A wonderful Afrikaans anti-apartheid libertarian taught me something valuable a long time ago. He told me there are three lines, no-one should straight out believe:
1. “The cheque is in the post.
2. I’ll respect you in the morning.
3. We are the government, and we are here to help.”
Over time, I added one more:
4. “Our policies are based on science.”
Politicians and officials are not driven by science. This seems to be the case world-over.
In government, chief scientific officers, have a thankless task. They are often sidelined, ignored, or forgotten about.
Science will be used to tighten standards when justification is needed. If the science evolves and backs lower standards, that science will be ignored by politicians and officials.
If science is your trusted shield and sword, you are going into the political battle naked.
The hope that this all going to change is away with the fairies. It is better to be less hurt, and accept grim political reality from the start.