Joe Jackson: "Smoke, Lies, and the Nanny State"

A few years ago, songwriter Joe Jackson wrote an essay called "The Smoking Issue" which appeared in the New York Times and the Daily Telegraph. His new piece, "Smoke, Lies, and the Nanny State," comes after four years of research (perhaps explaining why I'm still waiting for a new album) and "replaces" the earlier "Issue."

While I disagree with a large chunk of his central premise, Jackson's perspective is worth spending some time examining. He certainly shares my skepticism with the established power of scientific-intellectual centers:

I believe that we have to put our faith in someone, and that as our faith in political and religious leaders has declined, we have become not only excessively reverent towards doctors and scientists, but increasingly willing to allow them to dictate our lifestyles and laws. Health is seen as an unqualified good. Who can be against "health"? Likewise, "science" is equated with integrity and certainty. It has become our religion.

Unfortunately, there is precious little genuine science to be found in the pronouncements of media pundits and politicians. Instead we’re fed a steady diet of "junk science": facts out of context and out of proportion, insubstantial claims based on dubious methodology, and clever games with statistics. Like the perennial pub bore who holds forth with great authority on any number of topics, the average politician or newspaper editor tends to promote whatever "science" suits his or her prejudice or agenda.