First off, please stop using ad homenim attack-words like "scientism"; this is grossly offensive to those of us who use science to separate claims from facts. If you want to discuss a specific issue, please discuss the issue without the words that show anger and fear of scientists.
Viajero writes:
I realize that double-blind trials are the gold standard in Western science, and I don't want to argue with that;
Indeed; they are the gold standard in all forms of science. Asians, Hispanics, Arabs, Jews, Blacks, and Whites all use this method to verify claims. These peer-reviewed methods are used in Eastern, near-Eastern and in Western countries. In fact, there is nothing "western" about so-called "western" medicine at all.
Sadly, the term "western" is often used as a perjorative term by people who are advocating alternative health-care techniques for profit, and who do not have proof that their techniques work. "Alternative medicine" is no more "eastern" than peer-reviewed medicine is "western". The only useful categories are these:
(A) There exists peer-reviewed data, duplicated by many reseachers, that a claimed technique actually works.
(B) No such data exists, and we are expected to take someone's word, or believe in anecdotes.
This isn't western or eastern. It is about facts versus a charlatan taking your money.
however, there vast realms of human knowledge which have not yet been verified by these means, and to dismiss such empirical knowledge out of hand is both foolish and not our job.
I totally agree; yet I have no idea why you believe such a thing is happening here. Only among certain advocates of alternative medicine do we find such closed minded attitudes, with people dogmatically asserting that certain things (i.e. western medicine) are bad and should not be used. In stark contrast, "western" doctors have always been open to investigating new techniques and drugs.
Every day scientists from western countries scour nations all across the globe to learn about traditional fold-remedies, drugs and treatments. They constantly test them in peer-reviewed studes to see if they actually work. In fact, this is big business. I am totally flabbergasted that you somehow have been led to believe the opposite.
The only problem is that some unhinged people like Mr-Natural-Health get angry when their favored forms of alternative quackery are proven to be fraudulent, if not dangerous. Then they start ranting about "western" medicine in a nearly racist fashion.
So, sorry man, I can't agree with anything you said.
Robert (RK)
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