To continue with our extemely popular weekend funny pages; simultaneoulsy to assist once again the bespotted prof. Moore whose truthful website cannot seem to emerge from invisibility, and as well to demonstrate further the even-handedness of YBYL and its growing by the minute staff, we present:
The Moore Manifesto
- H.I.V. causes AIDS. This is not a controversial claim but an established fact, based on more than 20 years of solid science. It is as certain as the descent of humans from apes and the falling of dropped objects to the ground (1).
- To deny that HIV causes AIDS is farcical in the face of the scientific evidence (2). Although science is not an ivory tower that should never be questioned (3), the fundamentals of whether HIV causes AIDS are so certain that challenging them to create trouble really does harm people. (3)
- AIDS denialism kills. (3)
- Scientists who are also AIDS denialists are unworthy adversaries. One should only debate science with credible scientists, and no credible scientist could ever dispute the causative role of HIV infection in AIDS (4).
- Again: Any scientist who claims that HIV does not cause AIDS is simply not credible, essentially as a point of definition. The evidence is so overwhelming that a credible scientist could not fail to understand and accept it. Would astrophysicists and geologists debate with people who believed the moon was made of green cheese? (4)
- Space aliens will no doubt be a cause soon (3).
- The normal rules don't apply when dealing with AIDS denialists (5).
- The concept of an "honest debate" with AIDS denialists is an oxymoron. AIDS denialists are not intellectually honest enough to debate with (6).
- The science community does not "debate" with the AIDS denialists, it treats them with the utter contempt that they deserve and exposes them for the charlatans that they are (4).
- We will not engage in any public or private debate with AIDS denialists or respond to requests from journalists who overtly support AIDS denialist causes (7).
- The debate has been settled. It is not our role to enlighten denialists as to their inability to understand the available information (7).
- Some AIDS denialists work in bona fide universities. Some even teach students. If this happens in your neighborhood ask the university authorities why they allow this and then write about it (3).
- Science and health journalists should talk to the editorial desk and letters editors and vice versa to ensure that AIDS denialist letters are spotted on arrival and spiked, not published (3).
- A few of the AIDS denialists are scientists whose careers fizzled out; but others are zealots with extreme political views (both on the far-right and the far-left) who find AIDS denialism politically convenient; and some are deeply troubled individuals with disturbing behavior patterns who deserve pity and professional help (8).
Signed:
John P. Moore, Professor of Microbiology and Immunology, Weill Medical College of Cornell University
Mark Wainberg, MD
References [added 24 March 2007]:
1. "Deadly Quackery", op-ed in New York Times, 4 June 2006
2. Letter to South Africa's President Thabo Mbeki, "Expression of Concern by HIV Scientists"
3. "HIV Science and Responsible Journalism", XVI International AIDS Conference, 13 August 2006 ***
4. Email from John Moore to Darin Brown
5. Email from John Moore to David Steele
6. Email from John Moore to Dean Esmay
7. AIDSTruth.org website, "Answering AIDS Denialists and AIDS Lies"
8. Amazon review of "Oncogenes, Aneuploidy, and AIDS"
Note: Others wishing to sign the manifesto may do so via comment. Only real names with verifiable emails, please. No initials or cyber-names will be accepted.
Otis, or whoever you are,
You may think you do a fair job of imitation, but with your typical denialist propensities for exaggeration you have gone too far. Not even my colleague in "HIV/AIDS research", the inestimable John Moore would say some of these things you have attributed to him. (Although I can't say the same for Mark, who is similar to Bialy and likely to say anything to get some attention, however puerile.)
In any case, this festering and meaningless whatever you call it that you think you are doing here has gone past any bounds of propriety, and I would advise you to cease and desist immediately, before, OMG, LAWYERS might become involved.
Posted by: Mario S. | November 12, 2006 at 10:07 AM
Did somebody say lawyers?
Mario S., or whichever Mario Bros. you are,
If you wish to wager fees, court costs and damages on your propostion above, an email to my address can initiate the proceedings.
In the meantime, may I inquire if you are any relation to the "Real Name" Mario Stevenson that published the following "appreciation" of Dr. Bialy's fine book on Amazon.com?
Don't bother, July 2, 2006
Reviewer: Mario Stevenson (Shrewsbury, MA USA)
I don't understand why anyone would lionize a scientist (Duesberg) who opposes the fact that AIDS is caused by a virus. Duesberg's theories on AIDS are total hogwash and dangerous hogwash at that. A book on Duesberg is a waste of paper.
Because if you are, I am surprised that you did not sign the quoted, previously published words of your colleague in "HIV/AIDS research", instead of taking pretended affront at some of them.
Posted by: Otis B. Driftwood | November 12, 2006 at 10:28 AM
I cannot help but wonder if the "e-facing" of identities detectable on this weekend's funny page was not previously visioned in this exchange of letters published in the Boston Phoenix in 1972 by Celia Gilbert, wife of Walter, who edited the poetry and book review pages at the time.
Posted by: Charles Stein | November 12, 2006 at 12:07 PM
Mario is a pretty funny guy, as anyone who's ever bothered to read what Moore has written knows (and as that ambulance chaser, Otis B., pointed out above), the "Manifesto" matches his public statements perfectly.
Posted by: Dean Esmay | November 12, 2006 at 02:08 PM
I enjoy these amusing posts as well as the next person, but where exactly on YBYL can I find an opportunity for scientific discourse?
Peter Duesberg's columns, for example, are now closed for comment, and my honest, polite, and well-intentioned questions in reply to his October 30th column (in which Prof. Duesberg refers to molecular details as "techno-babble") have remained unanswered, despite the assurances of the gatekeeper who calls himself Otis.
I am a scientist trying to keep an open mind on the issue of HIV/AIDS, and I place tremendous value on dissent...when it consists of more than name-calling, obfuscating, and selective use of data. So far, my experiences with the dissenting crowd have been (scientifically) no more enlightening than my interactions with the servile mainstreamers...although I would love for you all to prove me wrong.
Note: From "the gatekeeper who calls himself Otis". Dr. ED, The comments to that Duesberg post were closed to allow time for a thoughtful reply to your question. I think that this week you will receive a scientific response that will either satisfy or lead to further discussion. However, as with the one you initiated, it will be restricted to two persons, at least initially. To Dan and Pat. .. While I appreciate, more or less, the sentiments in your two vanished posts, I do not think the satirical post to which they were attached really merits such venom and seriousness.
Note 2: The discussion Dr. ED wished was continued here on November 14.
Posted by: ED | November 13, 2006 at 01:54 PM
We now have two sites up with the documentary HIV=AIDS - Fact or Fraud? which are reaching people through the internet like never before! We have logged almost 100,000 visitors in the last 8 months. A whole new generation of people are beginning to question the HIV/AID$ machine.
Your current link to the former Google site may not be active, but we have two more that are.
Both have a free 20 minute version (short) of the documentary. We recently took the longer version down off Google because we found the shorter version is more widely viewed than the entire 2- hour documentary. This should allow more people to see the essential information. Plus we need to market the DVD and download to do more in the future. We hope to put up lectures by Dr. Rodney Richards and Dr. Dave Rasnick soon along with some other things.
On our site you can get a free STREAMING short version or a PODCAST or a regular DOWNLOAD all for for free. Or you can order the entire program on DVD or a download from this site:
http://www.hiv-aids-factorfraud.com
We also have links to other RA sites here. This file is smaller and better quality than the old Google file and easier to send and receive.
We also have bulk DVD orders available at reduced prices. On Google you can go to this link to get the free short version:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6830231400057553023
Thanks for all your good work! Keep it up!
Stephen Allen
Starvision Productions.
Posted by: Starvision | November 23, 2006 at 11:07 PM
29 November Update: In the next issue of Nature Biotechnology, there is a very favorable book review I authored of a new history of the field by Eric Vettel called, The Countercultural Origins of an Industry. [Dec. 7. A copy of the review was published here today. Otis] A short while ago I received a note from Dr. Andrew Marshall, NBT's editor, thanking me for it, and attaching this most illuminating and for some very disturbing piece of genomics research concerning our least favorite "virus", that is certain as well to disappoint some in Australia hoping the Murchison meteroite would be "the source", while putting large and well deserved smiles on the faces of others in Perth. Since Prof. Moore is under delusions about my relationship with my former journal (in addition to about a million or four other things), I thought it appropriate to put the link to this quite amazing paper here.
28 November Update:
One might have thought that the petulent professor would have had sufficient with the publication of the letters (see below) to remain silent. (All of his superiors to whom I often forward exchanges with him -- David Ho, Kendall Smith, Anthony Fauci -- have the fundamental intelligence to never answer me, although they do not block me either -- at least until now.)
One would be of course wrong in such an anticipation, and I have not published any of the numerous and utterly stupid electronic missives that have flown from my trash bin to his and back again in the short interm. I will only say that my emails were unconventionally typed and quite brief in comparison to his own. They were also much funnier on their surface, and each produced exactly a previously advertised (to the above list, and others) result, and within the predicted time. Not bad for a "failed scientist at the end of a worthless career" as John likes to repeat, and repeat.
But he also likes to repeat the small piece of slanderous inference that caused more than a few inquiries as to whether I had in fact been "disaffiliated" by my institute.
So yesterday I sent an email below to the director of the IBT, which along with his reply, is quoted below:
"hola carlos
have you by any chance been in receipt, perhaps second or third hand, of correspondence from that [xpletive deleted] at cornell med school, jp moore to unam big shots trying to get me "disaffiliated" or whatever?
if so i would LOVE to see them and will publish them on YBYL for the world to see
i am not interested in the replies to his basura, so nobody at unam need worry about their names appearing..i will make the addressees of his diatribe(s) generic
thanks
harvey
from: Carlos Arias
to me, Alejandro
Nov 27 (14 hours ago)
Hi Harvey,
I have not received any e-mail "to unam big shots", at least not to my filtered mail. If I get one of those, I will let you know.
Best
Carlos
Carlos F. Arias
Instituto de Biotecnologia/UNAM
The original comment of 26 November:
Yesterday, I sent one of my irregular, quick and nasty emails to my favorite AIDS chimp, I mean chump, the always predictable, JP Moore.
Since I have had his email blocked forever, he is forced to communicate his essential retorts to my 10 second barbs through his stooge in South Africa, Nicoli however she spells her last name.
Two things: I exaggerated the sales of my book to correspond to the Durban reference (expecting and receiving just such a reply as I got in the first paragraph). It is, however, doing surprisingly well since July when JP decided to help me on the Amazon.
2. I omit my rude reply other than to say he is "as usual *all* wrong". I also find it amusing that they address me as "Harvey" like we were friends, almost. I will refrain from remarking on the rhetorical question with which he closes. o)
Here is what I wrote the venomous gusano:
Subect field: Sales of OAA
Body text: have now surpassed the signatories to the DD. Must be a lot of denialists out there doncha think? Hope you had a very indigestable "holiday". Your Manifesto is a BIG HIT on YBYL btw ...1500+ separate views - I know denialists all, not a single person you know laughing at you.
ciao
harvey
On 11/26/06, Nicoli Nattrass wrote:
Harvey,
Just in case you didnt get this one - here is a reply from John Moore...
Nicoli
Forwarded message
From: John P. Moore
Date: Nov 25, 2006 11:04 PM
Subject: Re: Sales of OAA
To: bialy harvey
Cc:Darin Brown
But what REALLY matters is that the AIDS denialists have been completely defeated where it counts - in South Africa and in the legal systems of the western world. From those victories, my colleagues and I derive enormous personal satisfaction. What you people do on some silly web-site is really of no (c)onsequence.
By the way, I hear you've been disaffiliated by your Mexican university - no wonder you now have so much time on your hands to make Hank's site even less readable than it was before he had to give it up. Funny isn't it how you people get defeated so often, and we don't....... All it takes is a few letters and emails from real people with consciences to other real people with consciences.
Who's the real turkey then?
John
Note: There are undoubtedly more than a few who are reading this string with ever-widening eyes and dropping jaws because they are actually encountering the unbelievable professor for the first time. In addition to looking at the "Moore Follies" and other items in "The Best of Barnes" sidebar, they may also wish to examine this "more" recent item. [Otis, 26 November]
Posted by: Harvey Bialy (29/11 Update: The Phoenix Rises) | November 29, 2006 at 12:12 PM
It has come to my attention that there are some who do not believe that the bullets in the "Moore Manifesto" above are real quotations from the professor.
I have now added citation numbers after each item with its source.
Posted by: Darin Brown | March 24, 2007 at 03:14 PM