Saturday, April 07, 2007

Media Madness

You couldn't explain the process if you tried, but you're transported to a bustling newsroom. Nearby, you can hear a woman telling her story to an executive. Apparently, she'd been told by a doctor that she and her husband would never be able to conceive. Nevertheless, they were able to do so, and this proved the doctor wrong, exposing the flaws in the modern medical establishment.

She then continues with her pet conspiracy theory: That Big Pharma doesn't want to cure cancer because it would be bad for business. After all, we've been fighting cancer for decades now, and have only been able to cure the more minor types.

Explain to her that a single anecdote doesn't disprove the validity of the medical profession. They're still right more far more often then they're wrong, even though there are always extreme cases.

Explain to her that there has indeed been significant progress made in the fight against cancer. The fact that it hasn't been won only shows how difficult a foe cancer is, not that medical researchers would rather let people die than run out of work.

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