The Thoughts of Chairman Aaronovitch
By John Stone
David Aaronovitch, recent chair of Index on Censorship, Orwell prize winner and Murdoch poodle (or possibly running dog) writing in the London Times wants to stop people saying things he does not like - so perhaps he will not like this article.
The problem with vaccines, is the more you are not allowed to talk about them the more dangerous they will certainly get. You can be fed lots of reassuring information by the surrogates of the people who manufacture them (the health agencies and mainstream journalists) but until ordinary citizens are listened to you will simply be engaged in an ugly strategy of social repression. It is not good enough to tell people when they have been hurt - or worse when their beloved children have been - that the agencies who did the hurting deny it. But for Aaronovitch the products are not mere fallible industrial products, they are simply beyond public criticism.
If anybody is expressing unreasonable faith it is he. If he thinks they are safe, what body of science is he citing, and where are the independent agencies? In the UK the licensing agencies are funded by the industry (the MHRA 100%, the EMA 89%), the chair of the vaccine recommendation committee (the JCVI) is director Oxford Vaccine Group which is commercially involved in developing many of the vaccines the committee recommends. These are all perfectly acceptable arrangements to a mainstream media in advanced decline, and no doubt to our lion of free speech.
In his latest article ‘Conspiracy theorists make monkeys of us all’ (The Times 5 July 2018) Aaronovitch employs all the old bad songs: people who doubt vaccine safety are unscientific and equivalent to those who doubt the theory of evolution; people who doubt vaccine safety are unpleasant right-wing types; people who opposed vaccine mandates in Italy (which incidentally we do not have in the United Kingdom) have caused measles to rise – when he might have focussed on government-pharmaceutical sleaze as the prime cause of their mistrust: the meeting at which Obama put Italian Health Minister Beatrice Lorenzin in charge of global vaccine strategy, the secret deals she signed with GlaxoSmithKline. They probably also knew that she had made up fairy stories about 270 measles deaths among children in London. This was what last year the tens of thousands of people who filled the streets in Italy knew about, unreported by the Italian and global mainstream media, unreported almost certainly in the London Times – just to make them look like idiots. In these circumstances conspiracy was scarcely a theory. Oh yes, and to cap it all they are all “conspiracy theorists”.
And then, of course, there is the fact that Trump (who, of course, Aaronovitch does not like) met Andrew Wakefield (who, of course, has been “disgraced”). Aaronovitch, himself, is conflicted because he wrote two articles for the Murdoch press attacking Wakefield’s integrity following up Brian Deer’s second wave of Sunday Times allegations in 2009 just after the proprietor James Murdoch was appointed to the board of GSK, with a brief to help protect the group’s reputation. But he should know very well that the core Sunday Times allegations against Wakefield et al were shown to be false in the High Court in the appeal of senior author and clinician, Prof John Walker-Smith and were just eye-wash. Wakefield had been left technically guilty of things which were shown never to have a happened.
Aaronovitch should know apart from anything else, because even if he did not before, I drew it to his attention under one of his Times articles in 2013. When I recorded on Age of Autism that he had had the comments taken down, he came on Age of Autism and denied it. But whether it was an editor or the legal department who removed them he signally failed to answer the questions raised. So much for the recent chair of Index on Censorship. He might like to go and visit Vera Sharav’s L’Affaire Wakefield and tell us point for point where she is wrong. The he might earn some respect.
Meanwhile, it is not surprising that he would like everyone else to shut up.
John Stone is UK and Europe Editor for Age of Autism.
Eindecker your down selling yourself and deathly Pharma...
"In contrast, the MMR vaccination rates for children with older siblings with ASD were lower (73% at age 2 years [n = 1409] and 86% [n = 1660] at age 5 years)."
Pharma For Prison
MMR RIP
Posted by: Angus Files | September 15, 2018 at 05:28 AM
Eindecker, you may want to read this break down of the study you quoted by JB Handley...
https://jbhandleyblog.com/home/2018/diabolically
Rhys Jagger; how do you feel about the censorship of reports of vaccine injuries?
Posted by: Hera | September 15, 2018 at 01:35 AM
Rhys this study wasn’t on identical twins but looked at the younger siblings of older children with autism. There was no association with whether or not the younger siblings received the MMR vaccine https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2275444
For children with older siblings with ASD, at age 2, the adjusted relative risk (RR) of ASD for 1 dose of MMR vaccine vs no vaccine was 0.76 (95% CI, 0.48-1.22; P = .25), and at age 5, the RR of ASD for 2 doses compared with no vaccine was 0.56 (95% CI, 0.30-1.04; P = .07)
Posted by: Eindecker | September 14, 2018 at 05:11 PM
Are there any cases worldwide where only one of two identical twins received MMR?
The stats would tell you conclusively if vaccination exposed as-near-as-can-be-identical DNA genomes to higher risks of developing autism.....
Posted by: Rhys Jaggar | September 14, 2018 at 03:01 PM
Aaronovitch advises us to use Occam's Razor when evaluating alternative explanations. Terrific advice. Let's apply it to this situation: a child is vaccinated with MMR and promptly starts running a fever. He screams and seizes. He develops explosive diarrhea. During this, he loses languages and skills. Eventually he's diagnosed with autism. In Aaronovitch's universe, the mom should conclude that she has terrible genes.
Posted by: Carol | July 10, 2018 at 12:01 PM
@Hans Litten, Your information raises one question in my mind :Will health officials of Multnomah County pounce on all those "non-immune " people with their gamma glubulin injections as a preventive measure ? and if so - do those injections still contain high levels of mercury as they did in my childhood ?
This was my experience at what must have been age 2 : Exposure to a child who had measles, followed by a trip to the doctor and a series of about 6 injections of what must have been gamma globulin, followed by these symptoms, (among others) : red face (mercury poisoning?) head banging (mercury toxicity? ) night terrors ( mercury ?) one eye tending to roll outwards with consequent double vision (mercury?) dislike of being touched, decrease in social interaction, a degree of hyperactivity and shyness that persisted for decades.
If gamma glubulins still contain mercury, God help the kids in that preschool. some of them may become autistic or severely hyperactive.
Posted by: cherry misra | July 10, 2018 at 02:31 AM
I first took major note of Aaronovitch in 2005. At the beginning of the 2005 election campaign Tony Blair was ambushed on a TV show by a lady called Maria Hutchings who was protesting about how the Labour government were treating families with disabled children - trying to cut costs with inclusion propaganda and pretending that families who wanted special schooling were trying to stop there children progressing. There followed a flesh creeping attack on Maria by Aaronovitch in The Observer, and you wondered who it was most meant to impress (you felt maybe not the readers).
It ought to be said that later on Maria was despicably treated by the Conservatives when David Cameron's central office intervened to sabotage her winning as their candidate against the Liberal Democrats in a by-election during the coalition. However, I actually believe that Maria's intervention in 2005 was a significant benefit to families of disabled children in the UK, and after it the nasty rhetoric mostly stopped, and possibly Aaronovitch's heavy-handidness helped. Actually, I suspect Maria has a more material legacy than most politicians even if it was only one thing she did.
Posted by: John Stone | July 09, 2018 at 06:42 PM
Peter Hitchens' take on Aaronovitch:
"Mr Aaronovitch, it must be recalled, was one of the most notable media supporters of Anthony Blair’s appalling Iraq War, which without doubt was responsible for tremendous loss of life. Whereas the damage done by the current measles outbreak, and all measles outbreaks in recent history, is not only immeasurably smaller, but (in this current case) is also arguably attributable (I put this at its most modest) to government pig-headedness, at least as much as it is to Andrew Wakefield’s behaviour and that of the journalists who, in good faith, reported his concerns sympathetically.
Now, Mr Aaronovitch has since then offered various tortured and obviously distressed noises about his part in supporting Mr Blair's war. He’s had grave difficulties in acknowledging that the government did not tell the truth. He’s tried to advance Iraq’s new democracy (itself a rather questionable thing) as a justification for the gory hell which we visited on that country, and which still persists. I won’t say he’s not repentant. He’s clearly troubled. But essentially, when it was a journalist’s duty to be sceptical and critical of politicians and the state, he was supportive and helpful to those politicians and that state.... And therefore his actions played a part in making possible an event of great violence and destruction. In my view, he continued to defend it, and its authors, long after he should have stopped...."
http://hitchensblog.mailonsunday.co.uk/2013/05/a-bit-of-bible-study-my-response-to-messrs-aaronovitch-and-thompson.html
Posted by: Carol | July 09, 2018 at 06:11 PM
Thanks to everybody for all the appreciative comments both on behalf of AoA editors and myself.
Bill, I think you have mistaken what I was trying to say in political terms. I am critical of people like Aaronovitch because they have hi-jacked moderate politics and turned it into something else - I am an old fashioned liberal (not necessarily affiliated) and I see little affinity with mainstream global corporatist opinion which is what we are getting. It is how Aaronovitch abusively turns vaccine critics into flat-earth extremists I object to, which is just hate speech. But also it poses the question who now people can vote for with conviction. They have busted our politics. In Italy voters turned away in droves from the moderate left which sold them out to the pharmaceutical industry. That’s the problem.
Meanwhile, I will treat people on both right and left with respect if they treat us with respect.
Posted by: John Stone | July 09, 2018 at 01:51 PM
michael: Excellent post! I couldn't have said it better. Indeed, the highest standards of journalistic integrity. And indeed, I have learned so much about so many things I wouldn't have known about thanks to the outstanding team of editors here and the many contributions of commenters.
Posted by: Gary Ogden | July 09, 2018 at 01:30 PM
John you speak for millions the voice of the silent majority,thanks!
Pharma For Prison
MMR RIP
Posted by: Angus Files | July 09, 2018 at 12:41 PM
Bill,
Reading Age of Autism including the comments, I've learned of the potential toxicity of Vitamin A, learned of the potential harm, scientific misconduct, government-industry collusion with cell towers, smart meters, and 5G; learned about pre-mature chord clamping in newborns; learned about how standards of care put us at risk to medical harm; learned about the overthrow of Salvadore Allende was sparked by the Chilean Medical Association going after Dr. Salvadore Allende calling for fewer vaccinations and the development of natural immunity. I can't even think of all the things that I didn't know if it were not for Age of Autism contributors and the comments from a cadre of extremely well-informed readers. This is all part and parcel of why we find ourselves in the age of autism in all of its many manifestations. We see it and the government/corporatocracy-media is doing its damnedest to make sure others don't.
Age of Autism is everything the main stream media isn't any more, honest, transparent with the highest standards of journalistic integrity. We become informed which puts us way ahead of the rest of the herd and for me that is a blessing.
Bill, maybe you know this already but it was the Obama administration that gave the media its marching orders to censor the information that Age of Autism provides:
“There are groups out there that insist that vaccines are responsible for a variety of problems, despite all scientific evidence to the contrary. We [DHHS] have reached out to media outlets to try to get them not to give the views of these people equal weight in their reporting.” Kathleen Sebelius--Secretary of DHHS, February 2010, Readers Digest
We are and will be in the horrors of the age of autism, not because of some right wing conspiracy, but by the media's clear manipulation of the herd to believe black is white, peace is war, and mercury, aluminum injected into children and pregnant women makes them healthy.
Don't be scared; make a donation to AOA. We are the resistance to all we know that is misguided if not plainly evil, which threatens are health, our freedoms, our pursuit of happiness.
Posted by: michael | July 09, 2018 at 12:24 PM
instead of it's original goal of questioning the safety of mandated vaccines.
Posted by: bill | July 09, 2018 at 08:49 AM
We questioned and have found vaccination to be a complete and utter fraud from start to finish !
You write like there is still some doubt. There isn't !
The lamestream is wading in :
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/italy-children-vaccination-school-anti-vaxxer-abolish-schools-five-star-lega-nord-grillo-a8438941.html
Posted by: Hans Litten | July 09, 2018 at 12:02 PM
I periodically query google "what causes autism", for years the first result has been from Autism Speaks and their answer is "we don't know." Yesterday I got a top of the page/Wikipedia banner that says: "Prenatal viral infection has been called the principal non-genetic cause of autism. Prenatal exposure to rubella or cytomegalovirus activates the mother's immune response and greatly increases the risk for autism. Congenital rubella syndrome is the most convincing environmental cause of autism." I take this as a sign that the population is no longer buying what Autism Speaks has to say - and a Wikipedia page is being used to capture readers interest. It is hard to drive media interest with "we don't know" for over 15 years. Hmmm... autism...viruses...immune response. p.s. "bill", please stop trolling this site, name-calling/labeling, is unproductive.
Posted by: Beleaguered Autism Mom | July 09, 2018 at 11:53 AM
bill: Wherever did you get the idea that only governments can censor? From my dictionary, “censor n. [L. censor, from censere, to tax, value, judge] 5. one who censures, blames, or reproves; one who is given to censure any faultfinder or adverse critic.” Private newspapers censor every day. One example will suffice: Whaen drug promoter Richard Pan sold all of California’s children for much more than thirty pieces of silver, the New York Times published an editorial by the notorious multi-millionaire vaccine developer and promoter Paul Offit. Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. wrote a response. They refused to publish it. This is censorship, blatant censorship. It is a value judgement. The word of a deeply conflicted, woefully ignorant man over that of a noted attorney from a noted family who has no conflicts of interest on this issue, and clearly a better understanding of toxicity than Offit.
I would go further than Kim and assert that there is no difference between government and industry. They are one and the same. There are no “wings” at AoA. There is truth seeking. So captured by commercial interests are both government and media, and scientific research and professional journals, only independent voices, such as AoA, and many others, are of value in informing the public. Bill, the propagandists are very clever and possess unlimited resources. They are trying to divide us. We must not let that happen. We must hold their feet to the fire, whomever is in power.
Posted by: Gary Ogden | July 09, 2018 at 11:39 AM
This is a most irritating pro-vaccine propaganda piece.
Why don't they vaccinate the bats ! I say
https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2018/07/anti-vaxxers-horses-hendra/559967/
“Anything that happens within a few months after the vaccine gets blamed on the vaccine.”
Posted by: Hans Litten | July 09, 2018 at 11:36 AM
bill, I really cannot agree with your comments about AoA 'becoming a full on right wing conspiracy site'. In fact, I do not even understand why you say that.
I am from UK and, for most of my life, voted for our Liberal Democrat party, which is neither left nor right. I, too, fear extremes, which is why I am confused by your comment. I have found AoA to be totally non political. Of course, some comments may favour right or left but, in all, nearly everyone who posts on here is concerned about health, autism, corruption - not politics.
You obviously have your reason for 'getting scared about Age of Autism' but I cannot understand your fear.
Posted by: susan welch | July 09, 2018 at 10:35 AM
@ Bill
With all due respect .. I disagree with your comment wherein you stated: "Only governments can censor, not private newspapers like the London Times".
Webster's defines censor thus: "an official with the power to examine literature, mail, etc and remove or prohibit anything considered obscene, objectionable, etc"
Unless I am misinterpreting Webster's definition .. it merely refers to an "official" .. not specifically to a "government official". Which is why .. everyday we read of instances where powerful "officials" in corporate America .. google, facebook, twitter .. choose to "remove" whatever THEY decide is "objectionable" .. from their popular sites.
If as you say .. they are not guilty of "censoring" what they allow to be published for reasons known only to themselves .. because they are not "government officials" … what would you call it?
Posted by: bob moffit | July 09, 2018 at 09:36 AM
Hi, Bill. We’re not right or left wing - by Dan’s design. The current times reflect a crackdown that is Orwellian. The lines between govt and industry are often blurry at best. We launched as the first daily web newspaper of the epidemic. Not just vaccines. Thank you for your readership. Kim
Posted by: Kim for Bill | July 09, 2018 at 08:54 AM
ONLY governments can "censor" not private newspaper like the London Times, so the term "Orwellian" is not used in proper context. I am getting scared about Age of Autism becoming a full on right wing conspiracy site instead of it's original goal of questioning the safety of mandated vaccines.
Posted by: bill | July 09, 2018 at 08:49 AM
Well said
Posted by: Allison Edwards | July 09, 2018 at 07:54 AM
Imagine that .. appointed as chair of "Index on censorship". Yes, indeed, Orwell would be proud to have predicted not only there would eventually be a "chair of the Index on censorship" .. but .. more importantly the "index" itself was created in the first place.
Our BRAVE NEW WORLD continues … God help us all.
Posted by: bob moffit | July 09, 2018 at 06:51 AM
https://www.blacklistednews.com/article/66998/crispr-crashes-after-study-highlights-potential-cancer-risk-from.html
Crispr Therapeutics led gene-editing stocks lower after new studies published by Nature Medicine found that cells whose genomes are edited with the CRISPR-Cas9 technology have the potential to cause cancer, Stat News reports.
Editing cells’ genomes with CRISPR-Cas9 might increase the risk that the altered cells, intended to treat disease, will trigger cancer, two studies published on Monday warn — a potential game-changer for the companies developing CRISPR-based therapies.
Crispr fell as much as 14%; Editas Medicine and Intellia Therapeutics dropped as much as 9.5%; Sangamo Therapeutics slipped as much as 4.3%
The findings come as Crispr is preparing to start its first clinical study in people in Europe in the second half of the year; the FDA has paused the company’s plans to do a similar trial in the U.S.
Given the massive interest in this company and its gene-editing applications, Stat News asks an obvious question - if successfully CRISPR’d cells can seed cancers, why hasn’t this been seen before, and why haven’t the many CRISPR’d mice developed tumors?
Karolinska’s Haapaniemi said the effect shows up in large-scale experiments like hers and Novartis’ “but can be missed in small-scale studies where people only focus on editing one gene in one cell type.” In speaking to other scientists, she said, “it seems that other teams have noticed the effect of p53 on editing,” but have not highlighted it.
Posted by: Hans Litten | July 09, 2018 at 06:48 AM
Thank you, John, for speaking your mind about David Aaronovitch, a man who seems very intelligent in any discussion, except on vaccines, when he seems to throw his brain out of the window, making him less intelligent than - well - a monkey.
I'm still puzzled as to where Mr. Obama got the authority to appoint a world wide head of global vaccine strategy. What sort of international democracy is that?
Posted by: Grace Green | July 09, 2018 at 06:17 AM
Are people really this slow witted , that some are falling for this rowlocks ?
https://vaxxter.com/40-non-immune-people-exposed-to-measles-mainstream-news-melts-down/
Everyone put on your biological chem-suits, a single person has measles. Multnomah County officials believe that 40 “non-immune” people have been exposed to a single case of measles. The total exposure number is 500, but health officials are focused in on 40 of them that they don’t believe can fight the illness.
The infected person visited and spent time at the Gresham childcare center. Health officials believe that those exposed could begin showing symptoms early next week into the latter part of next week.
The 40 “non-immune” are composed of those not vaccinated, pregnant women, infants under 12 months and people with weakened immune systems, according to health officials. Anyone vaccinated against measles is considered “immune.”
Posted by: Hans Litten | July 09, 2018 at 05:13 AM