Wall Street Bets the Fed Is Bluffing in High-Stakes Inflation Game

[Triplethought]

Yodean I'm curious how you would define the term "alternative medicine"

[harryg]

I posted this awhile back, something to consider:

Thx for reposting all this interesting stuff, I had not seen it.

No medical training, but a 'healthy' skepticism of medical establishment. You can't live in France for 20 years without asking yourself WTF? Systematic overprescription meets a hypochondriac population.


To obliquely address TripleT, as I'm sure you know I don't believe in any conspiracy theories, nor in dark shadowy creatures. I don't think that doctors are corrupt or bought off. However, they are only exposed to one side of the 'story', and it's a rare one indeed who has the time or inclination to question it.


I did like it in the Big Bang Theory when Sheldon is at home with his Mum, and she says that Evolution is an opinion.

Sheldon: Thanks to you, my career is over, and I will spend the rest of my life here in Texas trying to teach evolution to creationists.

Mrs. Cooper: You watch your mouth, Shelly. Everyone's entitled to their opinion.

Sheldon: But evolution is not opinion, it's a fact.

Mrs. Cooper: And that is your opinion.

[Yodean]

Thx for reposting all this interesting stuff, I had not seen it.

However, they are only exposed to one side of the 'story', and it's a rare one indeed who has the time or inclination to question it.

I think I wrote that before you joined the TIT forums. Before I learned how to Spin The Wheel, I used to write a lot of long posts here - rantings - somewhat fun to do at times, while waiting for good entry and exit points on my trades.

There is much truth to your second sentence. Once MDs have completed the generally fairly arduous and long training, they want to "get on with it": make some real $$$ working long hours, get married (if they haven't already) or get divorced and move on to the next, young trophy spouse (i.e. abandoning the one that stuck with him through thick and thin and often provided income for him during the lean years of medical school, residency, and various fellowships - sadly, a common storyline), buy a house and a new car or two, pay off student loans, quickly have a few children before the next divorce sparked by constant visits from absolutely gorgeous Big Pharma reps, etc.

So not a lot of time left to constantly question mainstream medical narratives, or clinical "Best Practice Guidelines," and so forth. You are given a big hammer to use, so you look for nails to hit.

It is what it is ...

[Yodean]

Yodean I'm curious how you would define the term "alternative medicine"

I'm using it loosely - anything that falls outside of mainstream Western medicine's conception of medicine. Could also be called "Complementary Medicine."

The Woke find both terms somewhat demeaning - "alternative" and "complementary" both suggest "inferior," or "not as important."

Still, we have to use a common language.

A lot of alternative medicine isn't great (i.e. using crystals to heal a tumour prolly isn't the best idea), but a lot of it is potentially extremely powerful, when used in the right situations: e.g. acupuncture, Ayurvedic stuff (btw if you can find a really good Ayurvedic dude - there are the usual scammers, of course - worthwhile to get a general consultation to see how to optimize your health), there are others.

As for lack of proper scientific evidence, etc., one must remember that absence of evidence is not evidence of its lack.

Money talks, and without funding, a lot of alternative medicine will never be tested in double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trials. Just not enough money for Big Pharma to get involved, especially since you can't patent a certain practice. Don't mean it don't work.

There are no double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trials that jumping out of an airplane at 10k feet without a parachute by yourself is a bad idea, after all ...

[Triplethought]

Yodean I'm curious how you would define the term "alternative medicine"

I'm using it loosely - anything that falls outside of mainstream Western medicine's conception of medicine. Could also be called "Complementary Medicine."

The Woke find both terms somewhat demeaning - "alternative" and "complementary" both suggest "inferior," or "not as important."

Still, we have to use a common language.

A lot of alternative medicine isn't great (i.e. using crystals to heal a tumour prolly isn't the best idea), but a lot of it is potentially extremely powerful, when used in the right situations: e.g. acupuncture, Ayurvedic stuff (btw if you can find a really good Ayurvedic dude - there are the usual scammers, of course - worthwhile to get a general consultation to see how to optimize your health), there are others.

As for lack of proper scientific evidence, etc., one must remember that absence of evidence is not evidence of its lack.

Money talks, and without funding, a lot of alternative medicine will never be tested in double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trials. Just not enough money for Big Pharma to get involved, especially since you can't patent a certain practice. Don't mean it don't work.

There are no double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trials that jumping out of an airplane at 10k feet without a parachute by yourself is a bad idea, after all ...

My definition of alternative or complementary medicine is simply "Something that hasn't been scientifically proven to work". For example at one time willow bark for headaches was an alternative medicine. Once it was concentrated, the compound isolated, a method of operation theorized, that method tested, and impacts on headache double blind studied to demonstrate it's effective it became just "aspirin" and is no longer "complementary or alternative" it's just "medicine". A lot of people seize on this example to point out that natural medicines are highly effective and man made or pharmaceutical medicines are Shit. I believe whatever works and can be double blind studied as effective is "medicine". Testing stuff by observing your patients or yourself is the epitome of anecdotal evidence and should simply be avoided because we know so many things that aren't so (refer to the book of that title).

So now we've established that alternative and complementary medicine falls into the category of "not proven". Some things, like acupuncture have traditionally been difficult to double blind study. However what we do know is different practitioners place the needles differently for the same malady (which is highly suspicious) and that when "false needles" are placed the effect is exactly the same. So acupuncture is very likely to be bullshit. Or rather I should say very likely to work thru a combination of placebo effect and the Hawthorne effect. Plenty of money gets spent on studying it - and some of that is in the hallowed universities (which have no shortage of quacks). Quackery is quackery my friend.

[SOL]

So now we've established that alternative and complementary medicine falls into the category of "not proven". Some things, like acupuncture have traditionally been difficult to double blind study. However what we do know is different practitioners place the needles differently for the same malady (which is highly suspicious) and that when "false needles" are placed the effect is exactly the same. So acupuncture is very likely to be bullshit. Or rather I should say very likely to work thru a combination of placebo effect and the Hawthorne effect. Plenty of money gets spent on studying it - and some of that is in the hallowed universities (which have no shortage of quacks). Quackery is quackery my friend.

https://youtu.be/6xsq02XZNQQ

@TTH Here is something interesting. You claim to believe in the scientific process but what you actually do is have faith in it. Faith is essentially blindly believing in a concept. The scientific process is based on valid research, but you assume the research done by others is valid, even though the Drug industry is dominated by one factor (profit) and there are many studies indicating that double-blind studies can be doctored to produce a desired outcome.

For example, everyone assumed the COVID shot was a legit vaccine when it was initially approved, but it was not; it was an experimental drug that was given the authorization to be used without going through the rigorous phase 3 testing. Hence the scientific process was aborted to some degree, and everyone assumed all was well. And for the most part, as expected, it proved to be totally useless. However, the useless part is a different story; the majority bought into the lie that it could be called a vaccine.

More proof that while there are good drugs and that medicine can work in some areas, there is also a clear signal that medical field is governed by a profit motive. Despite pouring billions into research, there is no cure for cancer, aids, diabetes and a host of other diseases. Many papers illustrate that no cure will be found because having no solution is far more profitable than having one.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-z_W3yRA9I8

Let's talk about the placebo effect. Your faith in doctors could be construed as a placebo effect. In fact, everything could indirectly be related to a placebo effect as it's based on your perception. You think the girl you are dating is hot and nice, so you start having feelings for her. You discover she is a bitch three years later, and you now want to dump her. Your Dr tells you he found a new drug that cures shingles; if your faith in him is high enough, you will be cured. Drs have done this before, and the results are astounding, proving that something more than the medicine is at play

Having said that, who cares if it's a placebo or not? You can measure the results via Lab testing. If lab testing shows me that eating chocolates and honey lowers my cortisol levels, I am fine with that. In fact, my approach would be more scientific than yours, which is solely based on your faith in the system. I rigorously test every supplement I take by measuring its effects before and after and always follow up with lab work, and this is the same approach many in the group that was formed years ago take. I don't blindly believe in natural medicine, nor do I blindly believe in drugs; for example, if I have a bacterial infection, I am not going to take echinacea to cure it. I will take antibiotics but do so in a novel manner, and I will combine them with some natural supplements to speed up the recovery. However, on the same token, I will definitely not take a flu shot as the flu is dangerously easy to cure.

Another example is that the system is rotten, and I apply this is equally applicable to the field of holistic medicine, which you rightly pointed out before is filled with lots of snake oil salesman, but you failed to make the same distinction with the medical industry. The US spends more on health care than anyone else in the world, top drugs, so-called top treatments, top Drs, top hospitals and yet it has a life expectancy that could be considered pathetic to many developing countries that spend a fraction of what the US spends. Worse yet, one could argue that the quality of life provided by these treatments is terrible; you might live longer, but if you live like a vegetable, what's the point?
The US is number 46 on this list when it comes to longevity

https://www.worldometers.info/demograph ... xpectancy/



Honest drug companies in action

Pfizer and BioNTech said Monday that they have asked the Food and Drug Administration to authorize a new booster shot targeted at the Omicron BA.4/BA.5 strain of the coronavirus that causes Covid-19, the first step in a process that could lead to more effective booster shots.

Notably, in the same press release, the companies said that a clinical study investigating the safety, tolerability, and immunogenicity of the vaccine, which also includes the original Covid strain, is expected to start this month, meaning data would not be available for the FDA to consider.

https://www.statnews.com/2022/08/22/pfi ... rial-data/

In finishing, let me add that I am sure if you were in charge of a pharmaceutical company, it would be run ethically, and there would be no curve fitting involved. You would fully adhere to the scientific process in terms of testing. However, there are not too many chaps with your ethics. I fear that you assume that others in the science arena share your values.

Okay, my two cents on the topic.

[scott]

However, there are not too many chaps with your ethics. I fear that you assume that others in the science arena share your values.

Okay, my two cents on the topic.

Figures don't lie, but, liars can figure.

[nicolas]

I fear that you assume that others in the science arena share your values.

I think most people have these two blind spots:

• Refusing to accept that some people in positions of authority are ill-intentioned,

• Over-estimating the ability of others.

For regular, good-natured folks, it’s almost impossible to accept that some of the individuals in charge of their governments, their corporations, or any other institution, are willing to destroy thousands or even millions of lives to further their own selfish interests.

And yet History, both ancient and recent, abound with such examples.

Being a ruthless liar without a moral compass is without a doubt an advantage in climbing the ladder of government and bureaucracy. So, by something akin to Darwinian evolution, the top of the food chain will have a higher concentration of sociopaths than the bottom, where most of us are. No need for conspiracy theories. It’s just common sense.

Ironically, people have no problem projecting these “evil intentions” onto those they’ve been programmed to identify as “the enemy.” Even when it makes zero sense. But never onto those they desperately want to believe are on their side.

And that’s only for the matter of intention, now there’s also the issue of competence.

People make mistakes and cover their asses. People cut corners to get ahead, even meticulous scientists. People bullshit their way into higher positions and then have to maintain the appearance they know what they’re doing despite having no clue what’s going on. (The financial industry is a prime example of that!) Then there’s nepotism, quotas, diversity hires, etc.

I’m sure we’ve all seen it in our jobs. So why would it be different anywhere else?

[MarkD]

https://www.dw.com/en/living-in-fear-th ... a-62672634

[Yodean]

I think most people have these two blind spots:

• Refusing to accept that some people in positions of authority are ill-intentioned,

• Over-estimating the ability of others.

For regular, good-natured folks, it’s almost impossible to accept that some of the individuals in charge of their governments, their corporations, or any other institution, are willing to destroy thousands or even millions of lives to further their own selfish interests.

Indeed, often the smartest people I know fall victim to the two blind spots you mention.

Once those blind spots are in place, no matter how "smart" you are, you are basically doomed.

[Eric]

the majority bought into the lie that it could be called a vaccine.

Because the CDC changed the definition of vaccine from something that "gives you immunity" to "literally anything that might possibly help in any way".



By that definition I can tell people I'm "fully vaxxed" (I generally tell people "I'm a pureblood") because I have taken more vitamin D supplements than the recommended number of Pfizer jabs of equally waning (if any) efficacy.

Another example is that the system is rotten, and I apply this to holistic medicine in the state, which you rightly pointed out before is filled with lots of snake oil salesman, but you failed to make the same distinction with the medical industry. The US spends more on health care than anyone else in the world, top drugs, so-called top treatments, top Drs, top hospitals and yet it has a life expectancy that could be considered pathetic to many developing countries that spend a fraction of what the US spends. Worse yet, one could argue that the quality of life provided by these treatments is terrible; you might live longer, but if you live like a vegetable, what's the point?
The US is number 46 on this list when it comes to longevity

https://www.worldometers.info/demograph ... xpectancy/

And the USA average "healthcare" spend is over $12,000/year/person! India spends just $64/year/person and they barely rank lower than the USA in healthcare quality.

Honest drug companies in action

Pfizer and BioNTech said Monday that they have asked the Food and Drug Administration to authorize a new booster shot targeted at the Omicron BA.4/BA.5 strain of the coronavirus that causes Covid-19, the first step in a process that could lead to more effective booster shots.

Notably, in the same press release, the companies said that a clinical study investigating the safety, tolerability, and immunogenicity of the vaccine, which also includes the original Covid strain, is expected to start this month, meaning data would not be available for the FDA to consider.

https://www.statnews.com/2022/08/22/pfi ... rial-data/

In finishing, let me add that I am sure if you were in charge of a pharmaceutical company, it would be run ethically, and there would be no curve fitting involved. You would fully adhere to the scientific process in terms of testing. However, there are not too many chaps with your ethics. I fear that you assume that others in the science arena share your values.

Okay, my two cents on the topic.

Let's also go ask the shot nurse at your local death-dealer....errrrr....jab center for the one and only FDA approved BioNTech shot... Oh, wait, they won't have it because it doesn't actually exist! They are still only dispensing EUA shots because the "approved" shot is imaginary.

[deepthinker]

FDA equates to Federal Dumb Asses so what else can you expect from the Eric

[Do-or-Die]

The Fed is wise and cunning (maybe evil might be a better word) but anyway their ploy is to act like bumbling idiots while extracting exactly what they want. No matter how stupid they act, they get what they want and those that are part of this club always take the average Joe to the cleaners. So I don't quite understand what ground the so-called experts stand on when in the overall scope of things, the PPT or the Fed always win. So those experts claiming that the Fed does not know what its doing, need to stop sipping from the bowl that is filled with crock and move to the one labelled cocaine, maybe their analysis will leap to new heights after that

[SOL]

The Fed is wise and cunning (maybe evil might be a better word) but anyway their ploy is to act like bumbling idiots while extracting exactly what they want. No matter how stupid they act, they get what they want and those that are part of this club always take the average Joe to the cleaners. So I don't quite understand what ground the so-called experts stand on when in the overall scope of things, the PPT or the Fed always win. So those experts claiming that the Fed does not know what its doing, need to stop sipping from the bowl that is filled with crock and move to the one labelled cocaine, maybe their analysis will leap to new heights after that

The Fed (and its mates) act dumb but make out like bandits. So who is the dumb one; the Fed or the ones observing the deed while taking no action? Something to ponder over DoD

[Triplethought]

I can sum it up in one paragraph I have hard data on my side, verified by myself, and I have quite a decent background in science-related topics (biology, Chemistry, etc.). And when I mean hard data, I mean from people I know from various races, backgrounds etc, who all have high cholesterol and lived long lives and many of them are still alive and in their 90's. Theory only goes so far.

That is the exact opposite of hard data. That is the very definition of anecdotal evidence.