The institute of tobacco funded this report, and it strongly opposed the scientific consensus that there were risks of human health in smoking tobacco. Singer's report indicated that this scientific consensus was an agenda of politicians to expand the control of the government over the lives of people (Oreskes, 52).
The "Merchants of Doubt" indicates that Singer and Seitz were the founders and sponsors of several institutions and organizations in the United States of America. However, the authors indicate that these organizations oppose various forms of interventions thus regulating the citizens. The book has listed tactics by Singer and Seitz, which are similar. In each case, the book indicates that they use those tactics to spread false information, confusion, degrade science, and promote doubts (Oreskes, 60).
Naomi and Erik Conway wrote that for over 20 years. Seitz, Singer, and other scientists with contrary opinions did not conduct scientific researches arising from the problems that they had argued. Singer and Seitz had been very prominent scientific researchers but sources indicate that they opposed the scientific consensus on the debate of tobacco. In the "Merchants of Doubt," they mostly attacked the work and reputation of others (Mann, 66).
There has been an article for the American thinkers, which was presented in 2010 December by Singer, stating that the "Merchants of Doubt" attacked many prominent physicians,...
In this article, Singer claimed that the authors of "Merchants of Doubt" had acted unprofessionally by not considering information, not consulting primary sources and by not questioning any of the scientists. Singer further indicated in this article that, Tobacco Company should not be held responsible for any environmental changes such as acid rain, and ozone depletion (Conway & Oreskes, 123).
Naomi and Erik Conway have concluded by indicating that Singer and Seitz, Robert and Nierenberg were considered anti-communist. They considered the regulation of government as a step leading to
communism and
socialism. However, the book indicates that Singer and Seitz did not give up in finding threats to capitalize free market. Even after the fall of the
Soviet Union, they looked for another threat in the environmentalism. They chose to deny the truth about the
environmental issues of
global warming, ozone destruction and acid rain because they feared to over-react to the environment issues. Further, they claimed that over-reaction to these problems would lead to heavy intervention by the government (Mann, 139).
Work cited
Conway, Erik and Oreskes, Naomi. Merchants of Doubt: How a Handful of Scientists Obscured
the Truth on Issues from Tobacco Smoke to Global Warming. New York: Bloomsbury,
2010. Print.
Mann, Michael. The Hockey Stick and the Climate Wars: Dispatches from the Front Lines.
Stamford, CT: Columbia University Press, 2012 Print
Oreskes, Naomi. Merchants of Doubt: How a Handful of Scientists Obscured the Truth on Issues
from Tobacco Smoke to Global Warming.
Washington DC: Bloomsbury Publishing,
2012.…
