> That's just ridiculous. Smallpox has disappeared. Polio, diphtheria,
> and many other diseases have largely disappeared because of
> vaccination.
What makes this particular example so hateful (hateful on the part of the alternative therapy advocates that deride immunization) is that they take the real yet miniscule risk to every individual from certain forms of immunization and turn that into an argument against the vast social benefits that come from immunization. That's as anti-left a position as you can find.
Promoting superstition is evil, especially when it preys on the weak, the sick, and the hopeless. Quacks of all sorts are among the very worst scum of the earth, and if I believed in hell, I'd expect--no, I'd +hope+ to see them burn in it.
All the best,
John A