"Snake Oil for Sale": Gary Null (and void) back on the air?

ACTION ALERT FROM THE COMMUNITY HIV/AIDS MOBILIZATION PROJECT

WBAI (the NYC Pacifica radio station) is putting AIDS denialist Gary Null back on the air. They plan to give him five days a week to spout misinformation like HIV is not the cause of AIDS and all AIDS treatments are poison.

Null aims to expand his lies about HIV not causing AIDS, and the marketing of his own products, to all the listener-sponsored Pacifica stations.  No matter where you live, we need your help opposing this dangerous situation.

This is unacceptable:

- There is no valid debate on HIV as the cause of AIDS, just like there is no valid debate that the Holocaust occured.

- AIDS denialism kills people. Individuals are told to reject possible treatments and government leaders are encouraged to deny access to treatment.

- Arguing with denialists takes valuable time away from efforts fighting HIV/AIDS.

TAKE ACTION TODAY!

Wrapped in Data and Diplomas, It's Still Snake Oil

New York Times book Review, By KATHERINE BOUTON Published: November 1, 2010

Ben Goldacre is exasperated. He's not exactly angry - that would be much less fun to read - except in certain circumstances. He is irked, vexed, bugged, ticked off at the sometimes inadvertent (because of stupidity) but more often deliberate deceptions perpetrated in the name of science. And he wants you, the reader, to share his feelings.

His initial targets are benign. Health spas and beauty salons offer detox footbaths for $30 and up, or you can buy your own machine online for $149.99. You put your feet in salt water through which an electrical charge runs. The water turns brown, the result of electrolysis, and you're supposedly detoxed. Dr. Goldacre describes how one could produce the same effect with a Barbie doll, two nails, salt, warm water and a car battery charger, thus apparently detoxing Barbie. The method is dangerous, however, because of the chance of getting a nasty shock, and he wisely warns readers not to try his experiment themselves. As for homeopathy, he says that it may indeed work but it's not because of the ingredients in those pills. You can pay for Valmont Cellular DNA Complex (made from "specially treated salmon roe DNA"), but Vaseline works just as well as a moisturizer.