2020 Presidential Candidates

[frugal-one]

The government is not here to help people--it's every man for himself in the good ol' US of A. The government is only here to wage war and boost corporate profits. Hope that helps.

I worked for the government... not EVERYONE is this way!

[catherine]

Do you really think that about Williamson, or is that just the sound bite du jour about her up there out of her sphere of influence, SoCal?

From the few articles I just finished skimming, she doesn’t seem at all to be an enemy of LGBT etc. people. She adamantly denies counseling people with AIDS to give up any Western medicine although she does say that there was hardly anything offered to them in late 80s when she was working with people with AIDS.

Yes, I reviewed a few things online that don't seem to suggest negative feelings toward AIDS patients. She's New Age, and she may have expressed the type of thinking that Louise Hay made a career out of--that illnesses like cancer are a function of the mind. There's a book by Anita Moorjani called Dying to be Me, in which she talks about her spontaneous remission from late-stage cancer when she gave up fear. There are a lot of people who believe you can become well by loving yourself and giving up negative energy. I'm not in that camp 100%, but maybe I am about 25%.

I've always wondered, if you extend that thinking outside human beings, does it follow that a dog with illness doesn't love itself enough? Maybe he/she should meditate and stress less? Look in the mirror and do a Stuart Smalley: "I'm good enough, I'm smart enough, and DOG-gone it, people like me!"

While I definitely believe in a mind-body connection, I don't blame the victim, and I don't think Marianne Williamson does either.

[Tybee]

Well I've heard doctors say 80% of illness is brought on by stress, so to me, the more we can lead happy lives, the better our options to navigate whatever we we have to work with, genetics, environment, circumstance. I think a public debate is a great place to bring up some of the ideas that she was bringing up.

[Teacher Terry]

I agree Catherine and Tybee. Doesn’t mean that I am going to stop taking my HBP medication.

[catherine]

Hey, Tybee! Great to see you back!

I agree that attitude and stress have a lot to do with physical health in addition to the other factors mentioned, of course. We are such complex organisms!

[LDAHL]

I hear she's trending right now.

Chakras and awe!

[Yppej]

He had a recent interview where he said Michelle Obama is the one to beat trump. He cited a couple of polls where she is the top of the list for the most admired women in the world. I could go with that. The Obamas were apparently unavailable for comment. No doubt a little on the fantasy side, but some entertaining considerations.

The last wife of a Democratic president who ran lost.

[jp1]

Well I've heard doctors say 80% of illness is brought on by stress, so to me, the more we can lead happy lives, the better our options to navigate whatever we we have to work with, genetics, environment, circumstance. I think a public debate is a great place to bring up some of the ideas that she was bringing up.

While indeed stress does likely cause a lot of illness, or at least make one more susceptible to certain illnesses, HIV is not one of those illnesses. At the very very best, reducing stress may slow the progress of untreated HIV infection, but it won't reduce the likelihood of someone who gets exposed to HIV from coming down with AIDS if they don't take appropriate medicine.

[jp1]

I've always wondered, if you extend that thinking outside human beings, does it follow that a dog with illness doesn't love itself enough? Maybe he/she should meditate and stress less? Look in the mirror and do a Stuart Smalley: "I'm good enough, I'm smart enough, and DOG-gone it, people like me!"

Perhaps if my cat wasn't so neurotic he could stop taking his thyroid meds!

[jp1]

Do you really think that about Williamson, or is that just the sound bite du jour about her up there out of her sphere of influence, SoCal?

From the few articles I just finished skimming, she doesn’t seem at all to be an enemy of LGBT etc. people. She adamantly denies counseling people with AIDS to give up any Western medicine although she does say that there was hardly anything offered to them in late 80s when she was working with people with AIDS.

I don't think she's anti-LGBT. I just don't think that her opinion is (or was, if it has changed) helpful, and could be potentially harmful if people actually attempt to deal with HIV infection through stress reduction instead of HIV meds.

Edited to correct the last sentence to add "don't" before think.