Electric Car Taxonomy

["Ken Kinman" <kinman@hotmail.com>]

Philidor,
    Your metaphors bring up some interesting parallels between government 
bureaucracy and scientific bureaucracy in some ways, and that resistance and 
resentment are going to be an enormous problem for phylogenetic taxonomists 
(perhaps far more than they realize).
    However, I wouldn't say that issues of authority and control are nearly 
as bad in science as they are in government, and I believe phylogenetic 
taxonomy and PhyloCode are genuinely meant to achieve improvements.  I just 
think they are greatly underestimating the levels of confusion and 
instability that will occur in the attempt to switch from Linnean taxonomy 
to Phylogenetic taxonomy.
     It is sort of like extreme chemotherapy for 
taxonomy-----phylogeneticists think that the patient (taxonomy) will endure 
the procedure and come out cured in the end.  Traditionalists rightly fear 
(in my opinion) that the therapy is so drastic that the patient will not 
only have the endure the pain of the procedure, but will end up coming out 
in far worse shape.  In other words, the cure will end up being worse than 
the disease itself.
     So I hope it won't be characterized as office politics, or authority 
and control issues, but more as an intense disagreement on what is best for 
the patient.  Both sides mean well and truly believe their approach will 
have the best outcome.  Unfortunately, non-taxonomists might not understand 
this and their perception may indeed be that it is mostly issues of 
authority and "politics", and taxonomists had better be prepared for a 
backlash of resistance and resentment (particularly if Benton's fears for 
PhyloCode come about).
     So I completely agree with Philidor's suggestion that phylogenetic 
taxonomists very seriously consider the "public policy" implications of 
their actions and also the ways in which they characterize those who resist 
the many changes they are proposing.
                   ------Ken
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