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by Miki Seifert & Willie Franco
Thursday, Aug. 17, 2000 at 2:25 AM
spgekko@hotmail.com
On Monday, August, 14, during the IMC/Free Speech TV satellite meeting, my husband, Willie Franco, and I were told that Silencing Dissent, a segment that we put together for the Monday night show, was deemed too controversial to be aired.
On Monday, August, 14, at 2pm, during the IMC/Free Speech TV satellite meeting, my husband, Willie Franco, and I were told that Silencing Dissent, a segment that we put together for the Monday night show, was deemed too controversial to be aired. The focus of this controversy was that one of the issues to be discussed was the questions that are being raised about the validity of the hypothesis that HIV causes AIDS.
This segment had been on the Monday Night Grid from the beginning and had been discussed at several meetings. There had been a few questions about the focus of the panel, and privately, one person, who is very much involved in the current medical model, expressed concern about this issue, but nothing else was said. We had expected more questions and were prepared to educate people on this issue and provide the scientific research that I used to write the script, but no one asked.
Below is a summary of the segment and the text of the script that was too controversial for even the alternate media.
Silencing Dissent was to consist of a 5-minute video package, followed by a 10-minute panel discussion. As our goal was to open people
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by Anonymous
Thursday, Aug. 17, 2000 at 2:46 AM
I don't know about "censored." It is possible the priority level of this piece was lower than many of the other things. They can't just air everything.
Also on Monday during the time the IMC show was to air, the police took over the building and parking lot to check for a supposed bomb, therefore nothing at all was aired.
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by Michael Eisenemenger
Thursday, Aug. 17, 2000 at 3:08 AM
eisenmen@tao.ca
Sorry, but I really have to disagree with the charge of censorship here. If the IMC is to have any credibility, it has to filter out stories that are malicious either by intent or by virtue of misinformation. This is especially true in it's video programming which has a wider general audience.
The AIDS segment described above is so full of inaccuracies and assumptions that it nearly constitutes a public health menace. To many people it would come off as potentially homophobic (AIDS as a lifestyle disease) and racist (Africans are dying of poverty not AIDS related illnesses). Every AIDS case worker I know would be in rage over the broadcasting of such misinformation. I'm no fan of Gallo, but I don't think this approach to the facts would have any impact on his work or methodology.
There are also many reasons segments may get moved around or cut entirely from the show grid. The live TV coverage is following an event that is as unplanned as they come, the grid will change mid show if something happens. This segment also seems more extraneous than most to the issues at hand, and it's allot to cover coherently in 15 minutes (a huge chunk of time in the IMC grid by the way). One issue would have been more focused of an approach. It may have simply been a format or timing decision (panel discussions make for difficult TV, especially longer ones).
Also - I'm not involved directly in this IMC project, I'm watching from a distance this time around.
Michael
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by Shawn Ewald
Thursday, Aug. 17, 2000 at 3:58 AM
shawn@wilshire.net
Michael,
Going by your logic they shouldn't air people claiming that
Mumia is literally innocent -- this is a very contraversial issue even among Mumia supporters and is viewed as misinformation by many.
Going by your logic, the Black Bloc should not be covered
because they are a very contrivesial issue among the activist community. Some think that they distort the message of the demonstrations.
There are many valid criticisms put forward by the AIDS Dissident movement and that are scientifically valid -- like why is AIDS called a virus yet the AIDS virus has never been isolated, if AIDS is a virus why does AIDS behave like no other virus in human history.
Example: Influenza, Symtoms: fever, flem in lungs, body aches and other cold like symtoms. Symtpoms are the same for all humans who contract Influenza. Influenza mutates yearly yet symptoms are always the same with each new mutation.
All other viruses behave exactly like influenza (i.e. known
symptoms, symptoms are the same for all humans who contract
the virus, virus symptoms do not change when virus mutates).
AIDS, Symptoms: too innumerable to mention. Symptoms vary
among various risk groups. Alleged reason for this is that the "virus" has allegedly mutated to affect various risk groups in different ways.
There is a well known test to isolate viruses, all known viruses have been isolated through this methon except AIDS.
Dr. Robert Gallo, the man who first put forward the theory that AIDS is a virus, had made the same claim about cancer, he was wrong. Much of his "cancer virus" research
was essentially rehashed to make his case for AIDS.
These are all honest questions, where are the answers?
I suggest that people check out the following websites:
http://www.virusmyth.com/
http://www.actupsf.com/
I agree that some of the dissident criticism is "out there" but you DO NOT defeat misinformation with censorship, you defeat it with DEBATE.
Finally, the claim that it is racist to say that people or color are dying of poverty is absurd. People of color ARE dying of poverty every day -- far more people of color are dying of poverty every day than are dying of AIDS.
Shawn
www.radio4all.net
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by anonymous
Thursday, Aug. 17, 2000 at 4:40 AM
Hello, I'm just anonymous because there's no impressive reputation for me to advertise,
and currently no specific affiliations. Just a reader in science areas over the years.
Observations:
The whole HIV-AIDS controversy is in a less rock-solid category than the other two issues. While
it may turn out that the connection is off somehow, the details of it are way too specialized for full
analysis in this format.
The other two are absolutely valid, intense concerns. Never heard of the "konformist" guy,
though, and if "rebellion" and "subversion" are on his agenda, he's just as likely going to be a
liability to the good food movement as he is an asset. Readers should direct their research to:
www.mothers.org
www.bio-integrity.org
www.purefood.org
www.greenpeaceusa.org
among others. And, keep up-to-date with these and other threads via
www.newscenter.org
Keep it healthy!
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by SF SUNSHINE
Thursday, Aug. 17, 2000 at 10:49 AM
It is outrageous that discussion of the HIV theory as genocide and the poisonous drugs being promoted was not allowed at IMC. AIDS is Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, a condition of immune deficiency. Immune deficiency is caused by intravenous drugs, blood transfusions and malnutrition. The World Health Organization does not require HIV to be present for them to call it "AIDS." They require simply a high fever, cough or serious weight loss, all symptoms of many curable diseases. In the US, most people who supposedly have "AIDS" are/were intravenous drug users and/or had improperly treated VD. Shame on IMC.
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by Willie Franco
Sunday, Aug. 20, 2000 at 3:37 PM
spgekko@hotmail.com 310.210.9929
The type of censorship endorsed by the IMC--accompanied by cries of homophobia
and racisim--is nothing new. Many people that fight the malevolent interests of
multi-national chemical companies march in lock step with profiteering
pharmaceutical giants when it comes to HIV and AIDS.
In contrast to the baseless notions of Amy Goodman and Michael Eisenemenger,
people actually living in Africa--rather than reading about it in the
newspaper-- are very appreciative of my work and my challenge to orthodox views
of AIDS.
With regard to the unfounded and unkind comments by Mr. Eisenemenger that I
promote racist agendas, please see these excepts from three of many notes I've
received from Black Africans since returning from the AIDS conference in Durban
and a month in South Africa:
"My name is Dr. Vitalis Chipfakacha MB. MD. MPH and am head of HIV/AIDS in a
Province of South Africa. I have just read your book "What if everything you
thought you knew about AIDS was wrong". Thank
you very much. I would appreciate a list of all the materials you have on the
subject and their costs. Further is there any other material you can send by
E-mail. Thank you very much for standing up for the common man."
"Your books arrived today, thank goodness. Uganda needs this information. The
biggest problem I have seen is that our people have been lied for too long that
they take HIV to be real. People have been hoodwinked not to see the dire
consequences of Poverty and senseless wars ravaging the continent
causing disease and malnutition as the bedrock of 'African AIDS'."
"I met you at the 13th Int AIDS (Pharmacutical) Conference in Durban South
Afica. Firstly let me apologize for my ignorance or should I say my
miseducation as a health care worker. I work for the Health Department in and
already have been catching hell for my questioning about what we are preaching
to the public. I'm originally from Mozambique and South Africa, and want to
help in all ways possible. I've misled people to believing certain facts, so
now I need to correct this. I have a lot at stake, my kids to support, etc, but
my guilt over what exactly we are doing as health care professionals,
continually troubles me!"
I have similar notes from Black Africans, many with similar credentials to Dr.
Chipfakacha, as well as from HIV positive and AIDS diagnosed Africans directly
affected by these issues.
With regard to my alleged homophobia, I have three huge binders full of praise
for my book and Alive & Well's work, the majority of which come from gay men,
and four of Alive & Well's seven board members are HIV positive gay men.
I would be happy to share our collection of letters of support with Michael and
others at the IMC (or with those at that supposed bastion of free thought,
Pacifica Radio) who are openly prejudiced against HIV positives who dare to
think outside the lines of the AIDS orthodoxy.
I challenge Michael to cite the "inaccuracies and assumptions" in my book that
he maintains "constitute a public health menace." And I challenge any of the
many AIDS case workers he knows to meet with me for an open public dialogue on
these issues.
I also encourage everyone on this list to share this email message in an effort
to alert others to censorship perpetuated by the very people who profess to
fight against it.
Thank you,
Christine Maggiore
Following Michael's letter, please find an account of my recent trip to South
Africa that will be published in the next issue of Awareness Magazine.
Following that is a brief summary of what happened with Mikki Sieffert and
Willy Franco's program "Silencing Dissent."
=====
Stopping Misinformation is not censorship
By: Michael Eisenemenger
eisenmen@tao.ca
Sorry, but I really have to disagree with the charge of censorship here. If
the IMC is to have any credibility, it has to filter out stories that are
malicious either by intent or by virtue of misinformation. This is
especially true in it's video programming which has a wider general
audience.
The AIDS segment described above is so full of inaccuracies and assumptions
that it nearly constitutes a public health menace. To many people it would
come off as potentially homophobic (AIDS as a lifestyle disease) and racist
(Africans are dying of poverty not AIDS related illnesses). Every AIDS case
worker I know would be in rage over the broadcasting of such misinformation.
I'm no fan of Gallo, but I don't think this approach to the facts would have
any impact on his work or methodology.
There are also many reasons segments may get moved around or cut entirely
from the show grid. The live TV coverage is following an event that is as
unplanned as they come, the grid will change mid show if something happens.
This segment also seems more extraneous than most to the issues at hand, and
it's allot to cover coherently in 15 minutes (a huge chunk of time in the
IMC grid by the way). One issue would have been more focused of an approach.
It may have simply been a format or timing decision (panel discussions make
for difficult TV, especially longer ones).
Also - I'm not involved directly in this IMC project, I'm watching from a
distance this time around.
=====
I can't really say how the 13th International AIDS Conference went as I spent
the entire time at our exhibit booth. Because of the near constant crowds of
delegates interested in our materials and discussions, I was not able to attend
a single session, panel, presentation, or cultural event. I spent eight full
hours each day engaged in lively, polite, and very productive conversations
with a wide range of people from around the world. In fact, all I saw of the
conference were the restrooms, the cafeteria, and the hundreds of people who
lined up to talk, listen, and learn about alternative views of HIV and AIDS.
In contrast to the media hype about the less than warm welcome that awaited us,
our inventory of 490 pounds of printed materials and 500 books began to run low
by the morning of the second day. Testimony to the success of our presence is
the number of times we raced out for photocopies and the hundreds of books
orders we carried back home. These requests for books, information and further
contact come from doctors, educators, activists, health ministers and other
government officials, treatment counselors, heads of AIDS organizations, and
HIV positive and AIDS diagnosed people from an amazing array of countries
including South Africa, Botswana, China, Ethiopia, India, Iran, Korea, Kenya,
Malawi, Namibia, Nigeria, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey and Uganda. Rather than
being put down or challenged--or even worse, ignored--we found that our
alternative data and discussions we were warmly and enthusiastically embraced.
Despite all the big talk from AIDS enthusiasts about putting so-called AIDS
dissidence to rest, the highly touted "showdown" did not occur officially or
informally, and the statements made in the Durban Declaration were dismantled
point by point, complete references, before the conference began. You can find
this detailed response to the stance taken by the 5,000 signing AIDS experts at
www.thedurbandeclaration.org and I would be happy to mail a printed copy to any
interested reader without internet access.
The whole idea of a confrontation between AIDS rethinkers and AIDS hardliners
was just one of many media misrepresentations. Had journalists promoting this
notion done their homework, they would have quickly discovered that our
organization was the only official presence at the conference representing
alternative views, and that only one of the "dissident" members of President
Thabo Mbeki's AIDS Advisory Panel, Dr. Charles Geshekter, was registered as a
conference delegate. Instead, they misled the public and missed the real story:
me, my husband and three-year-old son took on the entire AIDS establishment in
Durban.
I found that much noteworthy news went unmentioned and that the obvious irony
of many events escaped the attention of most reporters. For example, uncritical
global coverage was given to a humanitarian rally demanding toxic AIDS drugs
that South Africa can't afford in which protesters carrying signs that warned
"One Dissident, One Bullet" marched alongside members of the Nobel Peace Prize
winning group Doctors Without Borders, while unanimous media silence followed a
rally of traditional African healers using affordable natural therapies for
AIDS who were excluded from official participation in the conference.
Of the thousands of reporters hanging around Durban, my husband was the only
one to investigate the shanty town a few miles from downtown and speak with
people living at ground zero of the AIDS epidemic. In taped interviews,
residents told him how conference organizers prohibited them from attending
public events associated with the AIDS conference--a conference whose theme was
"Breaking the Silence." Mainstream journalists also failed to address the
question of whether malnourished people crowded into homes made of scrap wood,
cardboard and other found objects--often with no electricity or running
water--might suffer from diseases now called AIDS as a consequence of these
conditions.
Among many unreported events was ACTUP's admission that their widely publicized
take over of pharmaceutical giant Bohringer Engleheim's booth was staged and
that Bohringer actually funds ACTUP. This revelation made ACTUP's cries of drug
company greed and profiteering ring more than a bit hollow, and revealed that
Bohringer's post-take over announcement of lower prices for their AIDS drug
Nevirapine was a publicity stunt than a compassionate gesture.
The most disturbing and blatantly incorrect of the accounts coming from the
conference had to be the international news reports of booing crowds and a
walk-out during President Mbeki's opening address. We witnessed an attentive,
respectful audience and that the president's remarks inspired a standing
ovation. Second to this was an unchallenged front page news story "Young,
Talented and Dead" that featured ominous predictions of a lost generation of
South Africans and charts suggesting huge death tolls from AIDS. Simple math
showed that what the charts actually indicated was that the number of deaths
from all causes including AIDS among South African men and women over age 15 is
remarkably low at 8/10ths of 1% annually, a rate almost equal to that of the
United States. We also learned that in contrast to hysterical media reports of
plunging population, infant mortality rates have not increased in South Africa
during the AIDS epidemic and that life expectancy there is at an all time high.
We discovered that the media is remiss in its portrayal of Nkosi Johnson, the
11 year-old HIV positive AIDS activist who spoke on behalf of drug therapies at
the opening ceremony. The media has popularized the idea that Nkosi's illness
is proof that HIV causes AIDS and that Mbeki is wrong for considering poverty,
unsanitary living conditions and drug treatments as causes of immune
suppression in his country. This idea is based on the fact that Nkosi was
adopted into a middle class home as an infant and claims that he began drug
therapy a few months ago only after becoming ill. During an interview filmed by
my husband, Nkosi told me that contrary to official statements, he has been on
toxic AIDS drugs for eight years and has become ill while taking them. I
tactfully shared this revelation with his adopted mother Gail Johnson and the
rest of South Africa during a live radio program that had us both as guests.
In addition to a private meeting with Gail and Nkosi Johnson, I was also able
to see Winnie Mandela at her home in Soweto and introduce and discuss
alternative approaches to South Africa's alleged AIDS epidemic. I also had the
unparalled honor of chatting with my hero President Thabo Mbeki in his office
at ANC headquarters in Johannesburg one evening.
This article just touches on the many enlightening and encouraging experiences
we had during our South African sojourn. I hope you will check our web site for
further articles and for information on my husband's documentary film of our
adventures.
> On Monday, August, 14, during the IMC/Free Speech TV satellite meeting, my
> husband, Willie Franco, and I were told that Silencing Dissent, a segment
> that we put together for the Monday night show, was deemed too controversial
> to be aired.
>
> The focus of this controversy was that one of the
> issues to be discussed was the questions that are being raised about the
> validity of the hypothesis that HIV causes AIDS.
>
> This segment had been on the Monday Night Grid from the beginning and had
> been discussed at several meetings. There had been a few questions about the
> focus of the panel, and privately, one person, who is very much involved in
> the current medical model, expressed concern about this issue, but nothing
> else was said. We had expected more questions and were prepared to educate
> people on this issue and provide the scientific research that I used to
> write the script, but no one asked.
> The focus of the segment was how and why dissenting scientific opinions to
> the prevailing orthodoxy are not heard in the mainstream media. We selected
> the issues of fluoridation, HIV/AIDS, and genetic engineering to illustrated
> this global pattern. These issues are commonly discussed in the mainstream
> media and impact the essentials of life -- food, water, and the medical care
> that people receive.
>
> The premise of the discussion is that the scientific evidence upon which the
> public policy on these issues was based is questionable, at best; that
> scientists who raise valid scientific concerns are defunded, and their work
> is not published; that this occurs because of the vested interests of
> corporations and government agencies that benefit from the accepted dogma;
> and that the public is prevented from learning about this struggle within
> science and how it impacts their daily lives. As this shows how money is
> influencing public policy, we felt that it was an appropriate topic to be
> aired during the DNC and the D2K actions.
>
> The panelists have and continue to fight to get this information into the
> public debate. They were:
>
> Jeff Green is Director of Citizens for Safe Drinking Water, a national
> organization that provides scientific documentation as well as grassroots,
> legislative and organizational support to individuals and groups of citizens
> concerned for the quality, access, and safety of their public water systems.
> They have sponsored successful proactive legislation in California and other
> states to prohibit the addition of hazardous waste fluoride from the
> phosphate fertilizer scrubbers into the public water supplies. He has owned
> and operated a management consulting firm for health professionals,
> including more than 400 dentists, since 1972, and teaches on a nationwide
> basis the protocol for determining the source and remedies for chronic
> breath malodors that may be emanating from the mouth, nasal cavity or
> digestive system.
>
> Christine Maggiore is a former AIDS awareness educator, the founder of Alive
> & Well AIDS Alternatives, a healthy, unmedicated HIV positive mother and
> author of the book "What If Everything You Thought You Knew About AIDS Was
> Wrong?" which has been translated into four languages and is used as a text
> at several American and African universities.
>
> Robert Sterling is the chairman of The Great Boycott, a group opposed to
> genetically engineered foods and the power of the chemical industry. He is
> also the editor of The Konformist (http://www.konformist.com), the internet
> underground magazine dedicated to rebellion, konspiracy & subversion. His
> works have appeared in The Whole Life Times, Sightings, Disinformation,
> Parascope, Steamshovel Press and Paranoia. He is a contributing editor to
> The Los Angeles Free Press and has a regular "Konspira-palooza" column in
> Getting It online.
>
>
>
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