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RA2009 In Retrospect
David Crowe — November, 2009
I opened RA 2009 with a poem by Piet Hein:
To be brave is to behave
bravely when your heart is faint.
So you can be brave
only when you really ain't.
It might seem strange to root a scientific conference in bravery yet
it is one of the character traits that mark AIDS Rethinkers. Brave are
the scientists who have faced scorn, loss of research funding and
inability to publish, but who went ahead anyway to confront the AIDS
establishment. Brave are the journalists who have written about the
bankrupt HIV=AIDS=Death dogma and suffered blacklisting, loss of their
career and financial ruin. Brave are the gay men who have sustained
their knowledge and beliefs rather than run with the lemmings over the
cliff of HIV testing and AIDS drug dependency. Brave are the mothers and
fathers who have defended their children against forced drugging with
some of the most toxic organic chemicals known to man. Brave are the
Africans who have said, "Beware white men bearing gifts", only to be
ridiculed or ignored in the stampede by others grasping for the money.
Brave are those who defied common ignorance and attended RA2009.
The
odor of money, which hangs prominently as smog at most AIDS
conferences, was virtually absent at RA 2009. Many get poor by
rethinking AIDS, but no rethinker gets rich. Many were only at this
conference because they had emptied their piggy bank to scrape together
plane fare, hotel costs and the registration fee (difficult for many
even though heavily subsidized by our donors). At this conference nobody
could ask the government or pharmaceutical companies for a handout.
People were committed to the cause if they came, not to pharmaceutical
companies and their death cult.
RA2009 was a tapestry of which
bravery was one prominent thread. Others glistening were the
scintillating conversations that touched all of us. And all those who
attended weaved their own thoughts, ideas, love and stories around
others, binding all of us closer together. The unfinished tapestry
already tells thousands of stories, on some of which glint tears of
sadness or joy. Some are of science done, corrupted or censored, some of
articles told, stifled or distorted, others of human lives destroyed or
redeemed by the power of human thought and determination.
One
of the highlights of the RA 2009 program was having so many veterans of
the AIDS wars of the 1980s and 1990s present, still telling cogent
stories of those times, still sharing their critical analyses with those
who would listen, with as much energy and commitment as ever. The first
of these was John Lauritsen who bottled the history of the rethinking
AIDS movement in his speech. He was followed by Peter Duesberg who again
hammered home how the germ theory is incompatible with the HIV=AIDS
dogma, followed by Etienne de Harven whose title, "Questioning the
Existence of HIV", made it clear that dissidence does not mean adherence
to a new dogma, it means questioning everything, even if that is the
passenger virus theory of Duesberg and others. All of us agree on most
things, few of us agree on all points, something else that dramatically
distinguishes rethinkers from the herds of dogmatists.
Other
veterans included Charles Geshekter and Christian Fiala who both shone
lasers on Africa. Geshekter raised chuckles quoting from AIDS scientists
who explained lack of HIV antibodies or AIDS in Kenyan prostitutes by
hypothesizing that "to maintain protection [against HIV] people need
nearly continual exposure to HIV". He reserved his biggest criticism for
the new fondness for male circumcision, noting that the HIV status of
female partners of men who became HIV-positive in a circumcision trial
was unknown. Obviously scientists wouldn't want to have to explain how
men became "infected" without a source of infection. Fiala pointed out
how Ugandan population statistics indicate a strongly growingpopulation,
like most sub-Saharan nations. Just where is the epidemic visible
except in the computers at WHO's headquarters in Geneva?
Roberto
Giraldo switched the subject from criticizing the dogma to asking what
to do about people with genuine health problems. He talked about the
"inner pharmacy", the resources within us that can help us overcome
stresses brought on by exposure to chemicals, radiation, vaccines,
hormones, antibiotics and genetically modified foods. By a combination
of changing our inner beliefs, avoiding immunological stress agents,
detoxification and strengthening the immune system, people with "AIDS"
can become healthy again, both physically and emotionally.
David
Rasnick and Claus Koehnlein switched the topic back to AIDS drugs.
Rasnick gave an illuminating discussion of IRD (Immune Reconstitution
Disorder), which is what AIDS-defining conditions are called when they
occur after the initiation of AIDS drugs. This new epidemic is not
blamed on the drugs that the disease, by definition, must follow but on a
"reconstituted" immune system. According to this theory an immune
system does not real good but just causes nasty things like
inflammation. Based on this theory, AZT, which convincingly defeated the
immune system in every encounter, should have been the best medication.
His talk was a mind-bending descent into the vortex of AIDS.
Koehnlein
encourages a nuanced approach to AIDS drugs. His experience treating
AIDS patients has shown him that they can be effective when used for a
short time in people faced with serious fungal or bacterial infections.
This explains the so-called "Lazarus" effect that sometimes occurs
without accepting the HIV theory, and does not justify long-term use.
Koehnlein also talked about two other faulty "slow germ" theories -
Hepatitis C (shown to cause virtually no disease after 45 years) and the
prion diseases such as CJD that occurred in England in very small
numbers mostly in places where the "Mad Cow" epidemic had not occurred.
Henry
Bauer was one of the new voices. Or was he? Despite being virtually
unknown to AIDS rethinkers five years ago his commentaries and book are
so popular that it now seems like he has been around forever. His talk
compared the suppression of AIDS criticism to dogmas surrounding other
scientific theories, such as Global Warming, the "Big Bang", String
Theory and the event that exterminated the dinosaurs, and was very well
received. This perspective makes it much easier to understand that
opposition to HIV=AIDS critics stems not from careful scientific thought
but is just the normally brutal knee-jerk reaction of an entrenched
scientific establishment.
There were many other new (or at
least, newer) voices at the conference offering their own distinct
perspectives. Keynote speaker Michael Tracey kicked the conference off
by discussing the failings of the modern (in)justice system in which
conviction often occurs in the media well before someone ends up in
court. One of his experiences was with the Jon Benet Ramsey murder which
dominated front pages of tabloids newspapers in America and around the
world for years and made frequent appearances even in more "serious"
media. The parents were almost always condemned as was Tracey for
defending them. But finally, thanks in part to Tracey's relentlessness,
the parents were removed from the list of suspects, albeit more than a
decade after the murder. The parallels with AIDS are clear, with
HIV-positive people accused of sexual transmission being instantaneously
demonized by the media and then given multi-year sentences when they
finally end up playing their part in a ritualized court proceeding.
The
legal aspects of the HIV=AIDS dogma are a needle I have been trying to
thread for a long time. These cases have often been considered too
difficult by many AIDS rethinkers and no coherent strategy has ever been
developed. Our legal victories are as inexplicable as our losses are
predictable. I was pleased that, at this conference, we were able to
open this important discussion. Chris Black, a prominent international
criminal defense lawyer, was unable to attend, but his paper on the long
history of the criminalization of illness was circulated. I spoke in
his time slot, sketching the details of some of the more important
HIV-related cases that have occurred, including cases of parents
fighting for their children, adults accused of sexual transmission,
other adult cases (such as Willie Campbell, an HIV-positive drifter in
Dallas who got 35 years in jail for spitting while under the influence
of HIV) and also of cases where HIV rethinkers have gone or are going on
the offensive.
A group of professors and students from the
Universidad Pereira Law Group in Colombia spoke about their research
into the legal rights of "AIDS" patients to obtain therapies other than
the expensive and highly toxic antiretrovirals. They have found that
Colombian law does give the right to choose therapies and their analysis
will be very useful to people in other countries seeking the same
rights based on their local laws.
Marco Ruggiero and Daniele
Mandrioli revealed that Italy was home to many AIDS rethinkers,
including these two eloquent speakers with a wry sense of humor.
Ruggiero revealed the many ways that his country's Ministry of Health
was fully-qualified as an AIDS Denialist organization, by not including
any information connecting HIV and AIDS on their website, by a law
requiring AIDS to be diagnosed without a positive HIV test for many
AIDS-defining illnesses and by also allowing HIV with an AIDS-defining
illness to be classified as "not AIDS" if another cause or
immunodeficiency is present. His tour through the topsy-turvy world of
official Italian AIDS beliefs left our heads spinning.
Mandrioli
focused on the drug-AIDS hypothesis which is just as strongly supported
in Italy as in America. A peak in Heroin addiction in 1993 was followed
by a peak in AIDS in 1995, but no such peak is found in HIV statistics.
Mandrioli showed fascinating pictures of what is found in street
heroin, including body parts of insects and fragments of metal. This
makes it easier to understand that illegal drugs would be toxic even if
the active ingredient was not present and that clearly the body cannot
withstand the injection of such crap directly into one's veins for more
than a few years.
Tony Lance is a gay man who spoke about
"intestinal dysbiosis", a theory that certain practices associated with
gay sex can have a negative impact on the intestinal system, leading to
immune suppression. He made people aware of the practice of rectal
douching or enemas, which are very common, but which can deplete the
body of nutrients and disrupt the normal intestinal bacterial flora.
This evidence surely could lead to safer sexual practices - "safe sex"
without the need for condoms.
Karri Stokely gave a slide show of
her life. First as a healthy young mother, then as a steadily wasting
"victim of AIDS" from her diagnosis in 1996 until 2007. That was when
her husband came across alternative viewpoints on the internet and after
much research and soul-searching she stopped taking drugs. Then the
slide show, and her physical presence, shows her rebounding back to her
normal, beautifully healthy state. Her bravery in talking about the most
intimate aspects of her life brought gasps to many throats and tears to
many eyes.
Tears were even more frequent when Celia Farber
premiered her short video tribute to the life of Christine Maggiore. In
such a powerfully artistic way, without saying a word, Farber induced
floods of healing tears from Christine's many friends and admirers in
the room.
After the screening of "House of Numbers", the
powerful new documentary that is rocking the AIDS establishment, many
people got to see a beautiful young lady for the first time, Lindsey
Nagel, whose story features prominently in the film, whose very
existence is an affront to the HIV=AIDS=Death dogma. On the stage with
her parents and Peter Duesberg, after the film, they were able to reveal
more about the horror of their baby being given an AIDS diagnosis, the
awful side effects of AZT, and the shock and joy that this death
sentence really was commuted once the AZT was stopped upon the advice of
Duesberg.
Joan Shenton also screened some previously unseen
video from her enormous archives at the Immunity Resource Foundation. In
the late 1980s and early 1990s Joan's videos stunned the AIDS
establishment, resulting in a backlash that destroyed her career. The
short videos that she showed still have the power to shock today. They
illustrate, as well as anything can possibly do, that the arguments of
the AIDS elite have changed little since then, and that discussion of
flaws is suppressed through force, not reason.
The conference
also had lots of time for unstructured mingling. Almost everyone at the
conference attended a cocktail party on Friday evening where was enough
food to ensure that nobody needed to go for supper, although most people
were so excited to meet other dissidents from all over the world that
there was far more talking and hugging than eating or drinking. Most
people also attended the banquet on Saturday evening where people could
decide which VIP to sit with. Each table had the names of two speakers,
moderators or other well-known rethinkers, with the other six chairs up
for grabs. This ensured that everyone could get involved with lively
conversations, with some tables specializing in particular languages,
such as German, Spanish or French, others in particular topics. I had
arranged for a handful of toasts to be made during the meal, but my
arrangements were overwhelmed by a seemingly endless line of people who
spontaneously went to the microphone with inspirational thoughts or to
give thanks to individuals or groups of people.
The tapestry of
AIDS dissent is not yet finished, but it is far larger and more
beautiful than it was before RA 2009. People can still get involved by
reviewing the presentations posted under the Program tab at ra2009.org and by picking the brains of people who were at the conference and who have now gone back to their homes all over the world.
I
would like to give thanks to many people, but most particularly to
Siggi Duesberg, who organized the logistics of the conference and
without whom this simply could not have happened. Also David Rasnick who
was responsible for the program and his wife Terri who coordinated the
many videographers, Daniel Garcia who did all the Spanish translations
and Frank Lusardi who created and updated the website. The volunteers
who patiently sat at the tables outside the room all weekend selling
registrations, books and answering innumerable questions - Karen, Ina
and Sandra Mason (the RA treasurer). Also the hotel staff who went
beyond the call of duty and the Oakland police officers who provided
security. Most of all I have to thank the speakers and moderators who
made the conference intellectually stimulating and thought-provoking and
the videographers whose contributions will become obvious as video
emerges over the next few months. And, of course, the over 150
individuals who made sure to be at the conference. Your sacrifices and
determination were essential. If you had not believed in this
conference, it could not have happened. Lastly, a huge "Thank You!" to
our donors whose huge financial commitment made this possible,
particularly Bob Leppo, Martin Penny and Michael Geiger.
Thanks
are also needed for people who were not there but whose historical
achievements must be recognized. Charles Thomas founded (and originally
funded) Reappraising AIDS in 1990, soon after retiring as a professor of
biochemistry at Harvard and relocating to the Scripps Institute in San
Diego. He also played a crucial role in one of the first major
symposiums that rethought AIDS, an all-day meeting of the Pacific
Division of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in
1994. He authoritatively rejected claims that HIV could cause and
transmit AIDS in Factor VIII blood products given to hemophiliacs. Paul
Philpott, a chemical engineer from Detroit was also critically important
to the early group, for several years editing its important newsletter.
Charlie Thomas died earlier in 2009 and we remember him as well as
others who played critical roles, including Huw Christie, Michael
Verney-Elliott, anti-poppers activist Hank Wilson, Mark Griffith, John
Kirkham, David Pasquarelli, Robert Johnston of HEAL Toronto, Kelly Jon
Landis, Ken Anderlini, Lambros Papantoniou, Winnie Mwebe, Sam Mhlongo,
and Serge Lang and the many others who poured energy into this global
movement but who did not live to see RA 2009. Please take a moment to
remember and thank others who inspired you.
After it was all
over, and I was slumped exhausted on an uncomfortable airplane seat, far
too early in the morning, I was filled with a mixture of joy and
sadness. Leaving all my new friends and the intense beauty of the
weekend was hard. But the joy was stronger. The end of RA 2009 was not
the end of anything; it was the beginning of big new advances for the
rethinking AIDS movement worldwide.
What will be next? We
certainly learned a lot at the conference about how to make the next one
better. We should have had an outlet for the many people who simply
wanted to tell their story. Debates between rethinkers on major topics
such as HIV existence should be considered. The conference really should
have been one day longer. We will definitely need a bigger space next
time, because there was standing room only most of the time. This event
probably won't happen again in 2010 but having another Rethinking AIDS
conference in 2011 is quite reasonable. Perhaps 2010 can be the year for
regional or more specialized events. If you are interested in
participating in future events in any way, please let me know some time
over the coming months.
David Crowe
Calgary
November, 2009
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