Author:  R. Alan Harrop, Ph.D.  

We are frequently told “The experts say….” with the implication that we should trust the so-called “experts” who know better than we do. The question is, “How is that working out?” Logically, it seems to make sense to trust the opinion of those people who theoretically know more about a topic than we do. This is especially true in our increasingly complex and technical society.

A recent U.S. Supreme Court decision, United States v. Skrmetti, refuted the argument raised by the plaintiffs (advocates for transgender altering medication and surgery on children) that lawmakers in Tennessee should go along with the experts when writing legislation and making law. In the 6 to 3 majority opinion, the judges ruled that the legislators in Tennessee had the right to enact a law abolishing gender-altering medication and surgery, regardless of the opinion of so-called experts such as the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Medical Association, the American Psychiatric Association, and the American Psychological Association. According to the court, the common-sense wisdom of the people should take precedence over groups of experts. This was a decision of historic importance since it reasserted the principle of government by the people– not by some elite group.

Looking back over the recent past reveals numerous instances where the experts have been proven to be wrong. A far reaching and dramatic example is the experts who have been claiming that the earth’s climate will undergo devastating, irreversible warming if we do not cease burning fossil fuels. Turns out that all these predictions were founded on unproven data and mere speculation about the future. Computer models were used by the environmental extremists rather than verifiable scientific facts. Nevertheless, a large percentage of the expert worshipers went along, forcing us to demolish the greatest most economical source of energy in favor of expensive, unreliable solar and wind power generation.

A more mundane example was the expert’s war on the consumption of eggs that started in the late 1970s. We were told that eating eggs would raise deadly cholesterol causing an epidemic of heart disease. The fact that no definitive scientific proof existed at the time to validate this warning did not seem to matter to the experts. They knew what was best for us, and like a bunch of sheep, many of us just followed along. Recent evidence appears to show that not only does eating eggs not increase the risk of heart attacks, it may actually reduce the levels of LDL, the so-called bad cholesterol. I have not heard any of the experts apologize for the misinformation about eating eggs.

There are many other examples of the experts being wrong which lead to the question of why? How can this be the case? One factor is that many experts are not merely accumulators of facts, but already have a bias towards one side of an issue. Funding of research is frequently provided by organizations and corporations that stand to benefit from a particular outcome. For example, millions of Americans are taking statin medications to lower cholesterol and hopefully reduce the likelihood of a heart attack. The evidence for this is not as definitive as most of us would like, but the prescribing of statins certainly helps Big Pharma.

It is past time to listen to the advice of experts with a healthy level of skepticism. Wisdom is not a function of the number of degrees a person has accumulated. We must take upon ourselves the ultimate responsibility for decisions that affect our lives and not rely solely on experts. Fortunately, we live in an era where a great deal of information is readily available on the internet. We must trust our own judgement and weigh the facts and the sources of the information. We should have the courage to stand up to such absurd notions that a child can alter their gender despite the genetic differences imposed by nature. Of course, public education and universities staffed with extreme Leftists are a major source of much of the indoctrination we see in our society. This influence must be counter balanced by reasoned conservative staff and teachers to provide a balanced perspective. The common sense of the people must be allowed to manifest itself and not be controlled by over deference to the experts.

Author: R. Alan Harrop, Ph.D

As I have said many times: “The Left ruins everything it touches.” One of the primary means the Left uses is convincing us to rely on so-called “experts” when making important decisions in our lives. Marxism is based on the notion that elite experts rather than you as a free person should provide the direction for your life. How is this working out in modern day America? Let us take a look.

Finances: As hard-working individuals, we would like to believe that leading responsible and frugal lives will allow us to accumulate sufficient funds to support ourselves in the present and when we retire. We can only do this when our economic system is predictable and understandable. For example, it used to be the case that one could put extra earnings in a bank and receive a reasonable rate of return at little or no risk. Not so today. For over a decade the “experts” at the Federal Reserve have kept the interest rates at or near zero which could never happen in a true free market economy. As a result, people were forced to seek alternative investments such as bonds, crypto-currency and the stock market. As the recent failure of the Silicon Valley Bank has shown, bonds are disastrous when the experts at the Federal Reserve decide to reverse policy by raising interest rates faster than any time in U.S. history. You, the taxpayer, will wind up paying for the woke policies of this poorly run bank by reimbursing big donors of the Democrat party.

Medical: According to the so-called “experts” (like that fraud Dr. Fauci), all we had to do was wear masks, stay six feet apart and go on lock down for two weeks, and take an unproven vaccine and we would be over the China virus pandemic. If you did not comply, you could lose your job and your business. Well two weeks turned into two years for school children and masks are still being worn by the true believers even though there is no evidence of their effectiveness. Vaccines and boosters are still being encouraged by the experts even for children when there was never any evidence that they faced a serious risk from the China virus.

Environment: The greatest hoax of all perpetrated by the so-called experts, of course, is the belief that climate change is the direct result of the burning of fossil fuels. As if there had never been any climate change before mankind began using this cheap and abundant source of energy without which no modern civilization could exist. The Biden administration’s implementation of “green energy” scams has produced high inflation, robbed every American of their hard earned income, and killed birds/whales, which the fake media hides. We are much poorer as a result, and the reality will get much worse if we continue down the path recommended by the so-called climate experts.

None of us can be experts in every field, but we have to rely on our own commonsense and judgement of the facts. Seek out the truth. Whenever you are told “ …..the experts say…” that should be a warning that the Left is trying to control your life. Make your own decisions. Use your own judgement. It is your life.