I very well may have to steal that term. As they say about artists, good ones borrow but great ones steal. (Just living up to the arrogance of my namesake...)
"At this late point nothing short of all out war on quackademic medicine will be effective."
Who's your daddy?
What we need is a few unpleasant and painful deaths at the hands of some CAM's. Well documented across the news and full of anecdotal evidence, sob stories and lawsuits (juicy)
This seems to be the only way these days to deal with greed from the industry and gullibility from the consumers.
Will it happen? Probably... once CAM has enmeshed itself into the proper medical establishments of course. Leaving the usual ruins in it's wake.
Medical establishments beware of your new false friends.
One of these families (the father's) won their case but they had to abandon all discussion of CAM to do it. There are even restrictions on what they can say about the case now,...
My 'crusade of the year' this year (other than getting a Democratic Congress that will deBushify the country) is to get Skeptics (and especially SkepDocs) to stop using the term 'CAM' or 'Alternative medicine.'
'Medicine' is what you do, Orac, and Dr. R.W. and Flea and my own doctor. It is NOT what quacks, homeopaths, and woomeisters do!
I would suggest/beg at least the skeptical community to stop using 'CAM' and, if you HAVE to have a 'polite' name, to start calling their methods either
ATP (for Alternative Therapy procedures) or
ATM (for Alternative Therapy Methods or Modalities).
After spending much of my life watching the 'good guys' (scientific, political, etc.) cede the 'linguistic high ground' in various ways, I think this is one we can start stopping.
Ask yourself, would you allow Creationists to call their work "Alternative Geology" (or Biology) or Holocaust Deniers call their books "Complementary History"?
No?
Then WHY LET QUACKS GET AWAY WITH THE SAME THING?
If you agree with me, pass it on, and maybe start requesting SkepCirc hosts specifically to do this.
Prup,
My bad - and I agree with you. New Zealand's Dr. Graham Sharpe suggested SCAM for "So Called Alternative Medicine":
It's about as good a name as any, don't you think?
Crack Emcee - such a vociferous critic of all thing things NewAge as yourself should know how to spell it correctly. There is no space in the middle. It is spelled Newage - rhymes with sewage.
Freddy,
Man, I know you're right, but then I'd have to go over my entire blog and re-fix every reference. On the other hand, looking at it printed there, it just "makes sense" to do so.
"At this late point nothing short of all out war on quackademic medicine will be effective."
Who's your daddy?
What we need is a few unpleasant and painful deaths at the hands of some CAM's. Well documented across the news and full of anecdotal evidence, sob stories and lawsuits (juicy)
This seems to be the only way these days to deal with greed from the industry and gullibility from the consumers.
Will it happen? Probably... once CAM has enmeshed itself into the proper medical establishments of course. Leaving the usual ruins in it's wake.
Medical establishments beware of your new false friends.
Too late:
http://themachoresponse.blogspot.com/2007/09/death-before-homeopaths-di…
http://themachoresponse.blogspot.com/2007/09/gambling-with-your-life.ht…
One of these families (the father's) won their case but they had to abandon all discussion of CAM to do it. There are even restrictions on what they can say about the case now,...
My 'crusade of the year' this year (other than getting a Democratic Congress that will deBushify the country) is to get Skeptics (and especially SkepDocs) to stop using the term 'CAM' or 'Alternative medicine.'
'Medicine' is what you do, Orac, and Dr. R.W. and Flea and my own doctor. It is NOT what quacks, homeopaths, and woomeisters do!
I would suggest/beg at least the skeptical community to stop using 'CAM' and, if you HAVE to have a 'polite' name, to start calling their methods either
ATP (for Alternative Therapy procedures) or
ATM (for Alternative Therapy Methods or Modalities).
After spending much of my life watching the 'good guys' (scientific, political, etc.) cede the 'linguistic high ground' in various ways, I think this is one we can start stopping.
Ask yourself, would you allow Creationists to call their work "Alternative Geology" (or Biology) or Holocaust Deniers call their books "Complementary History"?
No?
Then WHY LET QUACKS GET AWAY WITH THE SAME THING?
If you agree with me, pass it on, and maybe start requesting SkepCirc hosts specifically to do this.
Prup,
My bad - and I agree with you. New Zealand's Dr. Graham Sharpe suggested SCAM for "So Called Alternative Medicine":
http://themachoresponse.blogspot.com/2007/11/macho-response-dr-graham-s…
It's about as good a name as any, don't you think?
Crack Emcee - such a vociferous critic of all thing things NewAge as yourself should know how to spell it correctly. There is no space in the middle. It is spelled Newage - rhymes with sewage.
Freddy,
Man, I know you're right, but then I'd have to go over my entire blog and re-fix every reference. On the other hand, looking at it printed there, it just "makes sense" to do so.
Damn.
When I have the time,...thanks.