Ray Peat newsletter, 1985. From The Collected Works of Ray Peat.

Ray Peat, "Health Frauds", p. 1433

tritionists who have called her a ing cured of cancer each year, yet quack. each year the cancer death rate in This kind of unfounded gos- creases. Is deception involved?… sip may be normal academic ethics The most extensively used and at the University of Oregon, but advertised ”health food” is liquid I have no reason to tolerate the vegetable oil; there has never been dissemination of misinformation evidence that polyunsaturated oils about myself (or about Adelle improve anyone’s health, beyond Davis or Linus Pauling or Rodger the trace amounts required as esWilliams), so I am requesting sential nutrients, and there is very that those statements either be re- clear evidence that large amounts tracted or defended in a public fo- are profoundly toxic. Is the huge rum. food oil industry engaged in a dan Since I was accused of teaching gerous health fraud? things that were “not true,” I think In recent years clear evidence the accuser has the obligation of has emerged implicating supplemeeting me in a public debate on mental iron in carcinogenesis. Do those issues, or of admitting his er- the drug companies who promote ror. iron supplements warn the public about the danger of leukemia and Health Frauds other cancers? Does their adverEugene Register-Guard, November 16, 1985 tising constitute a dangerous and deceptive health practice? he recent article† about the T National Council Against Health Fraud might raise a person’s If a major drug for treat ing asthma contains metabisul fite, known to kill some people suspicions, because of the freakish with asthma, should the public be and probably trivial nature of the warned? When a major medical frauds mentioned. The immense journal, getting money for adverproblems they failed to mention tising the product, refuses to print suggest that they might be acting a letter warning of the danger, is as a front for the drug industry. the health fraud council willing to Legal drugs for arthritis and investigate? cancer are worth several billion dollars annually. We are often told

† Bill Bishop, “Oregonians Form Group to Combat Health Fraud,” Eugene Register Guard, November 5, 1985.

Undoubtedly the algae deal- islation such as SB 1630, opposiers are easier, more entertaining tion to policies which impoverish targets, but the absence of all of millions of people, opposition to the biggest health deceptions from policies which make higher educatheir list seems to say something tion impossible for a large part of about the group’s real purpose. the population, opposition to aca demic policies which allow tens Humanities Stifled of millions of people to become Eugene Register-Guard, April 13, 1982 so gullible that they can be vic timized by economic theories that red Crafts’ article† reports F that the Committee on Arts and Humanities intends to estab were already discredited more than 50 years ago—these are positions which should grow naturally out of lish better relations between cam the humanities. If the universities pus and city and to improve their take credit for intellectual achievepromotion and marketing of the ment, they have to take blame for humanities. the production of a gullible gen The boring sameness of view eration. If the “humanists” start point which we find in the aca acting like human beings who are demic humanities is not because imbued with the great values of huthe subjects have some intrinsic manity, and begin criticizing, thinklack of “momentum,” as suggested ing, and imagining, instead of conin the article. The humanities are forming, then the humanities can potentially so important, so excit be revived. ing, so disruptive, that they have been deliberately stifled… Ill-Informed Statement If the “humanities” are to be Eugene Register-Guard, February 21, 1991 revived, it will not be by giving lectures to Rotary clubs. It will be because the “humanists” begin to take positions of human signifi I hope someone at Pope & Talbot Inc. is embarassed when they re alize that the statement on dioxins cance. Opposition to plans for nu- they authorized Dr. Robert Loomis clear war, opposition to militarism to make on their behalf‡ is not only itself, opposition to oppressive leg- impolite and misleading (which

† Fred Craft, “Bringing Revival to the Humanities,” Eugene Register-Guard, April 1, 1982. ‡ Robert Loomis, “Activists in a Hurry to Eliminate Dioxin,” Eugene Register-Guard, February 14, 1991.