[Editor's Note: I often read about and heard of Victor Herbert from Gary
Null and others in the late 1980's and early 1990's He was undoubtedly one
of the most vocal and strident quackbusters in the latter quarter of the
20th century here in America. He was seen everywhere: TV talk shows, radio
shows, newspaper articles, magazine articles, 'documentaries' on health and
medicine, etc. Saul Green was another winner in this vein. I remember very
well the Warren Levin MD case mentioned here. I attended health expos in
New York in the early 90's and heard Warren speak. Like all pharmaceutical
propaganda stooges, Herbert did enormous damage by creating fear and doubt
in the minds of an uneducated and unsuspecting public, probably causing untold
thousands of ill people to shy away from alternative therapies because of
his misinformation, distortions, lies, and propaganda. I do not exactly share
Tim's feelings regarding Herbert's death, as we are all brothers united under
God, but I can understand his posture, as Tim's is one heck of a pugilist!
And I'm glad we have him going to bat for us. He's definitely making a difference
for advocates of alternative medicine...Ken Adachi]
By Tim Bolen
http://educate-yourself.org/tb/victorherbertdied22nov02.shtml
November 22, 2002
Self-styled quackbuster, and anti-health manipulator, Victor Herbert died
of Cancer November 19th, 2002. Herbert, described by many in the Health
Freedom Movement as "a raving maniac" hasn't been seen much in the last few
years. Herbert had obtained notoriety among the quackbuster rank and
file for his literal SCREAMING attacks, in public, against anything, and
anybody, engaged in Alternative Medicine.
Like most quackbusters, when confronted with demands to back up their anti-health
claims with "science," Herbert would get even more shrill. Quackbusters,
as a whole, don't generally understand scientific principles, and don't seem
to understand the scientific method. Generally speaking, I've found
that most quackbusters aren't all that bright. Their leadership seems
to have "personal failure in their own profession" as their hallmark.
Herbert had gained notoriety in the famous New York OPMC vs. Warren Levin
MD case. Herbert literally SCREAMED throughout the case, and couldn't be
shut up even by the Judge. Warren Levin, in the case, showed that Herbert
had scientifically experimented on himself with a folic acid study - which
very likely had damaged his brain. Levin won.
In another instance, in 1993, Herbert got physical with pro-health activist
Frank Weiwel (People Against Cancer) and was convicted of assault in that
incident. Weiwel had been recording Herbert SCREAMING. The conviction
was later overturned. Herbert, who also was an attorney, then sued
Weiwel in Federal court, and lost the case. The Federal Judge chastised
Herbert for his courtroom behavior. When Weiwel was awarded Attorney fees,
Herbert claimed he only had $6,000 to his name. The Judge awarded Frank
Weiwel half of that. Weiwel has an enlarged copy of the check for $3,000
on his wall.
I saw a taped interview of Herbert by Ted Koppell where Herbert couldn't
stop SCREAMING on the air. He was supposedly "debating" someone from
the supplement industry. Koppell told him to control himself several times.
He didn't.
A New York magazine once interviewed Herbert, following Herbert down to his
car. Herbert had bumper stickers on his car with the words "Green Beret."
Strapped to the back of the driver's seat was a Machete, in a sheath.
When asked why the Machete was there Herbert replied something like "last
week some bum tried to wash my windshield for me, and I won't tolerate that."
I always thought Herbert was the PERFECT spokesman for the quackbusters.
I thought he TRULY, and HONESTLY, represented the quackpot mentality. He
was the epitome. Stephen Barrett claimed Herbert as a resource for his dubious
website www.quackwatch.com. Herbert was, of course, on the board of the National
Council Against Health Fraud (NCAHF).
I certainly hope that Herbert stayed in character during his bout with cancer,
and availed himself of ONLY conventional cancer therapies. I can't
think of anybody who deserved chemotherapy, or radiation, more.
No official studies have ever been done to determine how much damage has
been inflicted on American society by the Quackbusters. Yet...
Tim Bolen
Consumer Advocate
This "Millions of Health Freedom Fighters - Newsletter"
is about the battle between "Health and Medicine" on Planet Earth. Tim Bolen
is an op/ed writer with extensive knowledge of the activities of a subversive
organization calling itself the "quackbusters," and that organization's
attempts to suppress,and discredit, any, and all health modalities that compete
with the allopathic (MD) paradigm for consumer health dollars. The
focus of the newsletter is on the ongoing activities, battles, politics,
and the victories won by members of the "Health Freedom
Movement" against the "quackbusters" It details "who the quackbusters
are, what they are, where they are operating, when they appear, and how they
operate - and how easy it is to beat them..."
For background information on the "Battle between Health and Medicine" go
to: http://www.savedrclark.net/by_whom2.htm. A copy of THIS newsletter,
and older ones, are viewable at the website http://www.quackpotwatch.org/default.htm
All information posted on this web site is
the opinion of the author and is provided for educational purposes only.
It is not to be construed as medical advice. Only a licensed medical doctor
can legally offer medical advice in the United States. Consult the healer
of your choice for medical care and advice.