Re: Canadian doctors coming to the US

From: Herman Rubin (hrubin_at_odds.stat.purdue.edu)
Date: 08/29/04 

Date: 29 Aug 2004 13:49:27 -0500

In article <orac-A727DC.21270928082004@news4-ge1.srv.hcvlny.cv.net>,
Orac <orac@mac.com> wrote:
>In article <cgra53$4a0m@odds.stat.purdue.edu>,
> hrubin@odds.stat.purdue.edu (Herman Rubin) wrote:

>> In article <41309b16$0$18253$79c14f64@nan-newsreader-05.noos.net>,
>> Lictor <ghostmlNOSPAM-REMOVE@online.fr> wrote:

[Snip]

                        ....................

>> Without advertising, you would not even know of the
>> existence of the products. If you are relying on the
>> government for information, you are a total fool.

>If you are relying on advertising for information, you are even more of
>a fool. Advertising exists to sell people something and thus make money
>for the person doing the selling. That's its only purpose when it comes
>to commercial products. If there weren't laws regulating what
>advertisers can claim, they would exaggerate, distort, and even lie as
>much as required to entice you to buy their product. (Indeed, they
>routinely did so 100 years ago.) Even with the meager controls on what
>advertisers can claim that do exist, advertisers routinely make
>exaggerated and distorted claims.

>Sorry, but as untrustworthy as the government is, in this case, I'd say
>it's less foolish to rely on the government for information than it
>would be to rely on advertising.

For most products, the government is a useless source
of information, and is very poor at providing information
about the existence of products at all. I get medical
information from many sources, of which the government
is the least important.

Medical information is often found in medical journals,
and the government may provide webpages for some of it,
essentially unevaluated. If someone produces a new
product of any kind, I do not expect to see it in a
government announcement first.

Which government publication would you use to get information
about cars, refrigerators, TV sets, etc.? Or about medical
or dental services in your community? You will have to start
with advertising announcements, and THEN look for less biased
sources about the advertised products. 

-- 
This address is for information only.  I do not claim that these views
are those of the Statistics Department or of Purdue University.
Herman Rubin, Department of Statistics, Purdue University
hrubin@stat.purdue.edu         Phone: (765)494-6054   FAX: (765)494-0558

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Canadian doctors coming to the US
    ... >> government for information, you are a total fool. ... Advertising exists to sell people something and thus make money ... about the existence of products at all. ...
    (sci.med.cardiology)
  • Re: Canadian doctors coming to the US
    ... >> government for information, you are a total fool. ... Advertising exists to sell people something and thus make money ... about the existence of products at all. ...
    (sci.med.nutrition)
  • Re: Canadian doctors coming to the US
    ... Advertising exists to sell people something and thus make money ... >>Sorry, but as untrustworthy as the government is, in this case, I'd say ... and articles dating back to 1966. ... government is a "useless" source of information, ...
    (sci.med)
  • Re: Canadian doctors coming to the US
    ... Advertising exists to sell people something and thus make money ... >>Sorry, but as untrustworthy as the government is, in this case, I'd say ... and articles dating back to 1966. ... government is a "useless" source of information, ...
    (sci.med.cardiology)
  • Re: Canadian doctors coming to the US
    ... Advertising exists to sell people something and thus make money ... >>Sorry, but as untrustworthy as the government is, in this case, I'd say ... and articles dating back to 1966. ... government is a "useless" source of information, ...
    (sci.med.nutrition)
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