The second two points go together anyways, so this probably worked out.
Firstly, I am fully aware of the dunning kruger effect. I have said this many times before. I am not an expert at all, and talking with an expert would be and should be enlightening. I have no doubt they would say I ask good questions on some things, and laugh at my inability to understand other things. I have no delusions about where I am in this process. That said, I have talked with many, many doctors. I have talked with more than one administrator. Hell, a majority of my circle of friends are in the health care industry. I am not asking bad questions. I am asking good questions and they can't answer them. What I find, more often than not, is that I will get corrected, but on the details, not the concepts. Occasionally, I have to adjust my way of thinking because I have the concept down wrong, and I have no problems doing that. You don't answer most of my questions, even though you think you do. You are good at mischaracterizing me, though. Observe:
Quote:you seem to have an almost unhealthy interest
Do you define the level of interest that is healthy? On the most transformative disease in my lifetime? Which resulted in the most stringent response to a disease we've ever experienced? Nope.
Quote:progressed toward your own form of zealotry
Do you define zealotry? Is there some measuring stick you use to categorize a person in that manner? Where'd you find that info?
Quote:I'm no scientist and don't claim to be, yet you seem to think you are
Did I ever say I was a scientist? Have I cited actually scientific data to support most of my positions? Yup. That's how we make informed decisions.
Quote:I just think you're a bit carried away with what you think you know versus what you actually know
More speculation. This is a great argument you're having, btw. Look at all these facts you're using.
Quote:I'm sure your inflated sense of self-worth contributes as well
Tell me more, Dr. Psychologist.
Quote:You keep saying you've proved me wrong, and yet all you've done is read and report on studies that you yourself continually disparage (unless they prove your point) as "corporate shenanigans" or some such
Saved this one for last, because it's the most concrete argument you are making in this post and it's easily disprovable. I have considered many studies you've posted. I have never dismissed any findings outright, but pointed out why they are not prima facie evidence for the policy that's being made. That's important. You can't seem to get that straight. Likewise, I have ALWAYS accepted your position when a study was not peer reviewed or had a double blind, and I have never posted a study that I realized had a conflict or a flaw in it's methodology. When it's pointed out to me, I am completely understanding as to why someone shouldn't trust it.
As to proving you wrong, I have NEVER said I was right and you were wrong because of a scientific paper. You have been wrong because you have blindly followed the official position on something only to watch THEM change their position once the evidence becomes absolutely overwhelming that they were wrong. This has happened at least 4 times since you and I have been debating (maybe more), and the reason I was right and you were wrong is that I was following the science before it became politicized, and you were reacting to the information you were given. I ignore studies with cherry picked data, and if I see several clinical data that arrive at the same conclusion and use good methodology, I favor that over institutional studies that are doing the opposite. I could go back and show you the times you were 100% wrong and have had to change your position, but I don't care enough to do it. It's there if anyone wants to look.