Act like in Mars Attack
Suggesting that Jones should resign is defensible without appealing to perfection. Pragmatic considerations suggest that it might have been a good move, from a public relation point of view. The main problem is that there is a possibility that the resignation would not alleviate any political pressure. From the point of view of warfare, the suggestion is absurd: no game has ever been won by resigning.
George Monbiot appealed to moral grounds to formulate a prescription. But it seems to me that it can only be an honest personal advice, unless we are ready to enter into a deontological debate. From a moral standpoint, only Jones should know better what Jones has to do.
Come what it may, here is a simple algorithm. First, declare that you only want better science. Second, act as relentlessly and ruthlessly as your own self-righteousness inspires you. Third, if someone points out that you’re acting like a pig, reiterate that you only want better science, after all. To remember the algorithm, cf. Mars Attack.
