Column: Differences prove more than relevant

Published 12:00 am Monday, September 27, 2004

Science has reached the U.S. election campaign. The differences between the two candidates are interesting. One of the sharpest regards stem-cell research. Based on religious arguments, President George W. Bush opposes this kind of research. Democratic rival John F. Kerry favors it. Their stands are inverted when the issue is arms. Bush favors research to develop mini-nuclear bombs that might be used on battlefields, while Kerry says he would end the search for new atomic weapons. Bush also favors investment in a space defense program that would intercept nuclear missiles before they reach the United States. Kerry says it’s important to ensure that this technology really works before putting more money into it.

Another point of profound difference is the environment. Bush, as is well-known, abandoned the Kyoto Protocol to reduce the greenhouse effect. Kerry is known for holding environment-friendly stands.

As science enters the election debate, it is interesting to note that there are significant differences between the two candidates. It’s good to remember that, in the previous presidential election, many claimed that the choice between Bush and his rival was irrelevant, provided the president of the Federal Reserve was kept in the job. History has disproved that notion.

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(Folha de Sao Paulo, Brazil)