Shame on Stu Borgiarre!

The recent ignoble and unprovoked attack by Stu Bergoieere on my character and politics has forced me to put down The B.S. of A. – A Primer in Politics for the Incredibly Disenchanted and respond. His scurrilous accusations demand an immediate response, no matter how wonderful the book I was reading was. Buy it now on Amazon.

In his post, which Media Matters will likely (and rightly) claim is racist, homophobic, misogynistic, anti-Semitic and smelly, Mr. Bergieere suggests that in my report I “mock the intelligence” of co-workers participating in the office’s three day juice cleanse. I have done nothing of the sort! I admire all my co-workers greatly, especially those who have say in my continuing employment, access to office supplies, or salary and benefit negotiations. As for the other workers (90+ at last check) I consider them all bright and enthusiastic individuals. Every single one. Even Dominic. I simply suggested that the juice cleanse was a fruitless endeavor. Certainly it is possible to be intelligent yet still find oneself in possession of a bottle of snake oil (or beet juice, as it were).

Mr. Boguiare then goes on to attack my research as faulty:

The science behind calories is dubious?  OK, Mr. Flat Earther.  The juice cleanse limits calories to around 1,000 for three days, and has another eight days of other alterations that also cut calories.

Of course, Mr. Barguueri is putting words in my mouth. I didn’t say that the “juice cleanse” wouldn’t result in some kind of weight loss. Rather, I was suggesting that drinking juice for a few days and losing weight is not a miracle by any stretch of the imagination and should not be advertised as such. If I drank any kind of liquid for the next few days I would lose weight. It does not have to be an overpriced bottle of pureed parsley snips and carrot farts.

Apparently, in Mr. Borgaree’s world a socialist is a person guilty of “constant travel to Europe” and linking to an article written by a “socialist doctor from a socialist healthcare system.”

With regard to Charge One, constant travel to Europe hardly makes one a socialist. In fact, one might even suggest that constant travel to Europe exposes one to the very problems inherent in socialist welfare states, not the least of which being people in France don’t work and go on strike when asked to do so. Plus, Iceland taxes booze at 100% to pay for people to have kids out of wedlock and stay home. That said, medicine for a horse-triggered asthma attack in Poland cost me only $1.15.

Now, in response to Charge Two, that by virtue of linking to a “socialist” doctor working for Britain’s National Health Service I'm a socialist? Codswallop.

I’d have to say that I know nothing of Dr. Ben Goldacre’s political views and do not know him to be a socialist – although he has written for the Guardian, sure. That he works for NHS is of no consequence – if he’s a doctor and in Britain, that’s basically a given. Nevertheless, I admire his writing and as author of a book titled Bad Science he has a great deal of expertise in frauds like ear candling, detox foot baths and juice cleansing. I would think that Mr. Bergeeairy, who tackles absurd products and their bogus claims regularly on his GBTV show “The 4th Hour” would be a fan of Dr. Goldacre.

Shame on you Stu Berglore!