We live in a weirdly politicized and polarized time, and little better illustrates this than some of the critiques we see against the “MAHA” movement (since when did removing artificial additives from the food supply become a “conservative” issue?)
But before I get into that, I want to stress that this blog – like the practice of medicine itself – is not political. On a personal level, my politics are fairly moderate, and I have at different times in my life found myself agreeing with and voting for candidates from both major parties (and, more often, being highly critical of both parties), and I certainly have a LOT of concerns with the current administration. On a professional level, my only allegiance is to good science and good medical care. In the exam room, I am neither a Democrat nor a Republican, a liberal nor a conservative, and I’ve had wonderful relationships with patients of every political stripe over the years.
I state all of this because I don’t want what I’m about to write to be interpreted as an endorsement of any particular politician or political party. Rather, I want to highlight how reasonable scientific discussion can get dismissed as partisanship when it is offered by a politician, and to once again demonstrate just how poorly our national media does of keeping the public informed about issues of science and health.
