Kevin Trudeau on 20/20

[Vagabond]

I watched it and all it said was that Trudeau is a hack, which was obvious to me the first time I laid eyes on him many years back when he was doing the memory thing.

I don't really see the story contained any news or was newsworthy and I really can't see it swaying any of the blithering idiots who buy his crap either. Most of them are too stupid to watch a show that might educate them any in the first place.

 

[RandFan]

Pen and Teller spent their early episodes of BS debunking blatant frauds. Then they shifted to political concerns. For a sophsticated audience, no problem. I actually really enjoy those shows. Ditto with Stossel. I disagree with both, but they're throwing out things to think about.

But those trying to discredit skeptics, it's ammunition. It also confuses the bottom line as to what we're all about. There needs to be a little bit more self criticism of their own political ideas, or at least an acknowledgement that they're moving away from the science and solid facts which are central to skepticism and off into their own political opinions.

Also, I can't help but feel there's an underlying hint that "a true skeptic would be a libertarian. This is the evidence based political philosophy." That's a pretty toxic message for skepticsm. It's something we need to be cautious about if our goal is to promote critical thinking.

Fair enough. I haven't noticed it but then I tend to be libertarian.

 

[Hindmost]

I watched it and all it said was that Trudeau is a hack, which was obvious to me the first time I laid eyes on him many years back when he was doing the memory thing.

I don't really see the story contained any news or was newsworthy and I really can't see it swaying any of the blithering idiots who buy his crap either. Most of them are too stupid to watch a show that might educate them any in the first place.

It would have helped if Stossel would have found many people that have been harmed by Trudeau's self-serving book and brought them on the program.

glenn

 

[Vagabond]

It would have helped if Stossel would have found many people that have been harmed by Trudeau's self-serving book and brought them on the program.

glenn

I doubt there is anything in the book that is actually harmful. It's just full of stuff that is going to leave you in exactly the same condition as before you did it. When if your condition was being ill is not good, but the book didn't cause you any actual "harm" either.

 

[CACTUSJACKmankin]

No Harm??? Did you watch the program? He's telling people to stop taking medications and try this "natural" crap that is unproven!!!

Trudeau is a real piece of work. Anyone else notice the piece of the conspiracy puzzle that he's missing? Scientists!!! Do you really think that doctors searching the medical literature, as any good research doctor does, wouldn't know or find out about these "cures" that this self-professed non-doctor/scientist/anycredentialsofanyrelevanceatall found? And if the medical community did know about the cure to cancer, diabetes, arthritis, and so on, do you really think that the SCIENTISTS would allow it to be suppressed?

If you want an example of actual suppression of potential cures, look at the stem cell research bans and restrictions.

 

[RandFan]

If you want an example of actual suppression of potential cures, look at the stem cell research bans and restrictions.

Trudeau is calling for the bans on stem cell research? Or are you trying to get something in that is off topic? I'm against bans on stem cell research. I'm just not sure what the hell that has to do with Trudeau.

 

[CACTUSJACKmankin]

I thought I made it clear so I apologize for that. My point was that he is looking for this vast conspiracy that is suppressing cures when he doesn't have to look, it's happening in the public arena. The 9/11 conspiracy theorists are the same way, they are looking for a conspiracy when a conspiracy (in al quaida) already exists. Is that better?

 

[Vagabond]

No Harm??? Did you watch the program? He's telling people to stop taking medications and try this "natural" crap that is unproven

If the medications they were taking were actually working and making them better they wouldn't have any need for the book in the first place. I am not a big fan of medications myself. I think they usually cause more trouble than they solve. We are the most over medicated society on the planet.

 

[RandFan]

I thought I made it clear so I apologize for that. My point was that he is looking for this vast conspiracy that is suppressing cures when he doesn't have to look, it's happening in the public arena. The 9/11 conspiracy theorists are the same way, they are looking for a conspiracy when a conspiracy (in al quaida) already exists. Is that better?

I think you misunderstand the meaning of conspiracy as it applies to these two examples.

 

[Hamradioguy]

I'm sure I heard somewhere that JREF did attempt to get Stossel for TAM4. Certainly a number of people at TAM3 put his name down on the comment sheet. Don't know what happened to that. Maybe for TAM5, eh?

 

[tsg]

If the medications they were taking were actually working and making them better they wouldn't have any need for the book in the first place.

He's telling diabetics to stop taking insulin.

We are the most over medicated society on the planet.

Cite, please.

 

[Vagabond]

He's telling diabetics to stop taking insulin.

I am starting to sound like I am defending the book. I certainly am not. I am sure it's a pile of trash, just want it trashed for the right reasons.

Insulin doesn't cure diabetes it just moderates it. If you were going to try some kind of alternate treatment. To me that is the kind of thing you would want to try it on. There are diabetics who feel the disadvantages of insulin outweigh the gains and don't take it. Johnny Cash was one of those.
There are certainly diabetics who die from taking too much insulin as well.

 

[Dogdoctor]

I am starting to sound like I am defending the book. I certainly am not. I am sure it's a pile of trash, just want it trashed for the right reasons.

Insulin doesn't cure diabetes it just moderates it. If you were going to try some kind of alternate treatment. To me that is the kind of thing you would want to try it on. There are diabetics who feel the disadvantages of insulin outweigh the gains and don't take it. Johnny Cash was one of those.
There are certainly diabetics who die from taking too much insulin as well.

There are some diabetics who are not insulin dependent, and they may respond to diet changes and exercise and oral hypoglycemic agents. Those patients with that type of diabetes don't need a crook telling them what to do. Their doctor has already advised them what to do. The other diabetics who are insulin dependent are committing suicide if they decide to stop taking it. And they are making a crook rich to boot. Because people die from taking a medication doesn't mean it is safe to not take it. You have to look at the risk of not taking it verses the risk of taking it.

 

[blutoski]

Insulin doesn't cure diabetes it just moderates it. If you were going to try some kind of alternate treatment. To me that is the kind of thing you would want to try it on. There are diabetics who feel the disadvantages of insulin outweigh the gains and don't take it. Johnny Cash was one of those.
There are certainly diabetics who die from taking too much insulin as well.

With all due respect, this isn't Trudeau's argument. He's accusing the industry of inventing a drug myth out of whole cloth. He claims that diabetes is not an illness related to insulin, and taking it is 100% risk with zero benefit, so nobody should, and furthermore, the purveyors should be in jail.

My favourite claim, though, is that "big pharma" invented the myth that uv causes skin cancer. He says as long as you don't put on sunscreen, you'll be safe, even if you burn.

The market for this book is what's referred to as "the worried well", not those who are already taking meds and dissatisfied. The typical reader will get cancer over the next couple of decades, and now may believe that cancer meds are scams to the last, so has every motive to refuse them when offered. That's a serious problem, and to what extent is this advice different than practicing medicine without a licence? (I'm not a lawyer, but I guess it's because he's not establishing a relationship with the patient. But doesn't he get a royalty payment from each book purchase?)

 

[Hindmost]

Trudeau is claiming there is a natural cure for just about everything. He must consider death as the natural cure for cancer.

The underlying fact is that Trudeau has no medical education and shouldn't be giving out anything that can be interpreted as authoritative advice for such diseases as cancer or diabetes. It's like saying: "I am not trained as a pilot, but I know how to fly a jumbo jet."

Most people don't like taking medication, but it certainly has improved life and life expectancy and is sometimes a necessity. I consider that nasal steroid I take as a miracle drug--no more itchy eyes, no more sinus headaches. And I have to take it every day.

Trudeau is sometimes billed as a consumer advocate...he just seems to advocate for his own bank account.

glenn

 

[Vagabond]

My favourite claim, though, is that "big pharma" invented the myth that uv causes skin cancer. He says as long as you don't put on sunscreen, you'll be safe, even if you burn.

Sounds like you have actually read the book, so I defer. This is probably crap, but if you don't think the pharmical companies don't make crap up you are nuts. Biggest one I found lately is I am quite positive the vets used to tell me that dogs got heartworms from stepping in the feces of another dog that has it. But, now recently I got told and online sources say it's spread by mosquitos. All these freaking "mosquito" diseases are an attempt to make people think the threat to get something is much higher than it actually is so you will spend money on preventative. I don't buy it one bit.

 

[pgwenthold]

Sounds like you have actually read the book, so I defer. This is probably crap, but if you don't think the pharmical companies don't make crap up you are nuts. Biggest one I found lately is I am quite positive the vets used to tell me that dogs got heartworms from stepping in the feces of another dog that has it. But, now recently I got told and online sources say it's spread by mosquitos. All these freaking "mosquito" diseases are an attempt to make people think the threat to get something is much higher than it actually is so you will spend money on preventative. I don't buy it one bit.

Since when are vets "pharmical companies"?

 

[tsg]

Insulin doesn't cure diabetes it just moderates it.

That's exactly the point. There are a whole host of diseases that can only be treated for which Trudeau is selling "cures" that have shown no efficacy whatsoever.

If you were going to try some kind of alternate treatment. To me that is the kind of thing you would want to try it on.

Just to be clear, there is no such thing as "alternate" medicine. Either it works or it doesn't. If it works, it's medicine. If it doesn't, it's not.

There are diabetics who feel the disadvantages of insulin outweigh the gains and don't take it. Johnny Cash was one of those. There are certainly diabetics who die from taking too much insulin as well.

That may well be the case, but selling "alternate cures" that don't work doesn't solve this problem.

The person who stops his treatment to try an "alternative" and suffers for it is being harmed. That's what makes Trudeau's "advice" harmful.

 

[Vagabond]

The person who stops his treatment to try an "alternative" and suffers for it is being harmed. That's what makes Trudeau's "advice" harmful.

I don't disagree with you. But, this makes the advice in the book potentially harmful. The person bears major culpablity by being dumb enough to buy the book and do anything that it says. There is a such thing as death by stupidity.

 

[luchog]

I don't disagree with you. But, this makes the advice in the book potentially harmful. The person bears major culpablity by being dumb enough to buy the book and do anything that it says. There is a such thing as death by stupidity.

While I would agree that stupid people killing themselves by listening to nutjobs like Trudeau is a perfectly acceptable "natural selection" process; the problem is that many of these stupid people have children, elderly parents, or disabled individuals under their care. People who may also be denied insulin and other life-saving therapies by their caregivers, because of Trudeau and his ilk.