> ...
> So, distilling away the sarcasm, what do we have?
[quoted text clipped - 5 lines]
>
> I'm guessing he doesn't want support here....
Steve,
My sense is that Bill is sincere. It looks to me like he
believes what he says and really does want to help the world. I
couldn't find anything on his website to suggest that he was
trying to profit in any way. I think he genuinely believes that
his diet cured his cancer, and he genuinely wants to help other
people cure their cancers as well.
I agree that he doesn't want support here. I think he posted his
message not because he wanted help from us, but because he wanted
to help us.
It strikes me that, in his way, Bill is a good guy. He wants to
help people. Unfortunately however, he's a guy with a complete
misunderstanding of science and medicine.
That's pretty common. Most people have only a limited
understanding of science and none whatsoever of cancer. It is,
after all, an extraordinarly complex and obscure disease.
However Bill is not like most people in that he doesn't know that
he doesn't understand his disease. He seems to think he's an
expert - so much so that he's offering advice to the whole world,
and even uses terms like "compelling proof" to describe what are
hopelessly inadequate theories.
Bill,
If you are reading this I want you to know that I genuinely
respect and appreciate your good intentions.
However I am criticizing you and I believe that you deserve
this criticism.
It's not enough to have good intentions. People could die
because they read your web pages and decide they don't need
medical treatment, all they need to do is change what they eat.
Do you want that on your conscience?
If you really think you understand cancer, pick up ANY standard
textbook on cancer and read a few pages. Every oncologist that
you meet will have read a number of those textbooks, as well as
many preceding books on medicine, anatomy, biology, chemistry,
and all the related topics.
Unless you can read those medical books on cancer and really
understand them, don't imagine for a moment that you're an expert
on it.
And PLEASE don't give dangerous medical advice to people.
Alan
I.P. Freely - 29 Feb 2008 18:37 GMT
Day in and year out, nobody here says it as accurately, succinctly.
plainly, articulately, rationally, and perceptively as Alan. Curtis came
close when he had the time, but he has, alas, faded from sight, so Alan
represents our voice of reason, IMO. He tells it like it is, but with
kid gloves.
I.P.
> My sense is that Bill is sincere. It looks to me like he
> believes what he says and really does want to help the world. I
[quoted text clipped - 48 lines]
>
> Alan
Alan Meyer - 29 Feb 2008 18:46 GMT
Thanks for the kind words I.P.
Alan
Steve Kramer - 29 Feb 2008 21:17 GMT
>> Is he actually naive about cause and effect?
> Steve,
>
> My sense is that Bill is sincere. It looks to me like he
> believes what he says and really does want to help the world.
<< much good advice redacted >>
Alan,
Once again I am humbled by your patience. You make me very happy I changed
"incredibly stupid" to "naive."