I am not a healthcare professional. I write on modern antisemitism. However, your essay resonated with me greatly. Over the past year and a half, we have all collectively seen what has happened at these asshole factories—oh, sorry, “elite universities”—that have allowed toxic and hateful rhetoric to substitute for real intellectual inquiry. When you mentioned “The Lancet,” I almost screamed. That journal has been one of the worst offenders in this mess. Academic journals, no matter the discipline, are not bastions of intellectual rigor. They are simply expressions of the orthodoxies of the journal editors themselves, no matter how ridiculous the claims.
But remember, at these "elite" universities, it is publish or perish to obtain/maintain tenure. It doesn't seem to matter that what is published is BS and/or factually incorrect....it just matters that it's published. The CV grows.
Correct, that’s a huge driver of this phenomenon. But here’s the thing — the journals choose which articles they accept or not. They don’t have to publish sophistry unless they choose to. The gatekeepers are the journal editors (also academics).
People are simple creatures. Thinking is hard. It takes work and energy. It's much easier to let someone else do it for you, with the added benefit of being able to blame someone else if things go wrong and never feel guilty yourself, because you never actually made your own decisions. A certain percentage of the population will never seek to make any decision of import because they simply can't handle it.
Yep, this discussion reminds me of all the fuss about "evidence based therapies (EBT)" in psychotherapy. I've discovered through both personal experience and Jonathan Shedler's critique of these studies that the evidence is pretty weak.
I am left wondering what the controversial topic was that Dr. Authority said you shouldn't talk about. I am also left wondering how in the world we as a nation are ever going to come to a consensus about what truly is reliable data and science. It's very scary for the layman when we don't know who to trust anymore.
If the government is pushing something on you for 'free' you are the product.
If said product is using fear to do so, give them the middle finger.
Stop worrying about 'we as a nation' because collectivism leads to hell and consensus has never been achieved - only manufactured to lead the sheep to the slaughter. Reclaim your individual rights.
In 2019 The US military sent 7 American Athletes to take part in the Military Games in Wuhan, where Athletes from 100 other countries also competed (This document was suppressed by Biden and only released 2025 recently). By 2013, according to the Expose, Moderna created their Covid-19 Neucloids virus with DARPA's help and patented it in 2013, then it was held in a Level 4 Bio Lab for the next 6 years (probably Fort Detrick) before its release in 2019, bearing in mind that nobody knew of its existence up to that point, except America and POTUS 45, then Trump, used the Prep Act at least TEN times to force through the vaccines into your arms for Covid by 2021/22, again according to The Expose and from Christine.257's substack - she copied and posted links before they died or disappeared, good place to go for research - it's free - so what does the data show you?
Bravo! The only expert I trust is my gut. I wish I could get everyone I know to read this with an open mind, but sadly they are too indoctrinated to do so.
Oh me, oh my...you state so clearly and thoroughly my exact issues with the "holy grail" of science, experts and "the data says". thank you. D*mn this is good. Thank you, and yes, critical thinking at its finest. I didn't even know the term critical thinking growing up but I was taught to question everything and always, always, always consider the source of information and the motivations behind it. Immensely grateful.
Loved this article. Yep, we live in an ocean of fear and ego fragility. But it does beg the question of how we should identify truly valid and useful research. The reality is that most of us don't have the time or skills to dig into even a tiny portion of the research that's out there (on, say, medications) and will have rely on others to some extent.
This is an outstanding essay.
I am not a healthcare professional. I write on modern antisemitism. However, your essay resonated with me greatly. Over the past year and a half, we have all collectively seen what has happened at these asshole factories—oh, sorry, “elite universities”—that have allowed toxic and hateful rhetoric to substitute for real intellectual inquiry. When you mentioned “The Lancet,” I almost screamed. That journal has been one of the worst offenders in this mess. Academic journals, no matter the discipline, are not bastions of intellectual rigor. They are simply expressions of the orthodoxies of the journal editors themselves, no matter how ridiculous the claims.
https://theliberaljew.substack.com/p/western-academics-show-their-complicity?r=1hzr6u
But remember, at these "elite" universities, it is publish or perish to obtain/maintain tenure. It doesn't seem to matter that what is published is BS and/or factually incorrect....it just matters that it's published. The CV grows.
Correct, that’s a huge driver of this phenomenon. But here’s the thing — the journals choose which articles they accept or not. They don’t have to publish sophistry unless they choose to. The gatekeepers are the journal editors (also academics).
Fantastic post. Critical thinking at its finest!
Thank you...and your bullshit detector.
@DR. ROGER MCFILLIN
This is a well-written essay that leads me to believe that I did right to subscribe to this site.
I like how the author did not bury the lede in writing this essay. That lede is that if somebody appeals to authority, be skeptical.
Well done, Dr McFillin
100% agree!
People are simple creatures. Thinking is hard. It takes work and energy. It's much easier to let someone else do it for you, with the added benefit of being able to blame someone else if things go wrong and never feel guilty yourself, because you never actually made your own decisions. A certain percentage of the population will never seek to make any decision of import because they simply can't handle it.
Yep, group-think is the easy (default) way of all folks. Fear is the core issue. Fear of social disapproval, fear of being kicked out of one's tribe.
power to the sheeple. (not)
"Physicians learn 'Evidence-Based Medicine' as the pinnacle of scientific rigor when it's actually institutional compliance over clinical judgment."
The exact same thing happens in the field of education. 'Best practice' is a useless phrase that means 'compliance to the popular methods.'
As you say, "studies are designed to produce marketable results rather than discover truth."
Yep, this discussion reminds me of all the fuss about "evidence based therapies (EBT)" in psychotherapy. I've discovered through both personal experience and Jonathan Shedler's critique of these studies that the evidence is pretty weak.
I am left wondering what the controversial topic was that Dr. Authority said you shouldn't talk about. I am also left wondering how in the world we as a nation are ever going to come to a consensus about what truly is reliable data and science. It's very scary for the layman when we don't know who to trust anymore.
If the government is pushing something on you for 'free' you are the product.
If said product is using fear to do so, give them the middle finger.
Stop worrying about 'we as a nation' because collectivism leads to hell and consensus has never been achieved - only manufactured to lead the sheep to the slaughter. Reclaim your individual rights.
Become ungovernable.
"Oh yeah? Well my tinfoil hat didn't give me myocarditis asshole. How's that for some data?"
The unjabbed in Australia are done. They created a tiny but immovable class of people that are no longer able to be governed.
And they know it.
In 2019 The US military sent 7 American Athletes to take part in the Military Games in Wuhan, where Athletes from 100 other countries also competed (This document was suppressed by Biden and only released 2025 recently). By 2013, according to the Expose, Moderna created their Covid-19 Neucloids virus with DARPA's help and patented it in 2013, then it was held in a Level 4 Bio Lab for the next 6 years (probably Fort Detrick) before its release in 2019, bearing in mind that nobody knew of its existence up to that point, except America and POTUS 45, then Trump, used the Prep Act at least TEN times to force through the vaccines into your arms for Covid by 2021/22, again according to The Expose and from Christine.257's substack - she copied and posted links before they died or disappeared, good place to go for research - it's free - so what does the data show you?
So there is irrefutable proof that a virus does actually exist?
Bravo! The only expert I trust is my gut. I wish I could get everyone I know to read this with an open mind, but sadly they are too indoctrinated to do so.
Oh me, oh my...you state so clearly and thoroughly my exact issues with the "holy grail" of science, experts and "the data says". thank you. D*mn this is good. Thank you, and yes, critical thinking at its finest. I didn't even know the term critical thinking growing up but I was taught to question everything and always, always, always consider the source of information and the motivations behind it. Immensely grateful.
I loved this so much:
“He's not seeking truth; he's performing expertise by name-dropping prestigious publications.”
I always talk about this topic with my wife because it drives me nuts when someone tries to shut down debate with some bs citation.
Great post!
Great read. This is why it’s been nauseating to see higher ed represented as victims when the first president in ages scrutinizes their behavior.
See Bret Weinstein’s concept of “idea laundering”.
Loved this article. Yep, we live in an ocean of fear and ego fragility. But it does beg the question of how we should identify truly valid and useful research. The reality is that most of us don't have the time or skills to dig into even a tiny portion of the research that's out there (on, say, medications) and will have rely on others to some extent.