Prince Charles on the rack tonight

[Asolepius]

Just in case you missed the trailers (and the piece in the Observer yesterday), don't miss Dispatches on Channel 4 tonight. Clarence House is hopping mad I hear.....

 

[Darat]

Damn... I was hoping that at long last we'd revived some ancient customs!


Thanks for the heads-up.

 

[Zep]

For those without the Beeb licence, please report promptly!

 

[Mojo]

I spotted this yesterday via David Colquhoun's Quack Page. I meant to post it here, but I must have got distracted...

He also has a link to a Daily Wail story about it. Along with the usual Wailisms, there are a few gems among the comments, for example:

Charles should stick to what he does best, whatever that is.

 

[Blue Wode]

This should be interesting:

'The Channel 4 programme will also highlight the fact that there have been several meetings between the Prince, his staff and members of the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), which regulates medicines and also looks at treatments such as homeopathy and herbal remedies.'

http://www.guardian.co.uk/medicine/story/0,,2031343,00.html

Perhaps Randi’s suspicions back in September 2006 will be proved right:

There is nothing in there that in any way can “improve and strengthen the regulation of homeopathic medicines.” The new “scheme” removes any and all limitations on this organized quackery, and I must suspect that a royal digit belonging to a chap named Windsor was poked into this procedure to sanctify it.

http://www.randi.org/jr/2006-09/092206bad.html#i4

 

[wahrheit]

Tut-tut, you Commonwealth subjects should demonstrate more respect for your Heir apparent!






*snorts with laughter*

 

[Asolepius]

Apart from the rather silly Puritanism, I am much more sympathetic to Cromwell these days. Except that Parliament is just as pervaded by woo as the Crown is.

 

[Cuddles]

Apart from the rather silly Puritanism, I am much more sympathetic to Cromwell these days. Except that Parliament is just as pervaded by woo as the Crown is.

Yeah, but at least we can vote against them. Beheading royals is so much effort.

 

[Jekyll]

Yeah, but at least we can vote against them. Beheading royals is so much effort.

But it's also so satisfying. Kinda like bursting spots.

 

[Badly Shaved Monkey]

Damn... I was hoping that at long last we'd revived some ancient customs!

Well, I'm also disappointed to find that this is not a report on a 'special' service provided for him by Camilla.

The programme still looks like it might be fun.

 

[fuelair]

Apart from the rather silly Puritanism, I am much more sympathetic to Cromwell these days. Except that Parliament is just as pervaded by woo as the Crown is.

Cromwell was just an uppity murdering thug - what we need is more royalists like Lady Charlotte Stanley!!

 

[LibraryLady]

Reading this thread title after Teek's brought up a very odd visual image for me.

 

[richardm]

The BBC have picked up on the story now.

Hey, my 6000th post.

 

[Darat]

A bit light on detail however considering that "Royal" letters are not available under the freedom of information act that's not surprising. (So yep Prince Charles can write to our elected public officials but we have no access to what he writes to them...).

The programme was quite a good summary of his meddling in health related issues and managed to touched on the major issues e.g. bad health advice to the public, selective use of evidence, behind the scenes lobbying and a total lack of understanding about science.

 

[Blue Bubble]

Good programme

I thought the programme was very good, and it was nice to see a fair amount of prominence given to such people as Edzard Ernst, Evan Harris and even Roy Hattersley.

 

[John Hewitt]

The programme was quite a good summary of his meddling in health related issues and managed to touched on the major issues e.g. bad health advice to the public, selective use of evidence, behind the scenes lobbying and a total lack of understanding about science.

But I would like to say a word on his behalf - I like him. He is perfectly sincere and it is good to see somebody pricking inflated pomposities.

It is true that his knowledge of science is limitted (he studied anthropology didn't he?) but he is at an intelligent lay person level. I would have thought that institutions should be aiming to communicate at that level.

As for selective use of evidence? Well now, are we saying scientists would never do a thing like that?

 

[Darat]

But I would like to say a word on his behalf - I like him. He is perfectly sincere

Out of curiosity how do you know this?

and it is good to see somebody pricking inflated pomposities.

I agree - it's good to see programmes like the one last night "pricking inflated pomposities".

It is true that his knowledge of science is limitted (he studied anthropology didn't he?) but he is at an intelligent lay person level. I would have thought that institutions should be aiming to communicate at that level.

Perhaps for communication you are right however that is not the level I would like to be used to formulate policy.

As for selective use of evidence? Well now, are we saying scientists would never do a thing like that?

I can't speak for you but no I'm not saying that.

 

[Corpse Cruncher]

He talks to his plants, like I talk to my food before I eat it. I like him. He may have some quacky ideas, but haven't we all at one time or another.


You may witch hunt me for this, I care not. Homoeopathy, until somebody can show me that the placebo effect is removed from the equation. I'll reserve giving my vote on it as totally useless. Something works, isolate that, and don't give it the illusive title of placebo effect and I'll go stand on a soap box in parliament square and yell Eureka.

At least His Royal Ears is prepared to consider other things. How long ago was aspirin considered as quackery or witchcraft? Even the thought of that plants may provide cures as some form of heresy? Seems, too many people forget the roots of many things in the name of shouting the odds and fluffing up the feathers of self pompousness.

 

[Darat]

...snip... I like him. ...snip...

Again out of curiosity - do you know him?

You may witch hunt me for this, I care not. Homoeopathy, ... Something works, ...snip...

Really - evidence?

How long ago was aspirin considered as quackery or witchcraft?

...snip...

Never.

Even the thought of that plants may provide cures as some form of heresy?

...snip...

Never. (ETA - that's probably not 100% accurate - there probably have been some ancient societies that decided using plants for "cures" was heresy.)

Seems, too many people forget the roots of many things in the name of shouting the odds and fluffing up the feathers of self pompousness.

We at least agree that he does this!

 

[cyborg]

How long ago was aspirin considered as quackery or witchcraft? Even the thought of that plants may provide cures as some form of heresy? Seems, too many people forget the roots of many things in the name of shouting the odds and fluffing up the feathers of self pompousness.

Sigh.

There is as much ancient wisdom as there is ancient foolishness. We have a methodology to remove one from the other. Homeopathy is removed. People need to deal with it.