Daniel Engber wrote a clarifying response to the panicmongering about the Center for Disease Control (CDC) self-censoring certain flashpoint words like “evidence-based” and “vulnerable” from their internal documentation. Engber suggests (based on National Review reporting) that CDC employees are circulating rhetorical tips on bolstering the chances that their program funding will survive. Paranoid public health officials are telling each other to replace certain snowflake boogeywords with GOP-friendlier jargon.
A government Pee-Yew-rocrat myself, I buy this argument. We have to sell our programs to hostile electeds, so we’ll use whatever tricks we can. “These are not the general fund line items you are looking for.” Continue reading