Agreed on Brian Deer.

I am the public. How am I supposed to arrive at an informed opinion if people knowingly withhold relevant information from me?

Yes. It is impossible to check out everything so we are back to the issue of trust and trusting others to verify. But people trusted Dr Wakefield.

I have no idea what the solution would be.

There’s too much concealment. It looks like a lot of doctors thought that Wakefield’s work was dubious but couldn’t or wouldn’t say it in public. Brian Deer has this information that is hidden from the public and might remain so even though nobody is contradicting him – just saying that he shouldn’t have told the public.

I am the public. How am I supposed to arrive at an informed opinion if people knowingly withhold relevant information from me?

I’m going to send this round.

There is a lot of anger, both towards Andrew Wakefield and those who passed on his message but also towards the self for being taken in.

So many people think that they are naturally skeptic but underneath, it’s like the saying about cynicism, “a cynic is a romantic who’s been hurt before.” Unless more of us acquire some critical thinking skills, there’s a danger we’ll still be suckered in by the next scientific savior who comes along, oozing quiet authority and charisma.

you will never dissuade true believers but there is an opportunity to make it more difficult to recruit others to their cult by lifting the curtain and exposing the man behind it.

you’re probably hoping it is rational argument that would sway the undecided. no, it’s stuff everyone understands that wins hearts and minds here – fraud, financial self-interest. that stuff’s even more compelling that plain old incompetence that might have led to the notebook changes.