I Call Foul Play: Ideologies that dismiss science are dangerous

In the four years of his term, former President Donald Trump, as well as his administration, frequently attempted to restrict scientific research, undermine scientific discussion and interfere with the publication of formal scientific data and intelligence.

While these transgressions are unsurprising — considering Trump personally made more than 20,000 false or misleading claims during his tenure as president — the attack on science reveals a deeper, more problematic issue in the contemporary political landscape.

Since former Vice President Al Gore brought global warming to the forefront of political discussion during his campaign against former President George Bush in the 2000 presidential election, the unnecessary and dangerous politicization of scientific facts has only escalated.

This new ideology sets a perilous precedent for generations to come. It has already taken a significant toll on the well-being of citizens across the United States.

Ideology — a system of ideas and ideals — is generated in the human mind. It is abstract and may be manipulated in a plethora of shapes and forms.

Some ideologies are dangerous and do not deserve a place in the physical and very real world we live in. The ideology of the Nazi Party — one that was not based on scientific fact but rather contorted and manipulated science to fit a racist and anti-Semitic world view — is an ideology that enabled the hideous mass extermination of 11 million Jews others in death camps across Europe.

Though manufactured by the human mind, ideologies can often have very real-world consequences. Science, in many ways, should be a check on ideology.

Science juxtaposes ideology because it is intrinsically interested only in understanding the real, physical, natural world. Science is the application of human intelligence to understand, discover and dissect the natural world, following a systematic methodology based on evidence.

The assault on science — policymaking based solely on pure ideology rather than scientific fact and evidence — has catastrophic consequences. The United States’ handling of the COVID-19 pandemic is an example of such.

The country’s death toll reached half a million Tuesday. Let that sink in.

The nation’s top infectious-disease expert, Anthony Fauci, called this number “stunning” and explained it is too high for one of the world’s richest and most sophisticated countries.

He’s correct. No other country’s death toll comes close.

What could have caused such an atrocity? The politicization of science.

The former U.S. President — who swore an oath to protect and defend the nation — refused to publicly wear a mask during a global pandemic despite the virus being primarily transmitted through airborne droplets. Trump also held large-scale, sometimes indoor, gatherings that resulted in community outbreaks during campaign rallies.

To downplay the severity of the pandemic in hopes of garnering votes for his re-election, Trump politicized the virus, disregarding the recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and scientists within his administration. The U.S. death toll would have been far smaller if the Trump administration had listened to its scientists’ advice and took the virus seriously.

This problem goes beyond the Trump administration. For example, the Republican Party remains sturdy in its view that lawmakers should do little to curb the existential threat of climate change.

Though 97 percent of scientists agree climate change is caused by humans, the Grand Old Party seems more interested in defending fossil fuel companies’ profits. The GOP’s view is one based on ideology rather than science.

This ideology of politicizing science — such as Trump’s politicization of the COVID-19 pandemic — already has and will continue to have large-scale consequences in the real world.