Whatever my concerns regarding the possibility of Obama returning to protectionist ways, I still have absolutely no doubt that the recent electoral result was most emphatically the right one.
In the Guardian today, Ed Pilkington reports that:
“Barack Obama will move swiftly to unpick many of what he sees as the most egregious acts of the Bush administration when he enters the White House in January, including restrictions on stem cell research and moves to allow oil drilling in wilderness areas, a leading member of his transition team said yesterday.”
Whilst I applaud all of these intentions, the one that really stands out for me is the easing/possible removal of restrictions on stem cell research. This sets the tone, I believe, for the impending Obama administration’s attitude to science in general, and it’s one that leaves me feeling hugely relieved. For too long the religious right has dominated and limited one of the most scientifically and technologically able countries in the world — superstition and self-righteousness, disguised quite crudely as morality, stalling advancement and (let’s not be coy about it) ultimately killing people.
A good first step. Long may it continue.
