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Anti-Semitism History Holocaust Holocaust denial

David Irving: “Free speech” and Holocaust denial

If you’ve been a regular reader here, one thing you know about me is just how much I detest Holocaust denial. What I detest even more, however, is when a Holocaust denier wraps his Nazi apologia and anti-Semitism in the cloak of free speech, particularly when he tries to claim martyr status while doing it. […]

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Clinical trials Complementary and alternative medicine Medicine Surgery

Preventing injuries during surgery due to technical mistakes

You’ve probably heard the oft-repeated charge of “alternative” medicine advocates. If you get into a debate or conversation with one, you can almost count on seeing or hearing it before too long. Indeed, we heard a variant of this very claim yesterday coming from über-woomeister supreme Deepak Chopra. I’m referring, of course, to the rant […]

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Anti-Semitism History Holocaust Holocaust denial World War II

For another view on the David Irving fiasco at the Oxford Union

Max Hastings apparently disagrees with the disgust that I and many others expressed over Holocaust denier David Irving’s recent appearance at the Oxford Union. I’d almost agree with him, except that (1) I highly doubt, from reading the accounts, that any real “debate” occurred and (2) I don’t think the Oxford Union exercise did anything […]

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Antivaccine nonsense Autism Medicine Politics Pseudoscience Quackery Skepticism/critical thinking

Open-minded to the point of brains falling out: Antivaccinationists appointed to federal autism panel

We’ve had one example this week of people with minds so open that their brains fell out at the Oxford Union, which invited Holocaust denier and British National Party leader Nick Griffin to “discuss free speech.” Now, sadly, I see another, this time it’s the United States government, which has invited die-hard antivaccinationists to be […]

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Antivaccine nonsense Autism Medicine Surgery

The unbearable lightweightness of being David Kirby

Remember how I speculated that appointing die-hard antivaccinationists to the new federal panel on autism research and policy would be a propaganda boon to the antivaccination movement and the mercury militia? Surprise, surprise! It’s already happening. Even less of a surprise, first off the mark to gloat is everybody’s favorite whore for the mercury militia […]