Of heroes and bigots

Hello folks,

It’s a fairly open secret that, as a chemist, one of my heroes is the author of the fantastic “Bad Science” column that features in weekend editions of the Guardian, the brilliant Dr Ben Goldacre, whom I admire for his efforts to fight climate change denialists and the peddlers of scientifically suspect alternative remedies the world over (as well as highlighting the dodgy “credentials” of “Dr” Gillian McKeith.) So it was with great interest that I read last weekend about the story of one of his heroes, Zackie Achmat, a man who has not only campaigned against South Africa’s apartheid regime, and for gay rights in South Africa (earning himself a spell in prison, for his troubles), but also successfully campaigned to make anti-retroviral drugs for the treatment of AIDS available on South Africa’s public health system.

All noble causes, one might think, but not for the vitamin peddlers (Anthony Brink, in particular) operating in his country. It was with great horror that I read that, not only has Brink been repeatedly trying to overrule the verdict on state provision of anti-retrovirals, but has also filed a ridiculous complaint in the Hague Criminal Court accusing Achmat of “genocide” (!)

Leaving aside the spurious claims made by these people about the HIV medication (that it is not only ineffective, but also harmful) in desperate attempt to flog their own useless vitamin pills (which, as a scientist, is already enough to make my blood boil), what’s particularly despicable about the complaint lodged by Brink is the way it increasingly descends into the type of nasty (and, one could argue, racist) remarks which even the female members of the Big Brother house would be shocked by. Not only should this spurious case be laughed out of court, but one could also argue that Achmat has a good case to bring charges of slander against Brink (while, given Achmat’s relevance to South Africa’s past, charges of incitement to racial hatred against Brink might also be justified.)

Anyway, rant over. I hope to speak to you all on cheerier subjects during the coming week; I may be receiving the results of my recent exams this week, so (depending on how good they are) a cheerier-sounding blog may soon be around the corner, who knows.

Later,
Liam