Populism and Autism
So, the Lancet finally retracted the study that was published 12 years ago, which helped fuel the disturbing anti-vaccine movement. When intelligent, properly researched studies were published that said “no; vaccines have not been proven to cause autism”, the reaction of the anti-vaccine crowd was generally something along the lines of “IT’S THE GOVERNMENT AND BIG PHARMA, IN BED WITH EACH OTHER, LYING TO US, AND COVERING UP THE TRUTH SO THAT THEY CAN PROFIT”.
Which is basically how most good conspiracy theories go.
The anti-vaccine people are not crazy. They are just ignorant. (Remember, if you don’t have enough knowledge to back up your opinions in an argument, just diss the appearance of a well-educated doctor).
I started writing about this, but it got out of hand. I could go on all day.
In short: EMPIRICISM FTW.
February 18th, 2010 01:02
That’s the name of an exotic fish!
February 26th, 2010 00:48
I fail to see how that link is anything more than just ranting? If you have something more to say please go on, as the subject interests me
February 26th, 2010 01:00
It is just ranting. The problem is that it’s ranting on a website that tries to present itself as a reliable source of information.
I’m glad that the Lancet withdrew that paper from the Lancet, but too much damage was already done. There’s so much skepticism and conspiracy theories about medicine and scientific research.
A lot of people don’t understand how academic research works, and think that an international community of doctors are just out there to make money out of the “medical industry”.
It’s important for people to be properly educated about what they do to their bodies and to the bodies of their children, but people need to be able to recognize when something is merely a sensational, quasi-scientific attack on something… i.e. most of the anti-vaccine propaganda.