hi wendy

At 21:51 1998/11/15 -0700, you wrote:
>I must also beg to differ once again with some of these
>"snake-oil" attacks on people's characters.  Frankly, I
>do not include myself amongst any sort of list "police"
>groups, of any sort.

i do, when i catch someone deliberately concealing their financial interest

>I am all for critical thinking and investigating all
>claims made here, but that  means ALL claims made.

whew!
you have more energy than me!
i only have time to dig into deliberately concealed financial interest

>I do sense an overwhelming bias against alternative treatments

you couldn't be more wrong, if you are referring to me;
see my prior messages 'let's get this straight'

>and sometimes docile, almost mindless acceptance
>of ideas and treatments either proposed or endorsed
>by standard western medical experts.

we do the best with the systems that
we the society have allowed or required to be put into place

a doctor or a drug company or an aroma therapist
all have financial interest in their work,
granted
and there's nothing wrong with that
as long as is not deliberately concealed financial interest

>No one seems to go after any of  the traditional western MD's
>or pharmaceutical companies with the same zealousness reserved
>for those who ideas or proposed treatments are more on the
>fringe. I have seen lists of drugs posted here many times, sometimes
>with info making it clear that there's a profit motive involved,
>sometimes not.  I do not think either side's motives are any more
>nor any less good/bad or selfish/unselfish.

we have many list-members with declared financial interests
in their work as it relates to pd or to other areas
i prefer the honest approach, myself

>Has anyone stopped to consider that maybe some of these
>people got into the promotion of certain products for profit,
>only after having used them themselves, or having seen them
>used for others that they know.

i certainly stop and consider [usually long and hard]
before i send in any message here

>Personally, I think combining the ability to make some money,
>ALONG WITH a product in which one believes completely, is a
>wonderful combination.

yep, nothing better!
i think it's called answering your call
or something like that

>For instance, down the road, I've thought of also combining
>my environmental interests with a business.  That might include
>alternatives to traditional  pest control, alternative medicines,
>nutritional supplements, etc.

go for it!

>I would be VERY offended, to say the least, if perhaps I were
>able to cure myself of PD via nutritional supplements and diet,
>and then had people attacking my character and motives later if
>I then decided to share this which had worked for me with others
>for a profit. If I found a vitamin/herb treatment program that
>worked for me, I'd love to just give it away, but since I'm not
>Bill Gates, I could hardly afford to do that.  Thus self-interest
>comes into play too out of necessity. People should make their
>profit-making intentions clear, I agree.  To be consistent then,
>there should also be alot more policing of the doctors, drug
>companies, and ALL OTHER groups who post here.

i don't follow your logic here

if a doctor or drug company or dietician or pharmacist have posted here
without deliberately concealing their financial interest
why should they be 'policed'?

>I also take issue that when there are possible personal/corporate
>gains to be made on something alternative, that self-interest
>automatically also confers upon the product the label of snake-oil.
>Every drug or treatment ever discussed here would fall into that
>category, if profit alone is the criteria.

this is an absolutely nonsensical idea, i agree with you!
again, see my 'let's get this straight' messages

>Again, as I said above, and on an earlier post, not only might
>this person truly believe in this product due to personal
>experience, but also, they may have some very altruistic
>plans for those profits. Any business that I undertake
>would be something that was in line with my personal interests
>/issues, and also the profits I received would not only support
>me, but also help me to even further support those same issues.

absolutely!
if you had such a business
and acted on your ideals in such a way
i believe that you'd sing your sales pitch from the rooftops
and would not deliberately conceal your financial interest

>So, let's all maintain both critical and open
>minds. They are not mutually exclusive.

my mind is always open and my mind is always critical
it's the only way i can function

>There are also ways to challenge someone without attacking
>their integrity and motives, especially prematurely.

"once bitten, twice shy" =
once or twice or thrice scammed by deliberately dishonest behaviour
= extra sensitive, and so far, extra accurate, radar for me;
not pre-mature here at all in my analysis

>Let's also make sure this critical analysis and
>investigation is applied equally all-around.

again, if you have the energy, go for it!
i can only drum up the energy to deal with the things that 'speak' to me,
like dishonesty

>And finally, let's avoid reducing issues
>to cliches like "snake-oil", etc.

the 'issue' here is deliberately concealed financial interest
"if the shoe fits..."

janet

janet paterson - 51/41/37 - almonte/ontario/canada
http://www.newcountry.nu/pd/members/janet/
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