy, and R. 143,000 children and hypertension in at Jelinek Slivovitz Plum Brandy. least 118,000 adult males, producing net So, if you're thirsty, relax and have a benefits of $800 million annually. drink. Epilepsy and cancer arc on the Environmentalists were understandably house! -Dan Grossman disappointed when the EPA responded
know that their bank records have been NOT ONLY STICKS obtained for use by a government agency. & STONES, BUT Further, the law allows the FBI to obtain the telephone records not only of NAMES WILL AlSO rhe person it is investigating, but also of HURT YOU any other individuals whose phones the person may be using. And finally, the n its closing days before the rush to new provisions allow the FBI to share the return home and campaign, Congress passed information it has acquired with any Ithe Intelligence Authorization Bill for other government agency which it 1987. With little fanfare, two provisions believes has a relevant interest in such wound their way into the spending law data. which give the FBI access to people's Various government agencies-like Turner of the Consumer Nutrition bank records and telephone toll logs. the IRS, CIA, FBI, and Health and Institute called on the FDA to ban Passed in the spy fever engendered by the Human Services-have been involved in NutraSweet-added to many diet drinks U.S.-U.S.S.R. Daniloff and Zakharov such information sharing for quite some and known generically as aspartame-as affair, the two provisions ostensibly rime. For example, the IRS used to share an "imminent hazard to the public target individuals suspected of espionage tax records with the FBI of people who health." To back up his petition, Turner by the federal government. were politically active in the 1960s. The cited 80 NutraSweet users who had As derailed in The Natitmld Reportn new law, in effect, legalizes such suffered epileptic seizures and 60 who (Fall/Winrer 1986), beyondtheabilityit practices. .. · reported eye damage. But the FDA grants the FBI to obtain the records of The government has claimed thauhese rejected the petition, claiming that "the people it's investigating, rhe new law new provisions are innocuous and that evidence submitted is not the type includes three other causes for worry. they are only concerned with people that ... established a link between aspartame First, the Ia w eliminates a provision of the working in the service of foreign consumption and possible harm to the 1978 Right to Financial Privacy Act govermnents or groups which oppose public health." which stipulated that to obtain information, U.S. ..inrerests" or "national security". FDA also denied a petition by the a federal agency must notify a person that However. with the Reagan administration Center for Science in the Public Interest his or her bank record was being sought, leading the way in trying to label anyone (CSPI), asking the agency to recall and and that the bank involved had the option who disagrees with it as communist or prohibit future sales of wines and liquors of notifying the customer of such a terrorist .(to jusrify the repression of such that have been found to contain request. Now the individual will receive individuals o:r organizations), can dangerous levels of urethane-a suspected no notification and, in addition, the bank another label-an "agent of a for,eisn human carcinogen. Citing studies by the involved is forbidden from informing power" -be far behind? Canadian government and the FDA them that such a request has been made. =Jose:fJ.n Re.g1Yl itself, CSPI claims that an average-sized The result is that individuals may never man who consumes three ounces of whisky or three glasses Df wine
4 Science for the People to its own study by refusing to speed up the process of adopting 20 ppb as an enforceable standard for lead in drinking water. Instead, the agency has been telling worried consumers to run their water for three to five minutes in the morning to flush out the lead, which accumulates when corrosive water sits undisturbed in lead pipes or pipes held together with lead solder. Ralph Nader has responded with his own cost/benefit analysis. In an address to the American Water Works Association, Nader announced that he had calculated the value of the water wasted by having all of the exposed people run their water for five minutes each day. The resulting cost to consumers was $255 million~ more than the cost of corrosion control as estimated by the EPA. on President Reagan to make an arms ~Stephanie Pollack GMNGAWAY control deal with the Soviets." What I THE HIGH take from this is that the Grahams have given a fresh meaning to the term FRONTIER "nuclear family." DALKON SHIELD The letter ran in the December 21, n light of the evidence and with some 1986 Washington Post under the headline SURVIVORS sense of history, you probably thought "Your Photo and $25 Can Help Make that the Reagan administration's Star the General's Season Glow." What made hen the AH Robins company ped I Wars project was merely an adjunct to a our season glow at SftP was news about dled the best-selling intrauter first-strike capability, a welfare program people like Mark Swaney. Florida Wine device on the market to mil for U.S. corporations, and an escalation resident Swaney worked for six-and lions of women around the world, it put of the arms buildup-not to mention a one-half years as a mechanical engineer. profits before the lives and reproductive dangerous idea and an enormous waste of Employed by two military contractors, health of its customers. Instead of resources. But, oh, how wrong one can Swaney's job was to develop guidance providing a safe method of birth control, be. What's the real scoop behind the systems for missiles and antiballistic the Dalkon Shield caused infections, Strategic Defense Initiative? "Our missile systems. On October 16, 1986 (as septic abortions, ectopic pregnancies, and children and grandchildren are the reason reported in the November 12, 1986 infertility in many users. Now the we must haveSDl." Incredible, you say? Guardian), Swaney, 33, called a press company is in the midst of U.S. Not so to the mindset of fear, ignorance, conference ro announce he was quitting Bankruptcy Court litigation for the and suspicion pr,evalenr on the right. his job at his then-current employer, injuries and deaths caused by the Dalkon In her November 1986 fundraising Martin Marietta. Shield. letter fQr High Frontier, the private The reason Swaney left his lucrative In the United States, a network of organization promoting Star Wars, Ruth military-funded position was to protest Dalkon Shield survivors has formed to Graham, wife of High Frontier's head, the refusal of the United States to reach other victims, to keep the Dalkon retired Lieutenant General Daniel abandon the Star Wars program. Coming Shield issue alive, and to develop some Graham, made just such a claim and on the heels of the failed Reykjavik unity among survivors. This January, implored readers to think of their families summit, Swaney's decision, apparently they published the first issue of the Dalkon when deciding whether to throw $25 gestaring for some time, was solidified by Shield Information Network, a newsletter High F ronrier's way. And to broaden the the obstacle to a momentous agreement that will report on new developments in metaphor which equates care for one's on nuclear weapons reductions that Star Robins's bankruptcy and reorganization family with support for Star Wars (Q: Wars presented at the summit. plan proceedings, cover medical issues, Does lack of support for SDI mean one "I feel this project is the greatest threat and provide emotional support and doesn't care? A: Of course!), Ruth to peace since the atomic bomb," Swaney information to survivors. Graham urged readers to send her a remarked about the Star Wars program. "There were two million American picture of "you with your closest family Calling U.S. nuclear policy a "cruel women and a total of four million women or friends-your children, grandchildren, hoax," Swaney said that he would now worldwide who used this birth control nieces, or nephews." Why? She wanted devote his talents and energies to work device," writes Karen Hicks, the to place all the pictures she received into that was "economically sound and of use newsletter's publisher. "Through this the High Frontier Photograph Album to people" -work that SftP would call newsletter, we hope to keep the issue and give it to husband Dan at Christmas. the real "high frontier" of science. "I alive and vital during the lengthy court Later in the letter, wife Ruth gave a hope," said Swaney, "my decision might proceedings." Send subscriptions ($10 or clue as to the fear the Grahams and their encourage some people who are already more per year) and inquiries to Karen ilk are experiencing: "Dan tells me that teetering on the edge to go ahead and Hicks at 626 Center St., Bethlehem, PA because the Senate is now controlled by make that decision." We do, too. 18018. liberals, there will be incredible pressure -joseph Regna
March/April !987 5 Workers and A WIN AT THE~ Community
Clean Up health and safety strike by the Fernald •Since 1952, the Fernald facility has unions that closed down the plant until the released about 170tons of uranium into the DOE agreed to sweeping improvements. environment, possibly exposing nearby (See the September /October 1985 issue of residents in the 1950s and 1960s to the SftP: "Fighting Radiation Hazards in equivalent of hundreds of chest X rays each Fernald, Ohio," by Scott Schneider.) The year. Another 3 3 7 tons of uranium are impact of this important joint effort is unaccounted for. The Environmental BY ROBERT AlV AR.EZ affecting not only the human environment Protection Agency found the FMPC to be near nuclear weapons plants, but also the the worst emitter of uranium in the nation. ver the past five years, a size and scope of the nuclear arms race over • Although government officials knew the next decade. growing political movement has that health and safety standards were The Fernald controversy reached a emerged to challenge conven constantly being violated since 1952, no critical stage in the summer of 1984. That's tional wisdom on how people efforts were ever made to improve when AI O'Connor, president of District can come to grips with the nu working conditions. Moreover, significant 0clear arms race. Operating in regions 34 of the International Association of amounts of cancer-causing radium and Machinists (lAM), hosted a meeting in where peace and arms control groups have plutonium were cycled through the plant Cincinnati of local union leaders represent made few inroads, these activists have a for over twenty years without the ing DOE nuclear workers from around the unique understanding of the realities of workers' knowledge and without special country to discuss health and safety government nuclear policies. This is safety precautions. because they live near or work in problems at the nuclear plants. At the government nuclear weapons factories. meeting, environmentalists revealed that • As a result of dumping massive amounts While nuclear arms control talks eleven different DOE-sponsored health of radioactive and toxic chemicals, offsite continue to bog down over issues like the studies at several government nuclear drinking water wells were contaminated at admittedly unreal Strategic Defense weapons sites, including Fernald, were several hundred times above natural Initiative, people living in the shadow of showing an alarming excess of cancers and levels-something the DOE knew for U.S. nuclear arms facilities are taking their non-malignant respiratory diseases among several years without informing nearby own very real initiatives. One of these plant workers. residents. little-known success stories is unfolding in This revelation came as a shock for • Ultrahazardous chemicals, like anhydrous a small rural Ohio community 20 miles many people at that meeting, since they ammonia, which pose catastrophic dangers northwest of Cincinnati, where the U.S. were being told something quite different were being stored in aging tanks onsite Department of Energy (DOE) processes by DOE and the contractors who run the with outdated safety controls, even by uranium for use in nuclear reactors and plants. An official publication of DOE's weak 1950s' standards. Over a billion nuclear weapons. Oak Ridge nuclear operations, which pounds of radioactive and toxic wastes are Quite literally, the DOE's Feed Material supervises the Fernald facility, went so far currently being stored at the site in leaking Production Center (FMPC) at Fernald, as to proclaim that "our operations do not silos and shallow pits. Ohio is the starting gate for the U.S. threaten the health of people." In fact, nuclear arms race. At the F MPC, uranium, DOE researchers had found excess deaths By October 3, 1985, the Fernald the basic ingredient necessary to produce from lung disease among Fernald workers workers were out on strike over health and plutonium for warheads, is chemically linked directly to uranium dust exposure. safety issues-despite an offer for a hefty processed, smelted, and machined as This meeting served as a catalyst, pay hike. Gene Branham, president of the weapons reactor fuel. Since 19 52 this prompting the Machinists, International F emald Atomic Trade and Labor Council facility helped make it possible for the U.S. Chemical Workers, and Carpenters who negotiated the contract with NLO, government to generate enough plutonium Union-representing Fernald workers fmmd himsdf under FBI surveillance, for the equivalent of 26,000 nuclear to launch a campaign to publicize working coupled with threats by the DOE that he warheads. conditions at the facility. They timed this stood to have his security clearance In doing so, the Fernald facility also campaign to coincide with the expiration revoked-which is tantamount to being created an enormous radioactive and toxic of their contract with the National Lead of fired. With the help of the Government legacy that united nearby communities, Ohio Company (NLO), the facility's Accountability Project in Washington, public interest groups, the Ohio state contractor, as a way to make health and D.C., the DOE and the FBI were forced to government, and the Ohio congressional safety a key element in contract renegotiations back off. delegation. This coalition supported a the following year. At the same time, the state of Ohio began Local and national public interest groups to take legal action against DOE for its Robert Alvarez is director of the Nuclear joined with the Fernald unions to help violations of federal toxic waste laws. In Project at the Environmental Policy Institute develop media strategies and involve the addition, the Congressional delegation, in Washington, D.C. He wrote about health state government and the Ohio congressional spearheaded by Senator John Glenn (D hazards to radiation workers in the March/ delegation in the campaign. What followed Ohio) and Representative Tom Luken, a April 1986 issue of Science for the People was a series of disclosures that shocked the Democrat from Cincinnati, proceeded to and is the coauthor of Killing Our Own: normally conservative region of southwest hold public hearings about the abuses at America's Disastrous Experience with Ohio out of its complacency over the Fernald and called for legislation to end the Atomic Radiation. government's nuclear presence there: DOE's self-regulation.
6 Science for the People UCLEAR STARTING GATE
The strike was settled by October 23, cleanup task ahead, whether or not another and the workers had won some important single nuclear weapon is built. concessions, including the right to refuse The situation at Fernald is a microcosm Since 1952, the dangerous work, an agreement to have the of a crisis that stems from the technological plant meet current health and safety obsolescence of nuclear weapons manufac Fernald facility standards, and a formal commitment to turing, and is starting to impact the DOE's clean up the site. Moreover, NLO, the entire nuclear weapons industry. Because has released operator of the plant since the very all major DOE weapons production beginning, stepped down and was replaced facilities are over 25 years old and have about 170 tons of by the Westinghouse Corporation. never bothered to change working As a measure of the effectiveness of this conditions or their radioactive and toxic uranium into the effort, the DOE is planning to spend about waste dumping practices, major pressures $350 million to clean up the plant over the are mounting in communities near these environment. next few years-more environmental facilities to come to grips with their protection money than any other DOE environmental and occupational health The EPA found the bomb plant in the country has ever legacies. In DOE's fiscal year 1987 budget received. DOE officials reluctantly admit request, citizen pressure helped allocate Fernald plant to that this is only the beginning of the about $870 million for compliance with funding commitment to meet their environmental laws. be the worst agreement with the unions. In the long run The internalization of nuclear waste the Fernald workers will be guaranteed cleanup costs is having a dramatic impact emitter of employment throughout the enormous on the economic equation of nuclear uranium in the This cracked and leaking silo is one of the storage sites at Fernald for 9,000 pounds nation. of radioactive K-65 waste, a by-product of atomic bomb production that contains radium and uranium. Photo: courtesy of Government Accountability Project.
March/April 1987 7 Aerial view of the Feed Materials In fact, for the first time since the current dealing with other hazardous industries in Production Center near Fernald, Ohio. nuclear arms buildup was initiated in 1980, their backyards. Ttle plant produces uranium for nuclear the U.S. Congress, in response to citizen Most significantly, the situation at weapons and power generation. Over pressure, actually cut DOE's nuclear Fernald and other DOE sites tells us that one billion pounds of radioactive and weapons production budget for fiscal year the nuclear arms race has reached a historic toxic waste are stored at the site in crossroads. Over the next few years, the leaking silos, pits, and barrels. 1987 in order to beef up environmental protection and nuclear waste cleanup at U.S. government, by virtue of the decrepit DOE weapons sites. state of the DOE nuclear weapons weapons development. For instance, the "There's no doubt that the cost of complex, will decide whether or not our DOE estimates that costs for nuclear waste cleaning up these plants will be high, but nation will continue to produce nuclear cleanup at the Hanford nuclear reservation the cost of doing nothing will be higher," warhead materials for another three to four in Washington state will be about $11 says Senator John Glenn. "After all, what decades. billion. By comparison, the cleanup of 357 good does it do to protect ourselves from In making this decision, we most of the nation's worst privately owned toxic the Soviets by building nuclear weapons if certainly will have to reevaluate the actual waste sites under the recent renewal of the we poison ourselves in the process?" military need for more plutonium, given federal Superfund law is estimated to cost While initiatives to encourage Compre the fact that such a massive amount is $9 billion. About $700 million is going for hensive Test Ban talks and compliance already available. Moreover, we will have nuclear waste cleanup in fiscal year 1987- with SALT II limits did not pass the to reconsider the implied consensus roughly one third of the current total cost Congress last year because of President between the nuclear weapons industry and for producing nuclear explosives. Reagan's hollow promises to bargain in arms control advocates which has shaped This shift in the economics of nuclear good faith at the arms control summit in much of the nuclear arms debate of the weapons production is not being lost on Iceland, concern over the environment, 1980s-namely, that the dangers to the the corporations that work for the DOE. health, and safety led to the only significant human environment from nuclear weapons According to the Engineering News restraints on the nuclear arms race in 1986. are negligible and should not be linked to Record, a construction industry magazine In addition to a Congressional cut in arms control objectives. widely read by government contractors, nuclear weapons production, plutonium For what the record shows, we may be the effort to "defuse the environmental production at the DOE's Hanford nuclear on the threshold of a new "unthinkable" of time bomb that is ticking in the soil around reservation was halted for health and safety the nuclear age. In making the very the federal government's weapons plants" reasons. Hanford is estimated to be weapons that are supposed to protect us, could bring about a "major redirection of providing about half of the annual U.S. we may be destroying large areas of our the nuclear weapons program in the supply of nuclear warhead-grade plutonium. homeland and possibly creating a legacy of United States." The struggle is far from over at Fernald as human health damage of major proportions. For the DOE and its contractors, the the unions and the community fight to If this is the price we will have to pay for implications of worker and community hold DOE to its agreement. The Fernald the current nuclear weapons stockpile, can pressures are clear: as major commitments experience can serve as an important we afford to make more? The struggle at are made for nuclear waste cleanup and organizing model, not only for making the Fernald tells us that we cannot afford to environmental protection, less money will nuclear industry accountable for its abuses, wait another thirty years to find the be available for nuclear weapons production. but also for workers and communities answer.
8 Science for the People BRINGING UP BIOTECHNOLOGY
BY BARRY COMMONER impossible. The only thing you can do is to roll back the industry if you're concerned fundamental question that any with its impact on the environment. of us concerned with biotech The problem with regulating the Influencing nology have to deal with is petrochemical industry is that 99 percent the problem of governing the of its toxic wastes are now put into the A development of a new industry. environment, half of them into underground 0 I'm not talking about regulating its impact wells and the rest on the surface. In other on the environment. I'm talking about the words, the waste is not destroyed. social governance of the means of There is a method for destroying toxic Developing production. That's the fundamental issue. There's no way of working on the industry's regulation without dealing with the decisions that determine what the Industry industry produces and how it produces it. This introduces the whole question of social intervention in the infant industry itself. Since this is such a taboo subject, I need to mention two justifications for raising it. The first is a very simple one. Most of the basic research information comes from the public domain. We paid for it. I well remember the debate years ago on the structure of the National Science Foundation when practically every senator said, "You know, if we pay for this work, the results should be owned by the people and there should be no way of making private profits out of any research sponsored by the NSF." Well, you know what happened to that idea, but I remember very well when this was a serious issue to debate. Now if ever there was a new industry created by public money, biotechnology is it. So it's waste that's not terribly good, but the best organisms. Just to give you one example, worth thinking about public control of one we have: incinerating it. The cost of the amount of vinyl chloride (a powerful publicly funded research in this industry. incinerating the present annual output of carcinogen) produced annually in the The other reason is that we have before toxic waste from the petrochemical United States is roughly equivalent to the us the example of the petrochemical industry would be ten billion dollars a dry weight of the fruits and vegetables industry which, in an amazing way, year. That is three times the total profit of produced. foreshadows what is happening in the the petrochemical industry. Very simply There's a marvelous paper written by biotechnology industry. The lesson from put, if you required the petrochemical Walter Elsasser, a physicist, in which he the petrochemical industry is that environ industry to really regulate its toxic output, asks the following question: Take a 200- mental regulation has become essentially you would essentially wipe out its unit protein, with twenty possible competitive position. different amino acids in any sequence, and Barry Commoner directs the Center for the The petrochemical industry is very ask, "What is the total weight if we Biology of Natural Systems at Queens College, much like biotechnology. It was also a produce one of each possible molecule?" CUNY. He has written extensively about the rapid conversion of academic research into in other words, one molecule of each of the social and environmental impacts of new commercial use: what the organic chemists various possible sequences of amino acids. technologies. In 1984, Dr. Commoner ran for learned was converted into chemical The answer is, it's larger than the total president of the United States through the engineering. Previously, organic carbon weight of the known universe. What does Citizens Party. This article was adapted from a compounds on the earth occurred only in that tell us? It tells us that the proteins that talk he gave at the Committee for Responsible living things or in their products. Along are produced represent an enormously Genetics' conference, "Creating a Public came an industry that produced enormous narrow selection of the proteins that could Agenda for Biotechnology," on November 14, amounts of man-made organic compounds, be produced. 1986. nearly all of which do not occur in living The basic point is that, during the course
March/April 1987 9 of evolution, organic chemistry has been pressure. way as to facilitate the ongoing propagation restricted to a narrow range of possible This is a statement from Hooker of the disease. compounds. What the petrochemical Chemical, a leader of the petrochemical I realize that the industry has often industry did was to break out of those industry: "Rather than manufacturing argued that its new organisms ought to be limits. For example, there are almost no known products by a known method for a regarded as harmless because all of the organic compounds found in living things known market, the research department is genetic combinations have been tried out in in which chlorine is attached to a carbon. free to develop any product that looks the evolutionary past and, in that sense, the Chloromycetin is one, but they are very, promising. If there is not a market for industry's creations are not really "new". very rare. There's lots of chlorine around, something, the sales development group But that approach fails to take into and lots of carbon, but living things don't seeks to create it." And that's why we have account-in keeping with the foregoing attach chlorine to carbons. Yet that is plastic nooses on six-packs and all of the example-that the reinvented organism probably the predominant configuration in unnecessary plastic geegaws. now enters into a greatly changed the petrochemical industry, and most of So what we have is a new industry biosphere. the compounds are toxic. which forces its way into the productive Does that mean we shouldn't use So, organic chemistry in life is the system, even though it is not needed. genetically engineered organisms? No; I outcome of a very long evolution, and it Why? Because it is more profitable than the think you have to ask whether the value of represents a highly restricted assemblage of industries it displaces. The outcome is that using an organism or a product is so great compounds; incompatible compounds we have an industry which is deliberately as to override the inherent dangers. have been eliminated. In my opinion, an designed not to meet social needs but to Unfortunately, that is not the way the organic compound which does not now meet the need of the people who own the industry has decided what to produce. occur in living things has to be regarded as capital to maximize their returns. Let me give you a couple of examples: an evolutionary reject. Proctor and Gamble switched from Human insulin was the first genetically Simply put, somewhere down the line a making soap to detergents for the simple engineered product, at least in this country. few billion years ago, perhaps some living reason that the detergent process was more Genentech developed it, and then made a cell got it into it's head to synthesize dioxin profitable than making soap. The introduction deal with Eli Lilly, which has an 85 percent and has never been heard from since. You of detergents then forced a new structure monopoly on pig insulin, giving Lilly the need to regard the products of the on the rest of the industry. For example, exclusive right to human insulin produc petrochemical industry as evolutionary old washing machines used soap and had tion in the United States. misfits and therefore very likely to be two tubs, and you would take the dirty What's the purpose of producing human incompatible with the chemistry of living clothes out of one tub and put them in the insulin? At first it was thought that it things. The failure to understand this basic clean water tub. Modern washing machines would be less immunologically reactive fact has caused the whole problem in are made so that they can only be used with than pig insulin. In fact, both pig and chemical pollution. We keep being detergents, and the dirty water is filtered human insulin have about the same positive surprised that chemicals which were through the clothes-not really a good and deleterious effects, so there is no perfectly nice and simple to make turn out idea. medical value in human insulin. Eli Lilly's to have very serious biological consequences. Detergents allowed this change, because ads say that the purpose of producing Another aspect of the petrochemical the suspended dirt is not particulate and human insulin is to be prepared for a industry is that it's a system for displacing readily flows through the clothes. Now shortage of pig insulin. Under what existing materials. For example, you're washing machines can't be used with soap, circumstances would that happen? I sitting on a plastic chair. Well, I remember because the particulate material produced suppose if religious objectors to pigs take a time when there were chairs but no by the action of soap would be caught in over the world, then we'll be short of pigs. plastic; clearly chairs don't depend on the clothes as the dirty water is drained When that happens, we'll need human plastic. Cleaning clothes doesn't depend on through them. In other words, petrochemicals insulin. detergents; we used to have soap. In other have produced an invasive industry, an In reality, human insulin has been words, the petrochemical industry has industry which changes the structure of produced for a very simple purpose: to come in and displaced previous, usually many other industries, and does so without maintain Eli Lilly's monopoly on insulin. natural, materials with a huge production regard for social value. of new kinds of materials. The reason why Now let's look at biotechnology. My these things have been produced is not first point is that you have to regard the through need but through economic bioengineered organisms as evolutionary rejects. By that I mean-in parallel with my argument about petrochemical products which do not occur in living things-that the new organisms created by genetic engineering are likely to contain genetic combinations that were, so to speak, once tried out during the course of evolution and rejected. Such a rejected genotype should, I believe, be regarded as inherently dangerous to existing organisms. Consider, for example, the appearance during the course of evolution of a pathogenic bacterial genotype which is so virulent that it completely wipes out a host species-thus eliminating the bacterium itself from the evolutionary stream. If this organism were to be reinvented by the biotechnology industry, it would be likely to cause considerable damage, especially if the host species has itself evolved in such a
10 Science for the People Suppose some other company got the produced. Quoting from one of the vice inherent risks. This means that a trivial Gcnentech contract. Eli Lilly would presidents of Genentech, "We are forced at product-with no social value at all-is suddenly have a competitor in producing this stage in our corporate development to worth no risk at all and simply should not insulin. I have to conclude that this compare vaccines with other opportunities. be produced. The most trivial research I arrangement was not governed by the The company does not have resources know of comes from Frito-Lay, which social need for human insulin; it was such that it can afford to take extraordinary makes potato chips. They wanted to governed by the age-old notion of risks. Thus it seems apparent that the genetically engineer a potato that had maintaining a monopoly. development of a malaria vaccine would much less water, so it wouldn't cost as Now let's look at human growth not be compatible with Genentech much to ship the potato. I don't know how hormone. The supply of growth hormone business strategy." It is not sufficient! y that would affect potatoes or the viruses in from the human pituitary, as far as I can profitable to give them the income they potatoes, or what other impacts there tell, comes total! y from a Swedish need, and for that reason they won't might be. But the point is that biotechnology company. That company owns fifty produce it. is an inherently dangerous industry and percent of another Swedish company. The Among the products of the biotech therefore should not make products which second firm has the exclusive world nology industry, pharmaceutical products are trivial and have no real social purpose. contract, outside of the United States, for outweigh all others. Sixty-two percent of The only way to make a proper balance using Genentech's genetically engineered the companies involved produce pharma between risks and benefits is to have some process for making synthetic bacterial ceutical products, and the majority are for say about what is produced, so that at the human growth hormone. In other words, diagnosis rather than treatment. What's so very least it will maximize the benefits to this is a system for controlling the market important about diagnosis? Did the society. That introduces the question of rather than for producing something for medical profession hold a meeting and say, social control of the choices made by the human needs. "You know, we're short of diagnostic industry and social governance of the Everyone agrees that the most important techniques, so please work on that"? The means of production. use of genetic engineering would be to reason is very simple: only sick people get In the Office of Technology Assess produce vaccines, particularly for malaria. treated, but a lot of healthy people get ment's book Commercial Biotechnology: An The World Health Organization supported diagnosed. In other words, the market for International Analysis, there's a very this research at New York University. diagnostic products is inherently much They got to the point of producing the larger than the market for treatment sporozoite vaccine, and said to Genentech, products because people as a whole, sick "OK, how about you making it?" and well, outnumber sick people. Genentech said, "Well, we want exclusive In the commodity chemicals sector, rights." So the World Health Organiza most of the chemicals that are being tion, being a very old-fashioned and produced by genetic engineering are unAmerican organization, said, "We don't flavors and perfumes. That's because work that way. We want this vaccine they're much more expensive than a widely available." And Genentech said, chemical like ethyl alcohol, which would "No thanks." have a much greater social value as a solar Here was something really needed, fuel. In pesticides, genetic engineering unlike human insulin, and it wasn't could be used to introduce pest resistance in plants, but it isn't. Instead, they are working on introducing resistance to herbicides, so that plants could be exposed to more and more herbicides without suffering. This brings us to the question of the control of the development of the biotechnology industry itself. The biotech nology industry has repeated, step for step, what has happened in the petrochemical industry. If it is allowed to go much further, like the petrochemical industry, it will become invulnerable to control. For example, fifteen million pounds of vinyl chloride-a powerful carcinogen-are produced in the United States today, chiefly to make polyvinyl chloride. Suppose you say, "This is just too risky. Let's stop making polyvinyl chloride." By this time, it has become so embedded in the industry and represents such a large investment and so many workers' jobs that it becomes socially impossible to quit making polyvinyl chloride. That's why we ought to focus on the industry's structure. Now, at this early stage (if, in fact, it is not already too late) we need to control what the biotechnology industry produces. A major test is to show that the product is so socially important as to outweigh the
March/April 1987 11 interesting comparison between the hazards inherent in plastic chairs. Instead Where to semiconductor chip industry and biotech of saying, "This plastic is terrible; get rid nology. It points out very clearly that the of it," we have to say, "We want to turn? structure of the semiconductor industry in intervene in the decisions about how chairs the United States was dictated by the U.S. are made." government. The Department of Defense Let's consider Frostban, the bacteria insisted on having a system of production manufactured to protect strawberry plants that met their needs, since defense is a social from frost at lower temperatures. I believe need. As a result, legal steps were taken, tax that ice-minus bacteria actually exist as a incentives were put in place, and a natural mutant. This raises a very interesting question: why do we have to do the genetic engineering at all? Or let's say someone shows that instead of making a genetically engineered nitrogen-fixing corn plant, there is a way of culturing Azotobacter and giving it enough mannitol so that it works very effectively in increasing the nitrogen content of soil. You can then debate whether this particular piece of genetic engineering is Science necessary or not. With respect to manufactured insulin, there should have been a debate as to whether genetic for the engineering should be used to produce insulin when pig insulin is perfectly satisfactory. People We simply have to face an ideological issue which, in this country, is politically SftP helps you make sense of the latest taboo. One doesn't raise the issue of controversies in a broad range of science society determining what the owners of fields. from biotechnology to science capital can do. The Catholic bishops' letter education. from computerized weapons to on the economy bucked that taboo by pesticide use. from reproductive saying, "No one can own capital resources technologies to alternative technologies. completely or control their use without SftP is the only science magazine that regard for others and society as a whole." shows how science and technology shape our society. and discusses alternatives to production system was developed which They were paraphrasing the Pope, who "science for the Pentagon" and "science for determined what the new industry said in a recent encyclical that capital is b1g business." produced. created by workers and by the rest of This example shows that it is possible, society, and society ought to have the right They do careful writing and thinking. This is the best source of awareness of within our political framework, for the to determine what is done with that capital. the economic forces that direct government to intervene in establishing I don't know of a single American scientific research. -Utne Reader the structure of an industry and its choice politician, not even a Catholic politician, of products. Returning to the malaria who has ever referred publicly to the MAKE SftP YOUR example, I don't know why the National Pope's ideas about social governance of the Institutes for Health couldn't be ordered use of capital. That's the extent of the ACRONYM OF by the President to set up a laboratory to taboo. CHOICE. develop an effective way of producing a We have to ask ourselves about the malaria vaccine and, when that is done, to morality of allowing publicly produced SUBSCRIBE TODAYI find a commercial company which will know ledge to be taken over by the owners produce it, under a subsidy if necessary. of capital. Or, in the case of our fellow $15/year (six issuesJ Get a second year or give a gift sub at half the There is a legal mechanism built into the scientists who have become entrepreneurs, price-only S7.50! Environmental Protection Act, Section they must consider the morality of using 102, which deals with environmental their know ledge to create a huge, new, and Name ______impact statements. That section says that growing industry which is governed not whenever there is a process that has a by the needs of the society which has Address ______hazardous environmental impact that can't supported them, but by the principle of be avoided, then alternative processes must maximizing private profit. If every time City/State/ZiP·------be considered. Genentech makes a decision it is done in For example, in theory you could hold a their own profit-maximizing interest, it hearing on plastic chairs, and toxicologists would be a miracle if some of those Name ______could come in and say that the phthalate decisions were also in the social interest. Address ______emitted from the plasticizer is toxic. Or This is exactly what has happened in the they might say that a fire in this room petrochemical industry. City/State/ZiP•------would poison everybody before they had a We have to raise these moral and political chance to get out; that's an unavoidable questions and break the taboo. If the hazard of this kind of upholstery. Then a Catholic bishops could do it, we can too. Send with payment to: manufacturer of wooden chairs might Otherwise, we're going to see very Science for the People testify that the function of a chair is for quickly an industry which is too large and 897 Main St., Cambridge, MA 02139 somebody to sit on it, and that their firm powerful, and economically entrenched, to can make a chair that avoids the toxic be controlled in the interest of the people.
12 Science for the People A PSYCHIATRIC HOLOCAUST
0 0
John Klossner
BY DON WEITZ provided financial support for these and "national defense." From 1950 to psychiatric atrocities of the 19 50s and 1964, the Department of Health and ince 1977, when the New York 1960s. Welfare and the Defense Research Board Times revealed that the Central Indeed, the CIA connection was awarded several grants to Cameron and Intelligence Agency had funded paramount, as former CIA agent John other psychiatrists and psychologists the brainwashing experiments of Marks reveals in his 1979 expose, The CIA working at the Allan Memorial Institute Dr. Ewen Cameron in Montreal, and Mind Control, which documents some and McGill University in Montreal. Sthe public and the media have been under of the agency's covert operations-with the mistaken impression that the CIA alone such code names as "ARTICHOKE," The ottawa-CIA Connection "BLUEBIRD," and "MK-ULTRA" Don Weitz is a former psychiatric inmate and involving mind-control experiments that During the Cold War, in the late 1940s psychologist, and cofounder of On Our Own (a drove many of its Canadian and American and 1950s, the CIA was obsessed with self-help group of psychiatric inmates and ex victims to madness, even suicide. finding and using methods to combat inmates) and its antipsychiatry magazine, Bur what is only coming to light now is Soviet espionage: If the Soviets could Phoenix Rising. He is a freelance researcher that the Canadian government also secretly brainwash spies and defectors to extract and writer, and a strong inmates' rights supported and funded many of these confessions from them, why couldn't the advocate. This article was published in the psychological and psychiatric abuses, Americans do the same? Under the june 1986 issue of Phoenix Rising. under labels like "psychological warfare" directorship of Allan Dulles and Richard Canadian and CIA-sponsored Brainwashing Experiments
March/April 1987 13 Helms, the CIA set up several secret consulting psychologist. military, specifically the ORB or the projects-including "ARTICHOKE," CONTROL OF THE INDIVIDUAL Defense Department. "BLUEBIRD," "MK-DELT A," and HUMAN MIND: Research into the means To ensure secrecy, the CIA would set "MK-ULTRA"-all involving mind whereby an individual may be brought up two distinct but related mind-control control and brainwashing techniques, temporarily or perhaps permanently under projects: "BLUEBIRD" (or "AR Tl the control of another. This project was strategies, and experiments. suggested by (name deleted), who is CHOKE") and "MK-ULTRA." The "BLUEBIRD," which began in April prepared to undertake it immediately should need for such strict secrecy was discussed 1950, and "ARTICHOKE," which it be approved. (Name deleted) has had at length, as well as the possibility of began in August 1951, were discussed previous experience in this type of research coope.ration with other foreign intelligence during at least two secret meetings and expects a gTilnt from the DRB in the near agencies. canada was···to be: a major . ... " , brainwcishing and mind:..contror research center "" :for the CIA, with :research
·car~ied out " \V\/ " underthe c()ver·· , of: the :Canadian ..• roUitary.
between the CIA and scientists in the spring and summer of 1951. Three prominent Canadian scientists attended the June l meeting in Montreal's Ritz-Carlton Hotel: psychologist Dr. N.W. Monon, director of Operational Research for the Defense Research Board (ORB) in Ottawa future.... While this grant will not permit Less than two months later, on July 23, and past president of the Canadian human experimentation he feels that such 19 51, another secret meeting was held; Psychological Association; Dr. Omond experimentation can be tied in .... both of the names, as well as other identifying M. Solandt, a former research scientist, projects will be written up for consideration by information, were deleted or barely legible chairman of the D RB and Deputy Minister the DRB and will probably be approved .... in the notes. But the goals and objectives of of National Defense; and Professor Donald The Canadian DRB programs are relatively firm, and will undoubtedly go forward. ... The the projects were beginning to come into 0. Hebb, a research neuropsychologist focus, including studies of "the availability and chairman of McGill University's U.S. programs... can be tied in where they are of mutual interest. of the individual and the detection of an Psychology Department. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMEN amenable type," and the "physiological During the meeting, CIA officials DATIONS: The Canadian representatives and psychological reactions" to the expressed keen interest in mind-control were fully acquainted with the problems and "interrogation." Techniques-specifically, experiments and asked for active support were carefully selected to provide a balance drugs and hypnosis-were also discussed. from the Canadian and American scientists. of scientific competence to the discussions. And the notes from that meeting These excerpts from notes taken during (Name deleted) in particular, indicated a reiterate the Canadian commitment to CIA the discussion show the extent of the keen understanding of the "Bluebird" problem, and was obviously interested in research and secrecy: "There is no existing Canadian involvement-both governmental program in Canada at the present time. and scientific-despite the deletion of the conducting research programs in connection with it. With the backing of ORB, (names of There will be one. We may expect names of many of the officials. (In quoting institutions deleted) should provide a center inquiries from the Canadians as to our from notes, reports, and other documents, of interest and activity which will be of utmost progress ... any connection with CIA is not all italics are mine.) value in the testing of various hypotheses as to revealed." The Canadian representatives had obviously control of the human mind.... U.S. interests can Yet another secret meeting on "ARTI discussed several programs which they were best be served by channeling our contact CHOKE" was held on Dec. 3, 1951. anxious to explore.... through the DRB.... 1 Again, all names and other identifying POLITICAL WARFARE: Research into These notes make it clear that Canada information were deleted, and it's doubtful the psychological factors causing the human that any Canadians attended. However, mind to accept certain political beliefs aimed was to be a major brainwashing and mind at determining means for combatting control research center for the CIA, and the use of electroshock as a significant communism and "selling" democracy. This that the Canadian research was to be technique in brainwashing was discussed program was suggested by (name deleted), a carried out under the cover of the Canadian extensively, and an unnamed shock
14 Science for the People expert~a "psychiatrist of considerable three or four days at a time. The ORB study. note... a fully cleared Agency consultant"~ quickly approved the application. During the experiments, the students was mentioned: In his December 19 52 progress report to spent 24 hours a day alone on a the ORB, Hebb reported on his initial The writer asked whether or not in the comfortable bed in a soundproof cubicle; "groggy" condition following a convulsion results: "Experimentation to date has been meals and trips to the toilet were the only by the electro-shock machine anyone had exploratory. Tolerance for the conditions respite. Their vision, hearing, and touch attempted to obtain hypnotic control over of perceptual isolation varies in subjects ... from were severely restricted; for example, they the patients, since it could be a good time to 0-60 hours. The motivational disturbance is wore goggles eliminating pattern vision obtain hypnotic control.. .. (Doctor's name great and the intellectual efficiency is and special gloves which covered their deleted) stated ... it had never been done, but impaired." Despite these disturbing arms and hands. As well, they listened to a he could make this attempt in the near future preliminary findings, the ORB approved at the (name of institution deleted) and see Hebb's request for an additional $10,000 whether or not this could be done. It was to continue his research~and no questions (name deleted's) opinion that an individual could be gradually reduced through the use of were asked. electro-shock treatment to the vegetable A year later, in his December 19 53 level ... amnesia could be guaranteed .... progress report, Hebb reported even more disturbing results: "One study demonstrated This insensitive hypothesis was soon (i) the incapacity of college students to tested by Cameron and his psychiatric tolerate a severe perceptual limitation, and, colleagues, who reduced many psychiatric as a result, their eagerness to listen to inmates to this "vegetable level" by using almost any verbal material offered them, electroshock and other brainwashing and (ii) that propaganda for an absurd techniques. But first, let us turn our point of view becomes significantly more attention to Hebb and his experiments at effective under these circumstances than McGill University. for control subjects. Another effect was a significant lowering of intellectual efficiency Hebb and the Sensory during and immediately after the period of Deprivation Experiments perceptual deprivation, and that during the deprivation period, the subject developed Shortly after he returned from the CIA hallucinations." meeting of June 1, 19 51, Hebb submitted In short, the sensory deprivation one of several grant applications to the experiments were causing many healthy Department of National Defense; specifically, students to break down or hallucinate; to the ORB. Hebb's name did not appear under this stress, they were becoming on the first application; instead, the amenable to the researchers' suggestions. research project was simply assigned to Except for the hallucinations~which McGill. interfertrl with the process-the brainwashing continuous hum, or "white noise, The sensory deprivation research he was proving effective. through earphones imbedded in a pillow. undertook was always classified as Over the following two years, Hebb And to increase their sense of isolation, "psychological warfare" and "Human was awarded $18,000 in grants. By the researchers rarely talked to them. Resources and Military Psychology," but time he submitted his final report, in In a 1961 summary of these experiments, his 19 51 application to the ORB, December 1955, Hebb had completed two psychologist Woodburn Heron reported innocently titled, "Conditions of Attitude major experiments, which he described: that almost all 29 students in one study Change in Individuals," covered what " ... the experimental subjects show a group suffered some serious sensory, were the first brainwashing studies deterioration in problem solving ability emotional, and intellectual disturbances conducted at McGill. both during the .. .isolation, and for several within the first two days of isolation. The In this application, Hebb requested a hours after emergence ... when the tests disturbances were temporary, but the one-year grant of $5,000 "to determine the actually were presented, the subjects experience proved so overwhelming that specific conditions of limitation of subject's would frequently not try very hard to get within the first two days, a majority of the field of perception and action which when the correct answer, and complain about students experienced vivid visual, auditory, coupled with subsequent suggestion will having to do them. Again, after a few days and tactile hallucinations, as well as effect persistent changes in attitudes of in isolation ... there was some disturbance of difficulties in concentration and problem some fundamental importance." To make normal motivational patterns." solving. During and immediately after the sure the ORB also believed this research After completing 48 to 72 hours of isolation, many of them also complained of was "of some fundamental importance," isolation, five of the 65 students experienced dizziness, confusion, nausea, fatigue, he wrote, under the heading of Requirement: "attacks of acute anxiety." One became headaches, and, because of the terrifying "A hostile power may attempt conversion hysterical. One suffered an epileptic attack. nature of the hallucinations, insomnia. of attitudes, together with behaviour And a majority of these students, and the A sub-study involving twelve of these appropriate to these, of our nationals who others, described the experience as "a form students also revealed a marked slowing in fall into their hands. This may include the of torture."2 Few of the young people Alpha-wave activity~the brain's arousal use of psychological, as opposed to could tolerate the isolation for more than system~for as many as three days after essentially physical, means. It is desirable three or four days, despite the fact that they isolation. This neurological disturbance to determine the feasibility of such were being paid $20 a day~a considerable formed an ideal base for brainwashing: attempts, with a view to ascertaining what sum in the mid-19 50s. since the students' brains weren't receiving defensive action would be taken." The details of these experiments were enough sensory stimulation, their faculties In this exploratory study, animals and first published in 19 54 in a scientific report of judgment were impaired, drastically "paid human subjects" (McGill student by three psychologists working for Hebb raising their level of suggestibility. As a volunteers) would be subjected to a in the psychology department at McGill. result, when they were subjected to a series prolonged, monotonous environment~ A similar study, published in 1956, of 90-minute recorded messages about "comparable to 'White Noise'" ~for up to confirmed all the major results of the 19 54 ghosts, poltergeists, and other extrasensory
March/April 1987 15 Canadian Brainwashing VIctims' S9-mllllon Lawsuit Against the CIA
t's.. been a.lmost six years since the nine and combination of electroshock with C'anadian victims of Dr. Ewen Cameron's drugs tike LSD weren't used elsewhere in IbrainWashing experiments launched their North America. "Perhaps the conclusion multi-million dollar lavvsult against the ClA. that comes closest to the truth is that he These canadians are still tJyirlg to sue the acted incautiously, but not irresponsibly," CIA tor .S1,000,000ead'l. but they have yet to states the· Canadian report, exonerating rece;ve one cent of finandat compensation Cameron as well. fOr the massiveandpermanentdamagesand But there is no acquittal for the suffering caused by Or. Cameron's permanent brain damage caused by Or. ~·treatment" at.the Allan Metnoriallnstitute cameron's experiments. Velma Orfikow in the 1950s and JCJ60.s-f'IJnded by both was suffering from depression after the the CIA and the Canadian goverrment. birth of her daughter. She was shut in an lbe Canadtan victims in the lawsuit are ~ room, given LSD· fourteen times. Velma Orlikow.fwife of former member of and forced to listen to painfUl .·taped pc!l'liarnent. Oallic:f Orlikow}. .Rita Zil1ll'tleiTl'lal. messages for hours at a time. By the time the late FlOrence Langleben.Jean
16 Science for the People phenomena, their tendency to blindly Deputy Minister of Health for Quebec, described here seems warranted." accept the data as fact was markedly sent a copy of Cameron's final report to This 1956 study gave Cameron even increased. Dr. Gordon E. Wride, Principal Medical more encouragement to continue using this Heron compared the effects of prolonged Officer for Health Insurance Studies in the isolation technique on many of his patients isolation to those of brain damage: "a Health and Welfare department. On Dec. in his psychic driving and depatterning general disorganization of brain function 21, Wride answered, thanking Gregoire. experiments, many of which were funded similar to that produced by anoxia, by There were apparently no other comments, large brain tumors, or by ... certain drugs."3 either about the report or about the As well, he concluded: "A changing experiments themselves. sensory environment seems essential for "I feel I In 1956, Cameron published a major human beings. Without it, the brain ceases article on psychic driving in the American am not here. to function in an adequate way, and journal of Psychiatry, the official publication abnormalities develop.' '4 of the American Psychiatric Association, The McGill students quickly discovered lam scored. of which he was once president. In the this painful truth. Many of Cameron's article, based on his government-funded patients at McGill's Allan Memorial ram in research at the Allan, he described his Institute would also discover it. The ORB technique as a new "therapeutic" method, and the CIA already knew it. Yet the another world .. claiming that "driving" patients with funding, for these and other brainwashing "verbal cues" would help "reorganize" experiments, continued. 1am arrafd their personalities. The Cameron Experiments "Reorganization" was also mentioned lam not. in the Azima-Cramer study. As a footnote, Isolation Azima and Cramer expressed their "deep going to gratitude to Dr. D .E. Cameron for his From 1950 to 1954, the federal guidance and his continuous encouragement comeback. Department of National Health and in this project .... " Welfare gave Cameron $1 7, 8 7 5 to support Most of the fifteen patients who were I don't lt his "Behavioural Laboratory" in the Allan involved in the study were diagnosed " .... f ·: .:. :.·. :,: Memorial Institute. This grant funded "neurotic," and all but one were women in .ea. rea •. several of his brainwashing studies, their thirties and forties. The Allan including sensory deprivation, psychic technique, almost identical to the one used driving, electroshock, and the use of the at McGill, consisted of severe restrictions by the CIA and Health and Welfare. male hormone testosterone on women of vision, hearing, and touch. Talking was patients. limited to two brief interviews a day with Psychic Driving He was unable to find patients who the researchers, and nurses were ordered would agree to undergo the Hebb/ McGill not to talk to the patients. But, unlike the In his final report to Health and Welfare isolation procedure, but he did use a McGill students, the patients at the Allan in 1954, Cameron described his psychic modified version of "the isolation were forcibly isolated, and for longer driving procedure: "The dynamic implant technique of Dr. Hebb" on some patients periods-four, five, and as many as six may be set up either by autopsychic or to lower their resistance to his psychic days in a row. heteropsychic driving. The first consists in driving experiments. Within the first 48 hours of isolation, the repeated playing of a key statement by As early as 19 52, there was evidence most of the patients became disturbed, or the patient. The second is the playing of a Hebb's report to the ORB, for example "regressed," and more than half of them statement devised by the therapist from his of the serious psychological effects of started hallucinating and experiencing knowledge of the patient's dynamics." McGill's sensory deprivation procedure. intense "depersonalization." Two became Cameron added that he usually played And in I 9 56, two years after the first overtly "psychotic" and were then the patients' statements for ten to thirty publication of the McGill sensory subjected to electroshock to erase their minutes at a time and the therapists' deprivation studies, psychologist Fern "paranoid" or "obsessional" reactions. statements for as long as "ten consecutive Cramer and Dr. Hassan Azima, a colleague One patient, a 25-year-old man, began days of sixteen hours each if the patient is of Cameron and a psychiatrist interested in to panic on the fifth day of isolation: "I feel kept under modified sleep treatment "regression," published the results of a I am not here .... I am scared. I am in another during this period." study using the McGill technique on world .... I am afraid I am not going to come Some of these cues, usually selected by several patients at the Allan. Two similar back .... I feel like I am going out of this Cameron during therapy sessions, were versions of the Azima-Cramer study were world .... I don't feel real." arranged in a "loop," which he played back published simultaneously in 1956; one, A 41-year-old woman became so upset to the patients for ten to fifteen hours a day, abstractly titled "Effects of the Decrease in that she stopped the "treatment" on the sometimes for weeks on end. Through this Sensory Variability on Body Scheme," fifth day; nevertheless, she was one of two technique, he speculated, the patients was published in the Canadim Psychiatric patients whom Azima and Cramer claimed would be forced to respond to hidden or Association journal, and the other appeared as proof of "lasting improvement." (This repressed experiences triggered by the in Diseases of the Nervous System. so-called permanent improvement lasted psychic driving; some of the cues, he He failed to mention a maximum time four days.) further hypothesized, would be embedded period for psychic driving; or, in his In their summary, Azima and Cramer in their minds and eventually change their words, an "optimum amount." But he did made this telling-almost prophetic behavior. refer to his patients' "defences against statement: "The imposition of some action In the article, Cameron also described psychic driving itself" as "running away tendencies during the disorganization state the way he dealt with seven of his women from the situation" -bolting out of his may lead to reorganization according to patients who suffered from depression or office or trying to escape from the planned patterns, and this may be useful in "feelings of inadequacy" while being institution. clarifying the problem of 'brainwashing,' treated in the Allan. Thev were all On Dec. 14, 1954, Dr. Jean Gregoire, etc. Further research along the lines subjected to intense psychic driving, for
March/April 1987 17 hours, and without their consent. Ore from 1961 to 1964, a second grant of Cameron also said he was still looking "highly defensive" woman, for example, $57,7 50 was awarded for more research for more efficient ways to immobilize or became very upset after she was forced to into psychic driving. inactivate his patients during psychic hear her own statements repeated thirty to The final report of his project, "A Study driving, including such powerful drugs 45 times. of Factors Which Promote or Retard (used either singly or in combination) as Another woman, who felt "intensely Personality Change in Individuals Exposed Artane, Anectine, Bulbocapnine, Curare rejected by her husband," was forced to to Prolonged Repetition of Verbal and LSD-25. listen to this sequence: "I hate to hear Signals," was submitted in 1965, and FromApril1957toJune 1960,theCIA that-it upsets me; look at me shaking." officially received and signed by various (through its front) gave Cameron $59,475. (Nineteen repetitions) "It upsets me government officials, including Wride and 54 to conduct his depatterning experiments Dr. J .A. Dupont of Health and Welfare and on many patients at the Allan-most of them Denis Lazure, Assistant Deputy Health women-and a further $4,775 to continue his Minister in Quebec. psychic driving research. The funding was In the report, Cameron described 61 officially approved by Colonel James L. tests on fifty patients at the Allan, and an Monroe, a CIA employee or agent, who "intensive study" of eighteen of these signed all grant approvals as "Executive patients during a two-year follow-up Secretary" for the New York organization. period. He claimed recovery for as long as The project was also approved by Dr. five years, including three years of Sidney Gottlieb, a psychologist and chief "ambulatory" (outpatient) driving for of the CIA's Chemical Division of three to six hours a week. Several of these Technical Services Staff. 6 people, he wrote, broke down or The first published report of the "decompensated;" his "treatment" for this depatterning procedure appeared in a 19 58 reaction consisted of more driving, drugs, issue of the Canadian Medical Association electroshock, or a combination of all three. journal, under the clinically titled heading, Once again, the vast majority of his human "Treatment of the Chronic Paranoid guinea pigs were "psychoneurotic" Schizophrenic Patient." In the article, women. Cameron and colleague S.K. Pande The results of this government-funded described their depatterning-brainwashing research were later published in 1956 in the technique in chilling detail: " .. .frequently Canadian Psychiatric Association journal. The severe although transient disturbance of the article, titled "The Effects of Long-Term brain function is an important factor in the Repetition of Verbal Signals," was co favorable results. This disturbance is shown written by Cameron, Leonard Levy, in terms of severe recent memory deficit, Thomas Ban and Leonard Rubinstein, all disorientation and impairment of judgement. staff members at the Allan or McGill. Similar changes can readily be produced by enough .... I can't count on my husband and a combination of sleep and electroshock my mother." (21 repetitions) Depatternlng treatment." At this point, Cameron comments, "the This time, Cameron's victims were 26 patient became red, restless and began to On Jan. 21, 19 57, Cameron applied to "paranoid schizophrenic" patients incarcerated breathe heavily." Nevertheless, he continued the New York-based Society for the Study in the Allan. Twenty-one were women. the barrage: "It makes me mad when I of Human Ecology (a known CIA front) The basic procedure of depatterning and think of my past, when I was so lonely .... I for further funding of his psychic driving brainwashing consisted of prolonged sleep am so lonely." (45 repetitions) At this experiments. The research project had an (twenty to 22 hours a day) under daily point, Cameron said he stopped the innocuous title: "To Study the Effects doses of Thorazine and the barbiturates psychic driving because his patient upon Human Behaviour of the Repetition 5 Seconal, Nembutal, and V eronal. This was "continued to shake." of Verbal Signals." Cameron was eager to accompanied by intensive electroshock, Another woman was so upset by the refine his depatterning procedure to ensure using the Page-Russell technique, which procedure, which triggered painful that the "dynamic implant" would lead to involved five to six shocks within two to memories of incest with her father, that she permanent behavioral changes in his three minutes. ran out of the building; Cameron drily patients. noted that he later had her committed. And In the application, he succinct! y outlined The objective of this massive electroshock yet another woman was subjected to 25 a four-step brainwashing procedure which was "to produce in combination with hours of psychic driving, "part of it with he inflicted on approximately eighty sleep ... confusion which we term 'depatteming."' her thinking disorganized under LSD- patients at the Allan Memorial Institute: Each patient was subjected to at least thirty 25." shocks within one to two months, and • The breaking down of ongoing patterns In the same article, Cameron proposed some were shocked as many as sixty to 65 of the patient's behavior by ... particularly using even more drastic methods, including times within two months-to achieve intensive electroshock (depatterning). "prolonged sleep" with sodium amytal, "complete depatterning." combined with ten to fifteen days, ten to • The intensive repetition (sixteen hours a After thirty shocks and five days, twenty hours a day, of psychic driving; the day for six or seven days) of the patients showed "severe memory deficits." McGill "psychological isolation" procedure, prearranged verbal signal. Their "delusions" were still present. Ten and hypnosis under the drug Desoxyn, an to twenty days later, they demonstrated • During the period of intensive repetition experimental amphetamine later taken off serious temporal-spatial disorientation: the patient is kept in partial sensory the market. "Who am I?" they asked. "How did I get isolation. The experiments Cameron carried out in here?" And all "delusions" were "broken the 19 50s were published in Canadian and • Repression of the driving period is up." Wrote Cameron: "He lives in the American medical journals between 1958 carried out by putting the patient, after the immediate present. All schizophrenic and 1961. Nevertheless, Health and conclusion of the period, into continuous symptoms have disappeared. There is Welfare continued to support the research: sleep for seven to ten days. complete amnesia for all events in his life."
18 Science for the People After thirty to sixty shocks, the typical Cameron was President of the Canadian inspiring teacher he brought.. .a wider and victim was completely disoriented: As Psychiatric Association, the American deeper understanding of the importance Cameron expressed it, one patient " ... does Psychiatric Association, the Quebec and significance of the emotional life of not recognize anyone, has no idea where he Psychiatric Association, and the World man. " is and is not troubled by that fact .... urinary Psychiatric Association. He was also the Nineteen years later, the psychiatric incontinence and has difficulty in performing founder and first director of the Allan profession in Canada and the United States simple motor skills." Nor was there any Memorial Institute. He received many is still silent, and still refuses to acknowledge remaining evidence of "schizophrenic" honors and awards, including the Mental that one of its leaders planned and behavior. Hygiene Institute of Montreal's "Mental conducted some of the most unethical, Scientific documentation of the permanent Health A ward" for "outstanding contributions dehumanizing, and destructive experiments, brain damage caused by the depatterning to the mental health of the Canadian which can only be compared to the medical procedure, particularly the electroshock, people" in 1966. torture carried out in the concentration was finally revealed in 1967-the year In 1965 the Canadian Psychiatric camps of Nazi Germany. Cameron died, and three years after the Association made him a lifetime Honourary Canadian government stopped funding his Member. In its citation to Dr. Cameron, psychic driving experiments. the CPA expressed "its profound appreciation NOTES In a ten-year follow-up study of 79 of of (his) outstanding contribution made to I. Report of Special Meeting, June 1, 1951. Cameron's "depattermrl" patients, psychologist the development of psychiatry in Canada." Matters relating to CIA project "Bluebird." A.E. Schwartzman and psychiatrist P.E. It also praised Dr. Cameron for contributing Unpublished. Also see "Ottawa paid for '50s Termansen discovered that 63 percent of to "far-reaching advances in the fields of brainwashing experiments, files show," The 2 7 shocked and depatterned patients treatment-education-research.'' Toronto Star, April 14, 1986. The Star article showed permanent memory loss, and that A month after Dr. Cameron died, these also states that in addition to Drs. Hebb, in sixty percent of these memory losses, editorial statements were published in the Solandt, Morton, and Tizzard, "officials named anywhere from six months to ten years of Canadian Psychiatric Association journal:" As Haskins, Dancey, Tyhurst and a Commander experience was erased. 7 a diligent seeker after knowledge, a gifted Williams" also attended this secret CIA meeting. author, a renowned administrator and Dr. James S. Tyhurst is a Canadian psychiatrist, These researchers recommended that and Sir Henry Tizzard (now dead) was intensive electroshock be stopped. It chairman of the British Defence Research Policy wasn't. Committee, and both Dr. Caryl Haskins and Commander R.J. Williams were "the CIA The Response of Psychiatry representatives at the meeting." 2. D.O. Hebb and Woodburn Heron. Before his death in 1967, Dr. D. Ewen "Effects of Radical Isolation Upon Intellectual Function and the Manipulation of Attitudes: Terminal Report to ORB on Contract X-38, 'Conditions of Attitude Change in Individuals."' Report No. HR 63. Ottawa: Defence Research Board, Department of National Defence, October 1955, p. 5. Hebb's final report on they sensory deprivation/brainwashing experiments, which the ORB kept secret and never published. 3. Woodburn Heron. "Cognitive and Physiological Effects of Perceptual Isolation" (Introduction by D.O. Hebb), in P. Solomon, ed., Sensory Deprivation. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1961, p. 27. 4. Woodburn Heron. "The Pathology of Boredom." Scientific American, Vol. 196, No.1, January 1957, pp. 52-56. 5. D. Ewen Cameron. "Psychic Driving." American Journal of Psychiatry, Vol. 112,January 1956, pp. 502-509. 6. CIA "Memorandum for the Record," March 1957. In a copy of this memorandum, it is clear that Dr. Cameron's application was funded under the CIA's "MK-ULTRA Subproject 68." Part of this memorandum states that this research "will be under the direction of Dr. D. Ewen Cameron, that psychic driving and powerful experimental drugs including LSD will be used to break down and inactivate the person." The CIA initially approved a two-year grant of $38,180 to Dr. Cameron, which was approved and signed by Dr. Sidney Gottlieb, chief of the CIA's Chemical Division of the Technical Services Staff, and Colonel James L. Munroe, "Executive Secretary," who monitored Dr. Cameron's research for the Society for the Study of Human Ecology. Further funding was approved. 7. A.E. Schwartzman and P.E. Termansen, "Intensive Electroconvulsive Therapy: A Follow-Up Study." Canadian Psychiatric Association Journal, Vol. 12, No. 2, 1967, pp. 217-218.
March/April 1987 19 COMING TO TERMS Some Notes on Politico-Scientific Categories
BY JOHN VANDERMEER
here are those whose unremitting faith in the ability of technology to solve Tany and all problems moves them to label every attempt to analyze th{ motivating forces and ultimate mnsff}uences of technology as kooks, crazies, and worst of all, Luddites. There are others who, having seen the light of Three Mile Island and mechanical harvesters, regard new technology of any sort as potentially becoming an ice-nine, and therefore something to be opposed as vigorously as others defend it. These two categories are extreme. Another two fall somewhere in between. The use-abuse school, pioneered by British physicist John Bernal, holds that the obviously negative consequences of certain technologies are not products of the technologies themselves, but rather a product of the sociopolitical system that adopts them-nuclear power plants would be good under socialism but are bad under capitalism. The "technology is politics" school (I cannot think of a better phrase) holds that the development and implementation of particular technologies has political content and is both affected by and exerts an effect on the prevailing political climate-mechanical tomato harvesters were developed specifically to deal with a recalcitrant labor force and created the opportunity for dramatically unequal capital accumulation. (Bob Young's "science is social relations" would fall into this category, as would the earlier work of Lanclet Hogben and Hyman Levey, I suspect.) Thus Jonathan Beckwith categorizes the four main tendencies of the politics of science and technology: technology is
fohn Vandermeer teaches biology at the University of Michigan and is currently on leave at the Higher Institute of Agricultural Sciences in Managua, Nicaragua. He is a long-time SftP activist and a member of the New World Agriculture Group. This article is a response to an earlier opinion by jonathan Beckwith, "New Analysis for New Technology," published in our May I june 1986 issue.
20 Science for the People good, use and abuse, technology is is willing to travel to the countryside to human relations that went into the politics, and technology is bad. pick, the Cubans today seem reluctant to development and implementation of the Jonathan feels that Science for the leave their generally secure and adequate tomato harvester to begin with, it isn't People has wrongfully embraced some regular jobs to take on the task of picking surprising to come to a conclusion that aspects of the technology-is-bad school. tomatoes, which no one has ever likewise ignores it. Viewed in this light, it He is right on that issue. He also feels that suggested was pleasant. seems to me that the use-abuse school we have put too strong an emphasis on Thus the desires of Cuban technicians begins to look much like the technology the technology-is-politics school. I think and the Cuban government are stifled in is-good school. If we're just going to let he is dead wrong on that issue. their attempts to expand tomato production, our machines float around in space, it As I see it, we have been fortunate in which was originally promoted so as to doesn't much matter what might be the having very little of either of the extreme make more vegetables available in the social relations involved. points of view in our ranks. We have Cuban diet, hardly a bad political goal. The technology-is-politics school certainly never said that all technology is Consequently, Cuban agrirulrural technicians differs from the use-abuse school in its good, and we have only rarely lapsed into arc rightfully anxious to get their hands insistence on the recognition of the the all-technology-is-bad framework. on either the U.S. harvesters, or the historical content of technology, the Both views should be accorded the Hungarian harvesters (and that's another nature of planning (purposeful or lunatic status they deserve. But the story), or to develop their own. No implicit) for its development, and the technology-is-politics school cannot be argument here either. Clearly it is a forces at work in its implementation. We overemphasized. Ir is, in my view, a technology whose implementation can begin with the recognition that human dramatic improvement over the use be anticipated to have mainly good social relations are not static and that abuse school. consequences. Of course it is true that technology can Therefore, the same technology seems be used to benefit. No one would argue to be bad in one circumstance (California) with the benefits of the Salk vaccine. It is but good in another (Cuba), thus The·· technology,... is-. also obvious that technology can be apparently supporting the use-abuse abused. None of us would suggest that it school. The technology itself, so this politics school was proper to use the mechanical tomato school's supporters would argue, is harvester to break the potential power of neutral, as evidenced by its beneficial use holds that the the United Farmworkers of America. in one political context (Cuba) and its But the simple fact that technologies abuse in another (California). While such development and actually are used beneficially and abused a conclusion seems to flow inevitably detrimentally is not support for the use from the facts, upon closer examination implementation abuse school. Nor does the fact that the the use-abuse model not only does not same technology is good under one set of apply very well, but would be stifling in of particular circumstances but bad under another its impact on the movement to develop challenge the technology-is-politics more social responsibility amongst technologies has school. scientists and technologists themselves. Take the mechanical tomato harvester Those who argue for the use-abuse politicat content as an example. The engineers who interpretation of the mechanical tomato originally developed the tomato harvester harvester begin from a position that I will and is both did so because (according to their own characterize as the "technology-in testimony) they anticipated the "labor space" point of view. The argument is affected by and problems" which were to be inevitable something like the following: Given a with the elimination of the Bracero mechanical tomato harvester floating in exerts an effect Program. Their intent was clearly to space, if we bring it down to earth and undercut the expected organizing stick it in the Sacramento Valley, that on the prevailing activities of farm workers. I doubt anyone would be bad. But if we brought it down would argue that there was no political and stuck it in the countryside of Havana political climate. content in the development of the Province, that would be good. Since one technology. usc is obviously good and the other When it was implemented, smaller obviously bad, they would argue, the farmers predictably could not afford the technology clearly fits into the use-abuse sociopolitical systems are constantly in a machines, and a labor force that got school. state of transition. While that transition mechanized out of existence before it ever But their conclusion really flows not may be occurring at a micro level (the coalesced was not organizable. Consequently from the empirical data that use and abuse establishment of trade unions for the balance of land tenure shifted towards occur with the same machine, but rather farmworkers in the Midwest) or at a big producers, and organized labor was from their initial implicit assumption: macro level (the transformation of the effectively excluded from the productive "given a mechanical harvester in space." world capitalist system into a socialist process. Similar to its original development, Of course a harvesting machine in space is one), it is nevertheless usually possible to its implementation had enormous political neutral, and it is not surprising to begin identify aspects of a transition that are consequences. the argument with this assumption and progressive. On the other hand, Cuba currentlv has conclude with what amounts to the same Technological developments, either been experiencing severe labor shortages assumption. The whole structure of the potential or real, will serve either to in their own tomato harvest. Despite argument is tautological. accelerate that process of transition, offering exorbitant wages to anyone who If I am to ignore the rich history of CONTINUED ON PAGE 32
March/April 1987 21 Weeding this rice field in the Philippines, the twenty-seven families who farm this land demonstrate that local technologies often produce greater yields than those provided by Westem science.
by Les Levidow The starting point of the conference was the specter of devastation wreaked ow should Third World countries on the Third World by Western science deal with the conflict between West and technology. Beyond extreme cases, Hem science and their people's basic THE such as the U.S. military's defoliation needs? Could "development" mean campaign during the \'ietnam War or something other than subordination to the Bhopal disaster, speakers took up the multinational corporations? Such questions more general case of economic "aid" and were the focus for debate among over one CRISIS "development" itself, which continues to hundred delegates who gathered in impoverish and literally poison Third Penang, Malaysia last November 21 for a World populations. Condemnation was six-day conference entitled "The Crisis directed at multinational corporations in Modern Science." Organized by the IN dealing in microelectronics, chemicals, Consumers Association of Penang drugs, and seeds, and at the Third World (CAP) and the Third World Network, ruling elites who benefit from such the event brought together scientists, foreign-dominated development. Speakers environmentalists, journalists, and MODERN also presented examples of how imported teachers from all over the world, technology tended to preclude their own especially Asia. research efforts that could better meet people's basic needs. Les Levidow is an unA merican who moved SCIENCE The sweeping denunciations of to London in 19 7 6. He is an editor of the imported technology led some of the Radical Science Series at Free Association Western delegates to resent a "Western Books, and teaches the politics of science at Third World bashing" that denied any indigenous Middlesex Polytechnic. sources of the Third World's problems. The document produced from this conference Yet the major disagreements that arose is available from the Consumers Association Scientists did not divide the minority of Western of Penang, 87 Cantonment Road, Penang, delegates from the Third World ones. Malaysia. CAP also publishes a newspaper, While there was little disagreement about Utusan Konsumer (Consumer Messenger). Confer the destructive, inhuman effects of
22 Science for the People modern Western science and technology, World countries were allowing it to vanenes. Adding to the irony was Dr. there was little consensus about the replace their indigenous science. Riccharia's discovery, on a recent trip to precise reasons for them, and therefore the U.S., that a plant breeding project whether or how something benign could The Green Revolution there held stocks of the Indian indigenous be salvaged. For example, was the high-yield varieties that he had been problem inherent in science, or specific to Illustrating that problem was a guest of developing in the 1960s. the use of science for maximizing profits honor, the Indian scientist Dr. R. H. The only dissent from that negative and dominating people? And did Riccharia, who described how his verdict on the Western model of traditional practices avoid all such Central Rice Research Institute had been development came from Dr. Ram problems? researching high-yield varieties based on Iyengar, of India's Centre for Scientific local germplasm in the 1960s. Then the and Industrial Research. Responsible for The Role of Non-Westem International Rice Research Institute managing 42 research labs in India, he Science set up by the Rockefeller and Ford described himself as a simple man who Foundations and backed by the Indian didn't understand the fancy language Although there were no factional government-made a takeover bid, used by conference speakers. His divisions among the delegates, their subordinating his projects to their own, frequent objections to criticism of his views tended to follow one of three broad which used hybrid material from abroad. government's science policies were approaches: When Riccharia demanded that IRRI's greeted with a mixture of annoyance and material be quarantined, to protect the mirth. "You are being misled by Indian • Western science should be adapted to Indian varieties from pests and diseases, radicals," he warned me afterwards. Third World needs by incorporating he was fired. Since then, his personal different social priorities. tragedy has been compounded by his Magic Pills • The totality of Western science and son's death and then his own nearly fatal "development" should be rejected in injury during the Bhopal disaster, where The Philippines provided more favor of purely indigenous knowledge he had been continuing his research alone examples of the choices facing Third and practices (though these were not on a nearby farm. World countries. Dr. Norman Quimpo, a assumed to be ready-made options). IRRI's triumph resulted in the disaster mathematics lecturer in Manila, described known as the Green Revolution, as his new organization, Local Initiatives in • Western science should be replaced by described by K. Bajaj of the Science and Technology (LIST). It was the ethical values of traditional systems, Dr.]. lndiilll Express. India's agriculture has become one of many projects begun after "the such as Islam. dependent upon hybrid varieties controlled Aquino assassination in August 1983 The rejectionism took many forms, by foreign experts, and has actually threw large sections of the populace, such as the proposal to abandon the suffered a decline in the growth rate of particularly the middle class, into a notion of development altogether, in most crops, especially rice. Although frenzy of soul-searching and a rethinking favor of "survival with dignity." In wheat production has risen markedly, it of basic societal assumptions." general, the rejectionist approaches were previously had little importance in the Distressed to see their country's disturbing to the many Third World Indian diet. Now high-tech production industry "brought to its knees by an delegates who still identify and work makes wheat too expensive for many inability to import raw materials and with aspects of Western science and people to buy, so unsold stocks equipment," LIST represented scientists' technology. One of these, Dr. Dinesh accumulate in warehouses. Meanwhile, hopes for shaping a new society beyond Mohan of the Indian Institute of pulses and oil seeds have become scarce, the limits of the Marcos regime. Their Technology at New Delhi, posed the so that "the poor simply go without efforts were now being hampered, he question of what we should do with our edible oils." said, by the Aquino government's growing appreciation of the Third Dr. Bajaj went on to quote an adult "retreat from sweeping land reform and World's indigenous practices. Shall we literacy primer: "Eating just rice has a bad national resources conservation policies." make it simply the basis of a new self effect on health. Eat eggs to make up for So far, the main success of a Filipino confidence? Shall we use it to replace protein deficiency." Published by the popular science movement has been in rural modern science entirely? Or shall we Literacy House, in turn funded by the health. Although rural areas have almost integrate it into modern science? World Bank and the U.S. Agency for no health services, neither have they been The notion of modernity itself became International Development, this book invaded by advertising and marketing of a debated issue. Many speakers gave takes for granted the decline of vegetarian Western brand-name drugs. Many rural examples of how Western values and proteins. Bajaj mocked its implicit people still look to the herbolaryo, a control have been imposed upon Third message: "So, Indians were malnourished traditional practitioner who combines World countries in the name of modernizing because they had the silly habit of being herbal remedies with incantations. "Barefoot them. Professor D. Sinha, of the Institute vegetarians." doctors" from the cities have been able to of Social Sciences at Patna, generalized Furthermore, he said, Indian farmers work with some of those local figures in the issues when he argued that the Third now felt trapped. Many of them commit teaching sanitation and health. World's indigenous science and technology suicide after a bad harvest because they However, there still remains the more was already modern it its own way. The cannot pay their debts for all of the difficult task of breaking the magic spell conflict, then, should be seen as one "not chemicals, pesticides, and seeds (which, of brand-name drugs in urban areas, between traditional versus modern as hybrids, must be purchased anew for where people seek a pill for every ill. science, but between indigenous versus each planting). Despite all of those Meanwhile, foreign drug companies have Western science." Unfortunately, he problems, farmers continue using the begun testing and selecting herbs with a said, instead of adapting Western science high-yield hybrids because they can no view towards manufacturing yet more to their conditions and needs, Third longer easily get seeds for the old magic pills. If successfully marketed, the
March/April 1987 23 pills' brand names would obscure the fashioned to achieve the purpose for Newly Industrialized Countries (NICs), indigenous origin of their ingredients. which it is intended." And the purpose of such as Hong Kong, who look to industry Another country's approach to drugs "development", he argued, must be for employment and the income to buy was illustrated in a slide show by Dr. Z. redefined-it shouldn't be used for modern consumer items. Throughout the Chowdhury of Bangladesh, where he maximizing Gross National Product, but conference, virtually no one else referred to had set up the People's Health Clinic in for satisfying people's basic human the specific situation of the Third World's 1962. He went on to campaign for his needs, their aspirations for participation urban working class. country to implement the World Health and democratic control, as well as The struggles of India's rural dwellers Organization's recommendations to ecological soundness. This would mean over natural resources were cited as an import only essential generic-name appropriating whatever was useful from opportunity for promoting a "public drugs, since brand-name drugs were both traditional and modern technologies. interest science." As one example, Jayanta unnecessarily expensive and often "High tech should be defined by high Bandyopadhyay and Vandana Shiva harmful to health. He told us the story of thinking," he said. described the damaging effects of the how, when his government finally took A proposal for high tech in both senses misleadingly named "social forestry" this step in 1982, the drug companies of the term came from John Sayer of the program, which treats forests as a refused to cooperate. We learned from a Asia Monitor Resource Group in Hong commercial investment for timber sales. Sri Lankan delegate how drug companies Kong, and the only Western delegate This reduces the forests' potential for local there had cited Bangladesh's difficult politically involved in a Third World people to grow food, as well as for soil and experience in order to dissuade his country. Acknowledging that telecommuni water conservation. government from taking a similar step. cations have been developed by the Tribal peoples (as in the Chipko multinationals for global domination, he movement) have responded to the threat Appropriate Technology? proposed that the technology be by demanding continued access to the appropriated by social action groups. By forests and the planting of those trees best The broader question of industrialization connecting it to any telephone, such suited to their needs-indeed, to their sheer was taken up by Dr. A. Reddy of the groups could use the technology to survival. In alliance with them, the Indian Institute of Science at Bangalore. bypass overt state obstruction, while intervention of "deprofessionalized intellec Arguing that it was neither moral nor demanding the right to free communications. tuals" has demonstrated the politically feasible for Third World countries to Furthermore, he added later, critiques of partisan character of a forestry science that imitate the Western model, he proposed Western technology must be sensitive to measures productivity in solely monetary that appropriate technology "must be the aspirations of urban workers in the terms.
Argc:tttina in 1978 was lt!SS than halfthe .rit,tmberfor.1973:.Research in the social ·AOADEMIC;HSPEs•·· scienees:almost. s:Iisappeared. One,. fourth of the menmership of the Argentina Physical Societ:y·.disappearedQr left the .cQnmry. The·· S9ciety itself stt,tppf:d IN ARGENTINA fupcti()ning for several years. In 198:3, Alfonsln promises:l that .the autonomy Qf the universities would be Frustration< Reptaces.Freedom reestablished.. He appointed prQvisional rectors to. supervise the electi()n Qf autonomous authorities. In additiQn, 8Y MAURICIO SCHmJS • wo.uld return to a level .of academic they were supposed to examine the freedom and C9mpueneethat has:l been nlidity of appointments made under, the .,..· ·... ~frtmominArgenbnareadted repressed since: 1974. Some ofthose dictatorship, and help faculty an:d staff · ·.· its limits in 19&5, when..police beat . h()pes were justified. Nothing, after aU; < who had been dismi~ses:I. or exiled to > .. · . arid wolt!ldedfour.sfudems atthe c()uld.have been as b.ad. as what existed • • tetum. Congrt;Ssenactedalawp.r~iding . National University. of· Buenos Aires. after the 1976 coup d' erar. At thattime for reinllt.atement o(a:ny fotmer ll'Jetnl:ier · .. The students were being evicted from .a · universities suffered mass dismissals, ofa public: university who wadir~for meeting 9f . the university's Higher kidnappings, and disappearances of left.,. political reasons. and who wished t() Council.. They, among others, had wing and liberal professors, staff, and return .. Qpposed the election of a right-wing students. Thousands of "subversive" The extent to which this was carried candidate as rector of the university. books were seized and publicly bumed out depended ()ll thepolitkal situatimut When Raul Affonsin was elected as ()n TV, and polree and troops patrolled eaCh. university. Alf&n~in' s appointees President ofArgentina in 1'183, people university corridors. Professors were gt1nerally a:tlied .themselves with the hoped that Argt1ntinian universities imprisoned for the crime of "is:leological fascistic andc:.onservativegroupsthathad infilttarion." Thousands fled thecountty, dominated the. universities under tht1 Mnitricio Schoijet k the .diuctw iJf the while Others rouldonly work dandestinely, or juntas. They were prepared to live with pr.ogrlltll "M.m llfld His E7Wi:r(lff8Jent" at tJur in working class jobs. Those who meager budgets and government .idet,tlogical Uni'Vgsidad Autrmoma Metrflfrolitana· survived often·did so for political reasons constraints. Some of the smatter scho()ls, Xflchimilco in Mexicfl. · Mikt! Wold; a or through nepotism; like the National Universiry1>f Lui~ an:d tnefl!lbg of .SftP's edit
24 Science for the People Despite many illuminating papers, the various causes were identified: domination "which Darwin preached as the essence conference delegates remained divided over nature and therefore over people, as of evolution." Dr. A. Anees, of over what, if anything, the Third World exemplified by Francis Bacon's motto, Chicago's East-West University, expressed should accept from modern Western "Knowledge is power;" the imperative (or fears about the new reproductive science. Certainly the debates among pretense) of separating facts from values; technologies: that the family may not conventional scientists were considered and the capitalist drive to maximize remain intact, and that human lineage irrelevant, as "the Third World critique of profitability. may not remain clear. science is generated not by issues in science Despite overt disputes over both Islam but by its lack of credibility," said Claude Tradmonal Systems and Marxism, the conference was able to Alvares, an Indian journalist. In that sense, conclude with the acceptance of a lengthy it was suggested that we were really Some speakers advocated value systems document outlining the problems with discussing a crisis of (rather than in) that conflict with the fundamentals of modern Western science and proposed science-that is, a challenge to its Western science. Dr. A. Ghazali, of the alternatives. This document was possible legitimacy from the outside. Health Centre at the University Sains only because delegates had helped to When we saw Alvares's video about Malaysia, presented a theory of traditional write it in workshops the previous Indian farmers protesting against a Malay medicine which operates beyond afternoon, an editing team had gone chemical firm polluting their land, the the realm of the five senses. Dr. M. D. through it in the evening, and then CAP screening coincided with the news of yet Srinivas, of the Department of Theoretical staff duplicated it throughout the night. more chemical dumping into the Rhine. Physics at the University of Madras, On that final day, Dr. Quimpo spoke The disastrous results of "development" in demonstrated the different criteria of for many when he described his the Third world, including three Develop logic held by traditional Indian science as experience of having been "in the ment Decades, were now coming full compared to Western science. presence of many wise people and some circle back to the countries responsible For some speakers, the Islamic wise guys." The conference certainly for impoverishing and polluting the tradition provided a reference point for helped to clarify the choices faced by the Third World. their critique of modern Western science. Third World: either work within the That connection strengthened sugges Professor S. A. Ashraf, of the Islamic Western framework, find Third World tions that modern Western science was Academy in Cambridge, England, roots instead, or make some hybrid of the inherently violent, inhuman, and destructive denounced Darwinism by contrasting two. and therefore to be rejected. While most traditional Islamic values with the delegates agreed on the negative effects, selfishness, greed, and aggressiveness
number of exiles. Other exiles were given the group that led the academic revival had never held a permanent academic fellowships and appointments by the after 1956. He had been fired in 1974. appointment and had taught for only one National Council of Scientific and The new dean .. ericQuraged exiled or two years after 1974. Prigollini was Technical Investigations, although some professors to apply for new positions in only able to get a permanent appointment of these were effectively rescinded by the school and waiVed the requirement in 1982, after thirty years of teaching. government budget cuts~ of an oral presentation for exiled Candidates with better qualifications to However, at the National University candidates. He brought Hector Maldonado be rector, such as philosopher Eduardo of Cordoba, located in a province ruled back from exile in Venezuela and Rabossi, economist Aldo Ferrer, or by the extreme right, no one was appointed him head of the Biology human rights leader Emilio Mignone, reinstated, and all the appointments of the Department. Maldonado, in turn, were rejected. dictatorship were confirmed. Similarly, introduced a cours.e in molecular biology The election required several sessions very few exiles came back at the and encouraged student input on the of the Higher Council. Shuberoff failed Universities of l:luenos. Aires and La quality of courses, over the objections of three times to get the established Plata. In 1985, the Supieme Courr anti-Darwinian and other traditional minimum number of votes. ·It was at this ordered the National· University of the members of the faculty. Klimovsky also point that Delich had to call thepoliceto South to. reinstate several •dozen professors demanded an academic trial of Rau1 evict students who opposed his candidate. fired in 197 5 with back pay. The Zardini, a chemistry professor, who was Ultimately Shuberoff and Prigollini were University claimed lack of funds and a notorious fascist and anti-Semite and elected. delayed payment of compensation. Very had collaborated with the juntas. Democratization has thus stopped few of rhe plaintiffs were actually In November 1985, Delich fired short in Argentinian universities. Most of reinstated. One who was hired back Klimovsky and appointed Cesar V allana the faculties that survived and collaborated resigned after a few months when she was as dean. Vallana nullified 35 new with the juntas are still in place. Most qf denied a promotion on the strength of appointments, removed several department the exiles have yer to regain their work she had done in exile. chairpersons (including Maldonado) and positions. The universities are under the The issue of reinstatement of exiles and called a secret meeting to confirm most of control of a conservative government. It political reform of the universities led to a the appointments from the dicratorship. will not allow them to deal with the issues major struggle between a conservative Professors, students, and graduates who of recovery from the dictatorship; they rector and an activist dean at the National might have disagreed were nor invited. are not at liberty to develop any University of Buenos Aires. The Delich then proposed Oscar Shuberoff intellectual or political weight of their provisional rector, Francisco Delich, had as permanent rector of the university and own. Academic freedom is still far away. appointed Gregorio Klimovsky as dean Hugo Prigollini as vice-rector. Shuberoff of the School of Exact and Natural and Prigollini were clearly candidates of Sciences. Klimovsky was a member of Alfonsln' s party apparatus. Shuberoff
March/April 1987 25 TO EL SALVADOR "'' F~ Berkeley Students Protest General Electric
BY NEIL KOBLITZ Minnesota, Colorado, and other universitites is a significant and welcome development. believe that a key task for the movement Less well known but equally important against the war in Central America is are the increasing efforts of progressive I to create a credible threat of civil students to block on-campus recruiting disorder in the event of a massive U.S. by the major military contractors. Last invasion. If, as many expect, the war fall, the University of California escalates into another Vietnam, we must Berkeley saw three major actions against create "another Vietnam" in the U.S. But General Dynamics (GO) and General this time, in response to heightened U.S. Electric (GE) when those corporations aggression, we should be escalating the came to recruit on campus. My purpose level of protest more quickly than in the here is to describe some features of the 1960s, ~erhaps thereby preventing such Berkeley anti-GE campaign by SAICA an mvaswn. (Students Against Intervention in It is natural for students to play a Central America). central role in the militant wing of the The students' central demand is that protest movement. Thus, the intensification the university stop providing its facilities of protest against CIA recruiting at for war contractors, in particular GO and GE. This demand fits into SAICA's strategy of targeting all major forms of university complicity in war crimes and GE should resume crimes against humanity in Central America. shipment of Because of GE's horrible record in many areas (such as trading with the replacement Nazis during World War II, manufacturing detonators for nuclear weapons, and parts to the toxic polluting), it has been possible for Central America activists to unite with hospitals and many diverse groups and individuals around the demand to stop GE. medical schools In SAICA's own educational work on GE, the focus has been on GE's of Nicaragua for involvement in Central America, especially its supplying of Gatling machine guns the equipment which, mounted on helicopters in El Salvador, take a gruesome toll of civilian purchased from casualties. GE's complicity in gross violations of international law (the GE before the Nuremberg Principles) is sufficient reason to bar the company from campus, trade embargo. SAICA argues. In addition to the demand that GE stop sending the guns to second demand is important symbolically. El Salvador, the students have directed a By showing that SAICA is not antitech second demand: that GE resume shipment nology, it offers a basis of unity with Neal Koblitz is a professor !Jf mathematics at of replacement parts to the hospitals and science and engineering students. SAICA the University of Washington in Seattle and medical schools of Nicaragua for the has been remarkably successful in raising a member of FACHRES-CA (Faculty for equipment purchased from GE before the moral issues among those students, and Human Rights in El Salvador and Central U.S. trade embargo against that country. has received valuable support and America). While on sabbatical in Berkeley, SAICA notes that the sanctions against virtually no vocal opposition from future he worked as a liaison between FACHRES Nicaragua are in violation of international engineers on campus. The intensive CA and the local student group SA!CA law (the June 1986 World Court leafletting in the engineering buildings (Students Against Intervention in Central decision), as well as inhumane. and the improvement of personal ties America). In addition to its intrinsic merits. this CONTINUED ON PAGE 32
26 Science for the People consider the least threatening to scientists, Physics and mathematics, which have has been met with a great deal of resistance. been considered the paradigm of The Science Science, she says, is like the military: for scientific methodology and the purest many of its male practioners, it is a way of forms of science, are, in Harding's view, Question in proving oneself a man-a way of being only a special case in scientific investigation. superrational, emotionless, and objective. They may have been elevated to an ideal Women entering the field have therefore methodology precisely because they fit a Feminism threatened this self-image of the scientist. superrational ideal of methodology. As By Sandra Harding She distinguishes between feminist science takes on more complicated critiques and broader critiques of the nature subjects, such as living beings, ecosystems, Cornell University Press, of science itself. Feminists argue that and societies, the methodologies that science's objectivity has been compromised imitate physics and mathematics have 1986 by taking on the sexist, classist, or racist generally proven to be reductive and REVIEWED BY MIKE WOLD biases of its practioners. Other critiques often reactionary, losing important see science as a worldview, claiming that aspects of the phenomena they are s science above politics? The ideologists scientific methodology itself partakes of studying. of science say yes: science is simply the biases that were present in irs Harding suggests that feminism, rather Ian objective way oflooking at the world, originators. Both approaches, she than destroying science, is necessary to unaffected by personal biases or social suggests, have validity, though they complete it. She compares the changes in discrimination. In practice, of course, society that gave rise to the scientific science has been used to support political revolution to those taking place today. In tendencies of both the right and the left: the late Middle Ages, there was a vast gap racism and antiracism, Marxism and Social between mental and manual labor, with a Darwinism, sexual repression and sexual taboo on manual labor for the aristocracy liberation. Typically, science is appealed to and a lack of education for those who did as the final arbiter-the objective judge. manual labor. This gap was bridged by Sandra Harding, in The Science Qftestion the rise of specialized artisans, shipbuilders, in Feminism, points out that science is the mariners, miners, foundrymen, and one discipline that expects its methods and carpenters who, even if they could not descriptions of its own practice and read or write, had a great deal of specific motivations to be taken at face value. She knowledge and learned through experimen compares this to studying a society and tation. These were, in a sense, the first taking as absolute truth the statements that modern scientists. people make about themselves. Science, to Today, there is a comparable gap be consistent, needs to be open to question between intellectual and emotional, and criticism. intuitive labor, and feminism may provide Feminism has had an ambivalent a means to bridge that gap. I don't think relationship with science. On the one hand, Harding is saying that physics will it has appealed to the idea of "scientific necessarily take on an emotional component, objectivity" as a means of gaining its goals. but that fields like biological and social At the same time, it has posed a challenge to sciences would benefit from a bridging of science and scientific methodology itself this gap. Indeed, physics may cease to be that earlier social movements did not. the paradigm of the scientific method. In a Harding gives some insight into the future society, the questions on which clash between feminism and science, and physics focuses may be considered to be makes provocative claims about the role differ in that the feminist critique of "bad relatively unimportant and rather irrelevant that feminist science will play in the future. science" implies that there could be a to the problems society is facing. Instead, She points out that there is no single "good science." But the feminist critique sciences like biology, ecology, and feminist critique of science. Criticisms have of bad science applies mainly to results psychology may become the important ranged from the way that science has and interpretations. The critique of sciences, against which the others are excluded women to the idea that masculine science as such applies to the questions judged. bias in scientific theory and inquiry has that are asked and the types of hypotheses The book is provocative. Its main fault reduced its ability to be objective. that are formulated. is that it seems aimed at an audience of the Feminists have also denied that value This latter is apt to be the most convinced, and an academic one at that. neutrality is possible and that science, in controversial of her claims. Harding While its consideration of the differences attempting to be purely objective, ends up argues that science itself is flawed, that its and contradictions among the various serving the powers that be. origins betray a masculine bias-an feminist critiques of science is helpful, it Harding usefully distinguishes among ideology of controlling and even raping provides few concrete examples of the these sometimes conflicting critiques, and nature-that is still present in the practice problems it is talking about. Its extensive considers them in their own terms. She of science today, even if not overtly bibliography might make it most useful argues that the scientific establishment has stated. She also points out that scientific as an entry point for someone studying found all of them threatening in some way. methodology is not as clear-cut as the subject in depth. Even affirmative action, which one might scientists claim.
March/April 1987 27 Africa In Crisis Assumptions about the role of must be oriented to increasing self The Causes, the Cures of scientists and experts, as well as an sufficiency. Governmental elites must Environmental Bankruptcy orientation to serving urban populations, get to know the peasantry and design by lloyd Timberlake, Earthscan have caused politicians and development policies that will serve their needs. specialists to ignore the peasants, who Small projects along these lines have New Society Publishers. 4722 Baltimore Avenue. Philadelphia. PA 19143. 1986, S9.95 have the best knowledge of the land. already had a great deal of success. Africa Assumptions about the dominance of was not ridden with famine a hundred )though consciousness about famine in men in farming have ignored the years ago; it would take even fewer years A Africa has increased, awareness of predominant role of African women in to make it self-sufficient again. The the causes of famine has hardly moved food production. On top of it all, problem is one of political understanding forward at all. The author, a former increased military conflict and militarism, and will. science editor at Reuters and editorial which have some of their roots in all of -Mike Wold director of Earth~ can, argues that though the above problems, have devastated the drought may have triggered the famines, land and uprooted populations. human mismanagement is the underlying It is both a strength and a weakness of Beyond 011 cause. He shows, in a clear, nonrhetorical the book that there are no villains in way, how the imposition of Western Timberlake's diagnosis, only institutions The Threat to Food and Fuel In development strategies and agricultural that made mistakes. On the one hand, this the Coming Decade policies has been a disaster for African gives room for those institutions to by John Gever, Robert Kaufmann, David economy and agriculture. change. On the other hand, it softens the Skole & Charles Vorosmarty Agricultural techniques that work in obvious fact that Western corporations Ballinger Publishing Company. 1986 temperate zones with rich soils have been and African elices have reaped significant uncritically transferred to tropical zones benefits from the way that development eyrmd Oil is an undertaking of Carry with poor soils. International monetary in Africa has been carried out. Bing Capacity, Inc., an organization policies that emphasize export crops have There are no easy answers. At the same which promotes movement toward a weakened the ability of Africans to feed time, the directions to follow are obvious. permanently sustainable way of life. The themselves. Foreign aid policies that see Agricultural specialists need to win the organization harnessed the computer "aid" as a means of providing a market cooperation and get the input of the modeling capabilities of the Complex for Western grain have had similar peasants before development schemes Systems Research Center at the University effects. will succeed. Food aid and other funding of New Hampshire to predict the U.S.'s
The Fast-Food Guide and overseas' markets). It's a revealing study of how the fast-food industry by Michael Jacobson and Sarah creates and carers to the eating habits of Fritschner most Americans. Workman Publishing. New York. 1986. S4. 95 The chapter "The Health You Save May Be Your Own" speaks to the hich fast-food chain's chocolate importance of choosing nutritious fast W shake has over 1000 calories? Whose foods. Heart disease, high blood roast beef sandwich has almost two pressure, cancer, and stroke are some of grams of sodium? Which fast foods are the so-called degenerative diseases in lowest in fat, sugar, sodium, additives, which poor nutrition can play a role, and and calories, and highest in nutritional with 55,000 fast-food restaurants feeding value? You'll find the answers to these 46 million people each day, the potential questions and many more in The Fast for health and illness is obvious. F()()(} Guide, a new publication by the Jacobson 31:1d Fritschner · break food Center for Science in the Public Interest's down into itsromponents anddis.etiss the Michael Jacobson and nutritionist Sarah impact of each on nutrition and health: F ritschner. protein, fat, cholesterol, fiber, sodium, Based on the premise that fast food has sugar, vitamins, minerals, and additives. become a significant component of the An interesting feature of this section is U.S. diet-one with a $50 billion annual that with the discussions of the linkages price tag-the authors reason that the between diet and health-fat with rime has come to have information cholesterol and heart disease, fiber with available which enables consumers of fast cancer, and sodium with hypertension food to make sensible choices about there are charts guiding the readerto fast nutrition and thus health. The first food nutritional information. section establishes the background on Which fast foods are lowest in fat?~ how the fast-food industry grew and salad bar cauliflower and green peas. how it functions today as an aggressive Which are highest in fiber?-100% bran marketing entity (with discussions of its and whole-wheat and rye breads. Which approaches to the children's, breakfast, are highest in salt?-the large Roy
28 Science for the People energy and agricultural resource needs Beyond Oil then turns to a discussion of energy production and high-ted\ agriculrure into the twenty-first century. Although agriculture in the U.S. that similarly can simply take issue with the models' the results provide useful quantitative concludes that this sector of the many assumptions and thus discard the support for advocates of the soft energy economy-like the energy sector results. Perhaps the next project for the path and sustainable agriculture, the tone cannot be sustained in its current form Complex Systems Research Center of the book is disconcertingly technocratic much longer. Indeed, "the United States should be studying how to change and the policy recommendations are will have to work hard just to avoid governmental policy and personal unimaginative. becoming a net food importer over the behavior to move the United States The book first develops the concept of next forty years." The problems of the toward the soft energy path and carrying capacity, the amount of life that energy and agricultural sectors are, of sustainable agriculture before it's too late. an area's resources can support without course, related: if current agricultural -Stephanie Pollack impoverishing the environment. This practices continue, farmers will be using broad idea is then applied to the U.S.'s ten percent of all the oil and sixty percent energy resource base, as the authors of all the natural gas consumed in the U.S. Alternatives to the Peace discuss the decline in quantity and, as in 2025. Corps importantly, quality of available energy The bottom line is that the U.S. can no resources. This analysis concludes that longer "have a growing population and a Gaining Third World Experience existing market forces will not provide growing average material living standard by Becky Buell and Kari Hamerschfag sufficient "hard" or "soft" energy and food surpluses and the assurance that Food First Books. 1885 Mission Street, San resources to offset the decline in future generations can have a material Francisco. CA 94103, 1986. S3 petroleum expected by the year 2025. living standard like ours." T rade-offs After a discussion of the relationship must be made and Carrying Capacity's he Peace Corps is something of a schiz between energy use and economic preferences are clear: population growth Tophrenic organization. On the one hand, growth, the authors present their model must be curbed, conservation and energy it performs the useful function of of energy use and the United States from renewable sources must be increased, exposing Americans to the conditions economy with their conclusion that and new farming methods promoted. and problems of Third World countries. limits on energy availability will produce Most of those sympathetic to these On the other hand, as this pamphlet a drop in the Gross National Product conclusions don't need any more charts points out, the Peace Corps is a direct starting in the year 2000 and leveling off and graphs to convince them. On the agent of U.S. foreign policy, whose in 2025. other hand, those who favor hard-path CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE
Rogers Roast Beef with Cheese, with From Arby's, Burger King, and Dairy 19 53 milligrams of sodium. In the extra Queen ro Domino's Pizza, Jack in the high calorie department, a 20 fluid-ounce Box, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Taco Dairy Queen Chocolate Malt weighs in Bell, and Wendy's-and, of course, at t 060 calories! McDonald's-these pages include not An important feature that emerges here only discussions of how to choose and is rhe Gloom Factor, a numerical rating what to avoid at each chain, but also lists of the overall nutritional value of foods, of every ingredient in every product the taking into account fat, sodium, sugar, chain uses and numerical breakdowns of calories~ vitamins A and C, iron, and the nutritional content of each of these calciutn: c()llt'ent. J'he higher the Gloom products. As these ratings. confirm and as Factor, the less nutritious and more Jacobson and Fritschner remark, "Fast unhealthy the food. For. example, food restaurants have come a long way Wendy's Triple Cheeseburger is the since they sold hamburgers and fries for most gloomy with a score of 85, the 25 cents. For the good of the country's Burger King Double Beef Whopper third health and economy, they could go a lot gloomy at 66, and McDonald's McD.L.T. further." is the 18th gloomy at 54 points. This book is a living example of Following a short discussion of the science for the people and, as a resource, is battle over labeling of fast-foodingredients is nothing less than invaluable. However, the "meat" of The Fast-Food Guide: the other than a prod near the end to join the nutritional breakdown and ranking of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, various fast foods available to consumers. readers will have to look elsewhere for First, the authors rank french fries, shakes analysis and praxis for changing the and malts, hamburgers and cheeseburgers, agricultural and food distribution system chicken, fish, and roast beef in terms of from one oriented toward profit-of calories, fat, sugar, sodiQm, and Gloom which the fast-food industry is one Factor. Then, for the next 100 pages, visible manifestation-to one which jacobson aod F rits.chner take in-depth serves people's needs. looks at I 7 of the biggest fast-food -Joseph Regna chains.
March/April 1987 29 CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE Ogilvie describes Hildegard's science as "practical" rather than "theoretical" purpose is "to combat the virus of "comparable to neither ancient nor was directed at remedying social ills. Communist totalitarianism." So the kind modern science" and understandable Even in the seventeenth century, British of development that the Peace Corps only "as a medieval phenomenon midwife Elizabeth Cellier was compiling often supports is not truly helpful to its immersed in a medieval milieu." statistics on maternal and infant mortality subject countries. During the Renaissance, "woman's due to inadequate obstetrical care and This pamphet provides a list of Peace involvement in science remained distinctly proposing a plan for a hospital that would Corps-type projects in Third World peripheral," due to "the persistence of care for mothers, educate nurses, and find countries that are more oriented to woman's subordinate status and of the homes for "illegitimate" children. Two empowering the people in those countries. idea that woman's nature is fundamentally centuries later, American chemist Ellen The list, unfortunately, is fairly short, different from man's." French women Swallow Richards-usually cited only as and much of it is made up of Christian could, however, participate in scientific the founder of home economics-served groups-which could be a disadvantage discussions at salons, and Italy offered as a consultant to government and if you're not a Christian. Nevertheless, opportunities for women scholars in the industry on contamination of air, water, for someone looking for alternatives, this sciences, arts, and humanities unequalled and soil by hazardous substances. is a good place to start. in other parts of Europe. Laura Bassi, for The biographical accounts in Women in -Mike Wold example, may have been the first Science are fun just to browse through. "superwoman" scientist-she received a Beyond that, however, this book Doctor of Philosophy from the University provides interesting historical information Women In Science of Bologna, lectured there on physics and for those now debating the degree to anatomy during the mid-eighteenth which the feminization of science can, Antiquity through the Nineteenth century, and was the mother of twelve. will, or should change the way science is Century Bassi was only one of the female done. by Marilyn Bailey Ogilvie scientists who emerged in the eighteenth -Stephanie Pollack MIT Press, 1986, S25 hardcover century, a time when women were reading treatises on physics and chemistry, n her preface to Women in Science, attending lectures on anatomy and I Marilyn Bailey Ogilvie apologizes for natural history, and visiting lyceums and having to include biographies of women museums. Elizabeth Fulhame, a British who made only "an incremental factual chemist, published an Essay on Combustion addition or a minor theoretical speculation." in 1794, making her one of the few Even including women whose scientific women of her time to develop a endeavors were "practical" rather than theoretical explanation for her scientific "theoretical" -particularly midwives observations. Sophie Germain, a French and practicing physicians-Ogilvie mathematician, corresponded with could find (sometimes minimal) information Lagrange and Gauss, worked out a on only 186 Western women scientists partial proof of Fermat's last theorem, born before 1885. The limited quantity and won a prize for developing a of information on women scientists mathematical model for the vibration of contained in Ogilvie's biographical elastic surfaces. dictionary does not, however, impair its By the mid-nineteenth century, quality. women were active in all aspects of Ogilvie begins the book with a brief science, although Ogilvie notes that The Politics of Education introduction designed to set the historical "most of them were engaged in the data context for the biographical accounts gathering rather than the idea-creation Culture, Power, and Liberation which follow. There we are, introduced component of science." In the early by Paulo Freire to the best-known women scientists of twentieth century, even that deficiency Bergin & Garvey Publishers, 670 Amherst antiquity, including the mathematician was overcome and women emerged as Road. South Hadley, MA 01075, 1985 and philosopher Hypatia of Alexandria, prominent theoreticians. At this point, Egypt. Hypatia's career ended abruptly the names become far more familiar reire is a provocative writer, not only in 415 A.D. when she was brutally Marie Curie, Elizabeth Blackwell, and Ffor those interested in breaking down murdered at the hands of a mob, Ellen Swallow Richards, to name a few. the barrier between the expert and the apparently due to Bishop Cyril of Ogilvie has skillfully combined layperson, the teacher and the student, Alexandria's envy over "her wisdom biography with social and political but for anyone interested in the exceeding all bounds and especially in the commentary about women's struggles, mechanism by which liberatory social things concerning astronomy." the nature of science, and the relationship change can come about. Although his Women scientists were still rarities in between science and politics. Her longer direct experience is with teaching Third the Middle Ages, but some flourished in sketches never fail to place the women in World peasants how to read and write, convents and in the Italian medical context, whether commenting on the his theories have to do with the relation of schools, which included women as both science of the time, painting fathers and learning to political consciousness and students and teachers. Hildegard of husbands as enemies or mentors, or action-not simply how education can Bingen, a German abbess, published five noting the scientists' political work. "raise" political consciousness, but how books in the twelfth century containing Indeed, one of the themes which critical thinking about society provides both theoretical and practical insights emerges from the book is how these the best means of education. based largely on "visions" she had. women's science-often derided as Freire's theory of the relation of
30 Science for the People knowledge to liberation is a challenge to the intrigue of training ordinary people One truth is clear: the popular health the vulgar Marxist who believes the under siege to carry out basic diagnosis, model is working in Nicaragua. Yet the masses must be manipulated into treatment, and even surgery, to the biggest threat to the health of the liberation, the everyday scientist who formative days of the mass organizations, Nicaraguan people that remains is not the believes that scientific knowledge is through which people debate and make diseases themselves nor the ongoing politically neutral, and the educator who decisions about defense, the economy, debate over control. It is the counterrevolu sees students as empty vessels to be filled education, and health. tion, the surrogate war the U.S. is waging with knowledge. This collection of What emerged in these early days was a on real, live people in Nicaragua. Not just recent essays deals with various applications debate that is still raging today and that peasants, but health workers and health of Freire's thinking. exists throughout public health work in facilities have been prominent targets for -Mike Wold Third World countries: what will be the the contras. And, of course, drawing the extent of popular versus professional resources of this tiny economy into The Nicaraguan Revolution control over the health care system? needed defense means that all other Through this conflict emerges the issue efforts, including those in the health area, in Health of what the sociologists call professional suffer. by John M. Donahue dominance. Donahue, as a social scientist, The actions of the U.S. government Bergin and Garvey Publishers. South Hadley, gives due consideration to this problem are putting all that has been achieved in Mass .. 1986 throughout his discussion of the evolution danger of being wiped our. As a of health care in revolutionary Nicaragua. physician, I am particularly enraged at evolution is a process, not achieved The first concrete examples of this this prospect. The Nicaraguan Revolution Rin a day or a single event, and central dilemma were the struggles over in Health, beyond the scholarship it Nicaragua is a country deeply engaged in who would control the form and embodies, forces us all to look inside that process. Anthropologist John M. direction of the four national popular ourselves and realize that the health of the Donahue's The Nicaraguan Revolution in health campaigns (antipolio, environmental Nicaraguan people is not just in their Health is an examination of how and why sanitation, antidengue, and antimalaria) hands; it is also in ours. health and health care have changed in in 1981: the Ministry of Health (MoH) -Joseph Regna this revolutionary society. or the popular organizations. Donahue Among the many sets of eyes peeled on includes extensive discussions of the TechnoCop Nicaragua have been those of the public evolution and real implications of this health world. Public health people see pervasive issue of control. The MoHand New Pollee Technologies clearly the links between the social, the popular organizations are the human by the BSSRS Technology of Political economic, cultural, and political facts of expression of the conflict which cominues Control Group existence and health and disease. As today over basic questions about Free Association Books. 26 Freegrove Road, Donahue observed about his pre-1979 Nicaragua's health care system: who is to London N7, 1985 days in Nicaragua, "it became acutely be involved, how much and which clear that the major obstacle to their resources are to be applied, and when and ver half of this book is devbted to health and well-being was the political where will it happen? O the impact of the computer revolutiort economy of the dictatorship." The Yet significant improvements in the on the ability of police forces to keep track of book's significance lies in the fact that health of the Nicaraguan people have us all. Most of the technology the book Nicaragua serves as a model for other occurred, and Donahue has compiled the discusses-the ability to track the Third World countries in their struggle statistics to document these dramatic movements of all citizens (through health to negate what has been called the changes. He plots the increase in the insurance cards and motor vehicle underdevelopment of health and to reach numbers of people vaccinated for and the registrations) or ro give the police officer the World Health Organization's inspiring decrease in the number of cases of various in the street immediate access to goal of Health for All. preventable infectious diseases. He information on irtdividuals, automobiles, In the style and prose of a social records the increase in the number of and addresses-is already in place in scientist, Donahue elucidates how and health care encounters, physicians, Britain. why the health system of Nicaragua has hospital beds, health clinics, and health Projected technblogies-voice and changed in the new political environment posts. Reflecting on the importance of the key-word iderttificatiort, conversation that has emerged since July 1979 and the revolutionary context, these improvements transcription, and facial identification impact these changes have had on the were possible, to a great extent, due to rhe from TV cameras-only enhartte the health of the Nicaraguan people. Popular popular education in health that has already frightening potentials of police participation is the key force, Donahue occurred in Nicaragua. databases. Other technologies discussed notes, which means community control In the fourth chapter, Donahue include surveillance possibilities, such as. of decisions and resources pertaining to examines the cultural and pedagogical sophisticated Wiretapping, and weapons health and health care. bases for this popular educatibn and its for riot control. After a brief overview of the pre-1979 implications for achieving popular Naturally, all this equipment isn't health situation, including discussions of participation in health. Of particular limited to catching burglars. Not only is the role of USAID and how Somoza used usefulness for the North American it used against political activists and the meager channels of health care audience is inclusion of translations of movements, but it provides a means of delivery that did exist for repression, popular health pamphlets and documents harassing minority and poor communities. Donahue spends over half the book and the reproduction of almost 30 A final chapter discusses the Use of investigating what the revolution has cartoons used in the pamphlets to bring technology to help break the recent meant for the health of the people of home fundamental points about health miners' strike in Britain. Nicaragua. He takes the reader through and health care. -Mike Wold
March/April 1987 31 GRASSROOTS OPINION CONTINUED FROM PAGE 26 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 20 with those students (with the help of an retard the process, or be effectively engineering professor in F ACHRES neutral. Those that promote the process CA) have been paying off. we refer to as transitional technology. A One feature of the anti-GE campaign proposed technology (or for that matter which strengthened SAICA's credibility any proposed scientific project) should was the formation of a broad coalition of he judged not only on traditional representatives of campus organizations scientific merits, but also based on its including student engineering societies likely political effects-not whether or to ask GE to participate in a one-on-one not it is bad or could be used to bad ends, debate with a critic. When GE refused, but whether or not it is transitional. Plans should be opposed by a radical scientist. many on campus became more favorable for implementation of technologies must In today's political climate, it is or at least neutral on the question of be judged similarly. particularly important that scientists and militant tactics. Such an evaluative framework is not technicians provide leadership in the Perhaps even more troubling to GE cut and dried. Only in the most obvious evaluation of proposed technologies. than the physical blocking of its cases will there be no doubt about a The popular climate seems to have recruiters for a few hours is the damage technology's transitional nature. Usually swung well towards the skeptical side of done to its image among the engineering the consequences of a technology can not trusting the technologies that students at a leading center of scientific only be guessed, and thus we never will brought us Three Mile Island, Bhopal, training. By combining a dramatic be in a position to predict accurately and Chernobyl, and I think we can expect confrontation at the site of GE recruiting whether a particular development will be increased questioning of science and with painstaking educational work, transitional or not, any more than the technology in the immediate future. SAICA has engaged the attention of use-abuse school was able to predict Serious challenges to the idea that any old Berkeley's future engineers and has whether a technology would be used or technology is good have already been probably already done tangible damage abused. But the framework recognizes registered in our legal system with the to GE. the need to do the analysis, as difficult and California mechanization case and the Most of the student activists at vague as it frequently is. ice-minus biotechnology case. Berkeley are veterans of the massive The key difference between the use Science for the People and like-minded antiapartheid campaign which, after the abuse and the technology-is-politics individuals should be on the forefront of violent police suppression of the "shanty schools is in the dialectic view of politics such battles. If we are not, we run the risk towns" last spring, resulted in a major and technology. The use-abuse school of one or the other lunatic schools taking victory for the movement when the adopts (in my opinion) a technology-in over as self-appointed technical advisors. university regents decided to divest. And space attitude about the technologies (I am here reminded of the U.S. President now the companies themselves are themselves. While any technology might claiming, presumably based on advice beginning to withdraw from South be misused, it might also be benefically from a prestigious scientist, that genetically Africa. These successes of the antiapartheid used, if only the social relations were altered microorganisms were always safe movement's campaign of pressure on the right. It is thus not a question for the if based on a deletion!) It is at least partly corporations are fresh in the minds of scientist to be concerned with the the job of Science for the People to Central America protesters when they sociopolitical aspects of technologies, encourage scientists and technicians to work to build up a similar level of since they have no inherent sociopolitical participate seriously in this process. pressure concerning a different but content. But the vast majority of scientists and related issue. Alternatively, the technology-is engineers would prefer to ignore the The students in SAICA are also politics school adopts the position that sociopolitical questions. For them the mindful of the lessons from earlier technological development is conditioned use-abuse school is really quite convenient. student movements, particularly the anti by current sociopolitical conditions and, If technologies themselves are neutral, it Vietnam War and antiapartheid movements. in turn, exerts an influence on those makes no difference what we do. The I was quite impressed with the internal sociopolitical conditions. The analysis politicians will make the decisions about strength of their group in several key begins with an examination of what the implementation, and we have no areas: nonsectarianism, internal democracy, sociopolitical forces led to the development control over them. I have already heard and women's leadership. In addition, of a particular technology in the first this argument from a colleague who those members who only recently place, proceeds to the question as to what seems to salivate every time he hears of all became active in the Central America political changes are likely to be the Star Wars research money on its way issue are working to educate themselves encouraged by it (above and beyond to the university. about the region, by bringing some Latin those that conditioned its development in In sum, I wish to suggest that the two American studies into their academic the first place), and terminates with a lunatic views be rejected out of hand program, learning Spanish, and in several value judgement. (technology is good, technology is bad), cases traveling to Nicaragua and El For example, proposed Technology A and that the use-abuse school be regarded Salvador. will be transitional under scch-and-such as an incomplete and inappropriate If groups like Berkeley SAICA can circumstances and thus should be analysis. The technology-is-politics grow on campuses throughout the U.S., pursued by a radical scientist when such point of view more closely corresponds thert the antiwar movement will be much circumstances hold true. But proposed to what is actually happening in the closer to producing a level of mass Technology B, while appearing to be world and is the point of view a militancy that can provide effective very humane and positive, can be shown progressive scientist ought to have. I support to the struggle of the oppressed to be nothing more than a palliative hope these comments serve to continue people of Central America against U.S. designed to placate and mollify increasing the debate that Jon Beckwith wisely aggresston. unrest among the peasants, and therefore opened.
32 Science for the People WASHINGTON: Phil Bereano, 13B Loew Science Hall, FH-40, University of Washington, A1'fD Seattle, WA 98195. {206) 543-9037 AUSTRALIA: Brian Martin, STS, Wollongong JourDal.ism University, Wollongong NSW 2500, Australia. Telephone {042) 27076. Lesley Covering Controversy Rogers, Physiology Dept., U. of New England, Armidale NSW 2351, Australia. in Science Janna Thompson, Philosophy Dept., La Trobe University, Bundoora, Victoria, Australia. Tony Dolk, 17 Hampden St., Ashfield NSW, Tra.nsoripts from the Australia. Conference sponsored by BELGIUM: Gerard Valenduc. Cahiers Galilee, Science for the People Place Galilee 6-7. B-1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, CONTACTS Belgium BELIZE: lng. Wilfreda Guerrero, Ministry of PANEL DISCUSSIONS Public Works, Belmopan, Belize, Central NATIONAL OFFICE: Science for the People, America 897 Main St., Cambridge, MA 02139. {617) Sa: Boles 1le8earCh & the Pnss 547-0370 CANADA: Ontario: Science for the People, Anke A. Ehrhardt, Columbia Universicy Box 25, Station A, Scarborough, Ontario, Jonathan Beckwith, Harvard Medical School CALIFORNIA: Bay Area Chapter, c/o Dave Caryl Rivers, Boston Untversicy Canada M1K 5B9. Quebec: Bob Cedegren, Kad/ecek, Box 390871, Mountain View, CA Julie .Ann Miller, Science News Dept. of Biochemistry, University of Montreal, 94039. {415) 960-3639 Barbara. Kosta., NOV.A/WGBH Montreal 101, Quebec, Canada. British DISTRIG OF COLUMBIA: Miriam Struck Columbia: Jim Fraser. 848 East 11th Ave, Statistics, Models, Data: and Scott Schneider, 9311 Sudbury Road, Vancouver, British Columbia V5T 2B6, What Do They Beall¥ Mean? Silver Spring, MD 20901. {301) 585-1513. Canada Eric lander, Harvard Un1verstcy Wanda Katz Fishman, 6617 Millwood Rd., De.n Wa.rten.berg, Harvard Un1vers1cy DENMARK: Susse Georg and Jorgen Bethesda, MD 20817. (301) 320-4034. Richard Knox, Boston Globe Bansler, Stigardsvej 2, DK-2000, Lucy HorwitZ, UMa.ss Boston FLORIDA: Bob Broedel, Progressive Copenhagen, Dane/and 01-629945 Technology, Box 20049, Tallahassee, FL Bqorti:ag .A1MJa.t .AJD8 & EL SALVADOR: Ricardo A. Navarrn, Centro 32316. {904) 576-4906 AIDS 1le8earCh Salvadoreno de Tecnologia Apropriada, Apdo Victor McElheny, MIT Bush Fellows IOWA: Paul C. Nelson, 604 Hodge, Ames, 1892, San Salvador, El Salvador, Central Jerome Groopma.n, Harvard Medical School /A 50010 {SIS) 232-2527 America .Ann Giudici Fattner, New York Native MARYLAND: Pat Loy, 3553 Chesterfield ENGLAND: British Society for Social Larry KeSSler, AIDS .Action Committee Ave., Baltimore, MD 21213 Responsibility in Science, 25 Horse// Rd., Bernard Fields, Harvard Medical School Jucy Forman, Boston Globe London NS 1XL, England. Tel. 01-607-9615 MASSACHUSETTS: Boston Chapter, 897 Main St., Cambridge, MA 02139. {617) 54 7- INDIA: M.P. Parameswaran, Parishad star Wars & the MecUa 0370 Bhavan, Trivandrum 695-001, Kerala, India Kosta. Tsipis, MIT Carolyn Meine!, .AnaJyt.!c Decisions, Inc. MICHIGAN: Ann Arbor Chapter, 4 318 IRELAND: Hugh Dobbs, 28 Viewmont Park, Walter Pincus, Washington Post Michigan Union, Ann Arbor, Ml 48109. {313) Waterford, Eire. 051-75 757 Jonathan Schlafer, Teclmology Review 761-7960. Alan Maki, 1693 Leonard St. N.W., Vera. Kistia.kowSI!;Y, MIT ISRAEL: Dr. Najwa Makhoul. Jerusalem Grand Rapids, Ml 49504 Robert Zalisk, Na.tiona.l Public Ra.dio Institute for the Study of Science, 6 Bnai MISSOURI: Peter Downs, 4201 A Russell, St. Brith St., Jerusalem 95146, Israel ROUNmABLE DISCUSSION Louis, MO 63110 JTAL Y: Michelangelo DeMaria, Via Giannutri What Makes ScieDca B'ews? NEW HAMPSHIRE: Val Dusek, Box 133, 2, 00141, Rome, Italy John DaVid, Harvard Universicy Durham, NH 03824. {603) 868-5153 JAPAN: Genda GUutsu-Shi Kenkyo-Kai, 2-26 Ja;y Winsten, Harvard University NEW YORK: Red Schiller, 382 Third St., Apt. Kand-Jinbo Cho, Chiyoda-Ky, Tokyo 101, DaVid Chandler, Boston Globe 3, Brooklyn, NY 11215. {212) 788-6996. Stony Japan DaVid Ansley, Sa.n Jose Mercury-News Rae Goodall, MIT Brook Chapter, Box 435, E. Setauket NY MEXICO: Salvador Jara-Guerro, Privada Gersld La.nson, Boston University 11733. {516) 246-5053 Tepeyac-120-/NT, Col. Ventura Puente, Jim Cornell, Harvard center for NORTH CAROLINA: Douglas Bell, 2402 More/ia, Mexico .Astroph;VslCS Glendale Ave., Durham, NC 27704. {919) Linda Ha.l.'l'll.l', NOV.A/WGBH NICARAGUA: New World Agriculture 471-9729 Group, Apdo 3082, Managua, Nicaragua. ADDRESSES OREGON: Sheila Smith, 925 NW Merrie Dr, Central America. Tel. 61320 Corvalis, OR 97330 Are Then GeDes for Crime? · SWITZERLAND: Bruno Vitale, 8 Rue Des wn Kamin, Princeton Universicy RHODE ISLAND: Carolyn Accola, 245 Bugnons. CH-1217, Meyrin, Switzerland. Tel. President Ave., Providence, Rl 02906. {401) (022) 82-5G-18 Yellow Bain 81l4 the Preas 272-6959 Matthew Meselson, Harvard Untverstcy WEST INDIES: Noel Thomas, Mt. Moritz, TEXAS: Ed Cervenka, 3506 Manchaca #211, Grenada Austin, TX 78704. {512) 447-9481 WEST GERMANY: Forum fur Medizin Und VERMONT: Steve Cavrak, Academic Gesundheitpolitik, Gneisenaustr., 2 :ror a complete~ MD4 tl8 to: Computing Center, University of Vermont, Mehnighof, 100 Berlin 61, West Germany. SCIENCE FOR THE PEOPLE Burlington, VT 05405. (802) 658-2387; 656- Wechsel Wirkung, Gneisenaustr., D-1000 897 Mam St., Gam bridge, MA 02139 3190 Berlin 61. West Germany
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