Everybody loves postdocs

Although many young academics rightfully complain of being used for their expertise while failing to receive either the remuneration or job security fitting to their contribution, it is always humorous to hear statements that openly admit this unspoken condition.

Upon my usual investigations of the Industry Documents, I came across a RJ Reynolds’s tobacco company document emphasizing the point. Their Biochemical/Biobehavior devision wrote:

Screen Shot 2017-08-28 at 13.44.21

This document is from 1987. The same remains true today 30 years later–both for private industry and universities. Postdocs are still the oft-unsung heroes and heroines of research innovation and everyday scientific inquiry. But the ability to influence the scientific community through giving early-career researchers temporary jobs working for the tobacco industry also interested RJR by drawing talent that would then go on to work for other esteemed firms and universities.

Screen Shot 2017-08-28 at 13.52.25

The diffusion effect of getting researchers at the waist of the hourglass in their careers, would allow their postdoctoral research program to also bring recognition to RJR for their scientific endeavors, increasing their prestige.

Thus, for RJR, the manipulation of the postdoc is double: cheap high quality labor, and prestige by association, when the postdocs continue their careers as successful researchers, always marking on their resumes that they spent a postdoctoral research period at RJR’s research facilities.

US Misinformation Translation Guide

To cut through the very successful and rhetorically effective branding by fascists, I’ve developed a handy guide (to be expanded):

(Alt-Fact) vs. (Brutal Reality)

“Alt-Right” = NeoNazi

“Snowflake” = Not interested in dehumanizing people; not completely numbed yet

“Climate Alarmist” =Scientist

“Climate Change” = Global Warming. It’s not changing, and it’s not just climate. Anthropogenic Biospheric Devastation would be a more true translation, except for the fact that it’s not all humans responsible, its those with the levers of power and money. Plutocratic-Induced Ecocide would be the most accurate descriptor.

“Big Government” = The type of sprawling government that actually helps people who don’t look exactly like you. The alternative is pretending that you don’t have extensive government, because instead of taxes, corporate spending bypasses the state and goes directly into the pockets of the politicians putatively regulating them.

“Small Government” = Robbing from the poor to give to the rich.

“Immanentize the eschaton” = Basic Human Equality; trying to make the world a better, not a worse, place. The alternative being, the extreme idea of creating hell on earth, and harming the majority of humanity and the earth so that Jesus will come back to earth and the apocalypse will happen (which is what the NeoNazis want and are using government and industry to attempt).