here, I share a textual exchange I had with ND Maloney that occurred through Facebook in August of this year [see 001., below]; then I talk a little bit about his alma mater NCNM [see 002., below]:
001. ND Maloney [ND NCNM 2002] (this is his practice page) began the exchange [my comments are centered in blue, the original exchange is right justified]:
"[the ND] I read through your some of your UB stuff and it sounds like you got a bum rap
[a bum rap is usually when you are accused of something you didn't do, so I don't really know what he's saying here because I've not been accused of anything, I'm the accuser]
[...] I'm writing a book [...] the goal is not ultimately to promote or trash anything, it's to make sure stuff like what happened to you doesn't happen to anyone else
[...] I don't disagree with anything you wrote
[perhaps he is writing a book; how nice to engage in some kind of education consumer protection; perhaps it is like this ND's book on naturopathy (ISBN 0977655245)]
[...] I don't disagree with anything you wrote
[oh, I think we disagree on a lot of things! E.g.: you practice homeopathy, apparently!]
[...and he asks me some questions (Q)...here are my answers (A) to a few]
Q: "Trashing." A: If anything is being trashed, it is science, professional standards, human rights, and ethical rigor -- by naturopathy.
Q: "Some people shouldn't become N.D.s." A: Since 'the naturopathic' is essentially an irrational ruse, NOBODY should.
Q: I wondered if you'd mind if I provided a link to your site to give people a sense of the philosophical issues involved. A: My web pages are public, and it is well within fair-use rights to link to them or excerpt from them.
Q: The goal is not ultimately to promote or trash anything. A: I'd hope, if you are dealing with something 'professional,' that your goal is to promote the highest standards of professionalism. Such neurality [sp., 'neutrality']is epistemic cowardice.
Q: It's to make sure stuff like what happened to you doesn't happen to anyone else. A: That would be solved by stopping the false labelings going on by naturo.
[...and regarding a video he has up, I responded] now that I've seen the video [...] I'm rather disturbed by your admission that the naturo. route allows you to freely experiment on patients while, preponderantly, the health care system has constructed 'ethical safeties' in this modern era to protect vulnerable patients from experimental situations which may violate many human rights accords
[...the ND] goodness, now I'm a Nazi. Of course not. I have to meet the same ethical standards as the state M.D.s
[...me] I don't think naturo. has anywhere near the ethical standards of 'state M.D.s.' Take homeopathy for instance: pills with nothing in them, claimed to be medications. Or vital force and other supernatural figmentations claiming to be scientific fact
[yup; and, criticism of regular medicine still can't justify naturopathy]
[...the ND] have a look at the Wikipedia definition of the scientific method. It doesn't say anywhere that you should start out with an angry, closed mind. A closed mind in this case involves a belief system surrounding your experiences with naturopathic medicine and evidently a whole lot of false assumptions about conventional medicine
[I'm not angry, I'm appalled; my mind isn't closed because I've no dogma but a desire for evidence concerning naturopathy's claims; and my ideas about modern medicine still wouldn't excuse naturopathy, whose actions and contents must stand or fall on their own merit]
[I'm not angry, I'm appalled; my mind isn't closed because I've no dogma but a desire for evidence concerning naturopathy's claims; and my ideas about modern medicine still wouldn't excuse naturopathy, whose actions and contents must stand or fall on their own merit]
[...] I have no interest in debating the various aspects of naturopathic medicine with you. I would love for you to take that formidable intellect and point it toward your own sacred cow, modern medicine [...] it’s a corrupt system run by people making a profit, and it’s killing a lot of people
[if there are problems concerning modern medicine, they still do not excuse naturopathy; naturopathy which is so corrupt in terms of its ideas; and I'm sure you make money doing it]
[...] don’t you understand that regardless of your degree you are desperately needed to help oppose the catastrophic health care crisis we’re in right now? Forget the philosophy. It’s about doing some common sense things to help people. You could have spent the last eight years becoming the expert you should be in alternative medicine
[ah, but 'philosophy is the guide of life'; and I am an expert in naturopathy]
[...] it is an obscene waste of your brainpower to spend it deconstructing the idiots in any profession
[how about a pseudoprofession of idiocy]
[...] a big thank you from all of us N.D.s. Don’t you realize that naturopathic medicine has basically no publicity? Yelling about it only brings it to people’s attention. They won’t listen to you, they’ll just know to come see me. Because you aren’t offering any options
[we'll see]
[...] let me award you the gold medal you justly deserve. You win the debate, and it’s all hogwash. Now, could you get down off your stupid soapbox
[if only that medal equaled all the expense and damages! I appreciate your candor concerning the hogwash. And, I've a right to free speech and expression]
[if only that medal equaled all the expense and damages! I appreciate your candor concerning the hogwash. And, I've a right to free speech and expression]
[...] no one cares about our philosophy
[well, since it tramples all over categories like science and religion -- and is false in terms of commerce -- I think this matters, even if NDs don't, I think, actually think]
[...] maybe you should take a deep breath, realize really crappy things happen to everyone, and move on"
[ah, if only justice was that simple; and who is to decode, expose and warn the general public about this racket then?].
002. NCNM states some serious absurdity in:
002.a. "Principles of Healing":
"the practice of naturopathic medicine emerges from six principles of healing. These principles are based on the objective observation of the nature of health and disease and are examined continually in light of scientific analysis [(so this is science)...] these principles stand as the distinguishing marks of the profession [professions claim]: [#1] the healing power of nature -- vis medicatrix naturae: the body has the inherent ability to establish, maintain, and restore health. The healing process is ordered and intelligent [(hmmm, it is a sentient entity?)]; nature heals through the response of the life force [(the science-ejected)...] the process of healing includes the generation of symptoms, which are, in fact [(factuality claim)], expressions of the life force [(the science-ejected)] attempting to heal itself [...] the practice of promoting health through stimulation of the vital force [(the science-ejected)...] causes may occur on many levels, including physical, mental-emotional, and spiritual [(science-exterior supernaturalistic belief)...] health and disease are conditions of the whole organism, involving a complex interaction of physical, spiritual [(ditto)...] the physician must also make a commitment to her/his personal and spiritual development [(ditto)]."
Note: so, by decree, this page reveals that naturopathy claims as science that which isn't, and mandates certain 'faithy' articles by their practitioners and graduates to be so falsely labeled. You take an oath to this stuff; this is their standard of practice. It is quite certain that there is no distinction, from this 'philosophy' [retardedness?], between actual science and sectarian articles of faith. Actual science was never done, replicated, peer-reviewed, and published to establish -- and I know it is quite irrational as a project anyway -- the logical equation of science with the science-ejected and science-unsupported. It's lunacy. But, according to ND Maloney, that doesn't really matter because people want options and I guess by that measure then, a used car dealer who rips people off is merely one option of many in the marketplace.
002.b. and this has been codified into Oregon law.
