Anyone else get discouraged by the preponderance of bullshit here?

[laconicsax]

On this supposedly progressive, pro-education board, seen posts supporting homeopathy, reiki, geocentrism, religious dogma as fact, and more "new-age" pseudoscientific bullshit than I care to think about, chemtrail-esque conspiracy theories, etc.

It's like it isn't even worth it to counter the garbage.

[Odin2005]

1. And don't forget Mr. Electric Universe.

[TZ]

2. Why do you think I don't post much anymore?

I really can't stand it . On the front page of DU yesterday was a post about how awful anti-psychotic medicine were with some flaming moron commenting on how her daughter used to be bi-polar but quit her meds and is all better. The fact that the complete stupids here don't seem to understand the concept of mental illness as a real and dangerous condition is infuriating. Lets not even get into the fact that the fools think that no real disease exists that only unneccessary drugs are ever made by pharmaceuticals...
I am depressed by how often people here seem to be incapable of even passing elementary school science. Stuff I've taken for granted that everyone knows, seems to be not so much the case. But what do I know, I clearly need to get back to work inventing a new disease to sell drugs because my own bone marrow disorder is just something drug companies made me believe I had to buy their expensive meds..:sarcasm:

[Deep13]

3. You just need herbal supplements to boost your immune system is all.

:crazy:

Some people have not gotten past the idea that illness has spiritual causes rather than physical ones. This is especially true with mental or emotional disorders where the real cause is not well understood. My mother thinks that being more forgiving and meditating is a cure for depression and anxiety. It really is medieval thinking.


She thinks my allergies will be cures by avoiding sugar. She has this idea that anything physically wrong is caused by a blood infection that can only be cured by totally elimination sugar from ones diet. (Um, how? Our bodies require sugar to function and the liver will make it out of protein if there isn't enough of it.) I looked up what she was talking about. It's a quack "theory" which supposes that the Candida fungus can infect the blood as though it were a bacteria. Hey! Susan, maybe if you cut out all sugar it will cure your problem! Or maybe you are addicted to the expensive, unpleasant drugs that are saving your life.

[TZ]

5. "Candida causes cancer"!

Has been posted here before. I feel sad that you have this nonsense spouted at you by your family. I get it too, but in much smaller doses now that my family knows I don't like it.

[Warpy]

13. There's one in the "health" forum about some joker

who cured his psoriasis with herbal nonsense after two dermatologists said it was something he'd always have. He now hates doctors.

There was so much stupidity in that thread I didn't bother. Sometimes it's just wiser to walk away.

[laconicsax]

15. I finally realized why that thread just bugged the crap out of me.

If it were titled: "Why I Don't Trust Black People," and recounted an incident where the OP felt threatened by an African-American and was comforted by a white friend, the thread would proceed in exactly the same manner with people agreeing/echoing the OP and others rebuking the OP for generalizing an entire group for one incident with one person.

[TZ]

16. Well, when he gets his psoriasis back

when he's completely stressed out at the worst possible time, he thank his happy magic herbs. ROFL.

[Deep13]

4. It's a kind of puritanical thinking that equates illness with bad living (sin, basically)...

...even though it is being phrased in liberal PC terms.

[LeftishBrit]

8. I think this is in fact what bothers me the most about such attitudes

That somehow if you lived 'right' you would avoid illness; and therefore you should not be availing yourself of professional medical help, but taking full responsibility for your own 'wellness'. It reminds me of right-wing attitudes to poor people who need government assistance.

And it's not always even phrased in liberal PC terms; there are quite a few links to explicitly right-wing sources.

[Odin2005]

9. Bingo. This crap is just the modern PC version of "you are being punished by God for sin".

[ZombieHorde]

6. Yes, but there are probably fake things I believe in. nt

[mr blur]

7. "It's like it isn't even worth it to counter the garbage."

I feel the same way; I just end up feeling I'm in another argument with some whackjob who thinks I have a "closed mind". Or that I'm rude or disrespectful (which, to be fair, I usually am).

[Warpy]

14. If I see a level of stupidity that's downright dangerous

I'll allow myself one post. Then I hit "hide thread."

[TZ]

17. I need the discipline to do "hide thread"

Generally I'll post, get mad and not come back to DU cause I don't want to deal with it. Your method is better!

[Silent3]

10. Geocentrism?

I've seen quite a variety of woo and weirdness on DU, but I haven't run into that one here before. Some variety of Biblical literalism, perhaps?

[laconicsax]

11. In the science forum, no less.

The direct implication of a recent comment by a regular poster is a stationary Earth at the center of the universe, and not in the context of any form of fundamentalism.

[realisticphish]

12. It's been months since I posted regularly

and this is a large part of the reason why. It just isn't worth it. I don't have the odd anti-DU hate that some ex-posters have, but I'm to the point where... meh. Just meh.