Would You Vote For Someone Using A Dousing Rod?

 Two homeopathy stories to make a point, first, for the "it worked for me!" crowd:

Researchers at the Royal South Hants Hospital in Southampton, England, carried out a trial of homeopathy on 242 people with asthma triggered by house dust mite. They received either a homeopathic remedy based upon house dust mite or placebo for 16 weeks. 

After this time, there was no significant difference between the two groups in lung function or the quality of life. This study was larger than earlier ones, so we can probably have more faith in its outcome. If people with asthma want to use complementary therapies, it might be best not to opt for homeopathy.

 

 The second story is an example of how to get control of our politics. I've always been a "drain the swamp" kind of guy, thinking that if we'd discredited Oprah and NewAge sooner, there'd never have been an Obama presidency. People would've ridiculed her, and demanded to know what he was doing with a crackpot, instead. They wouldn't even have had to go after Oprah personally - just the nonsense (anti-vaccine, homeopathy, whatever) that she endorsed. It seems to work pretty well up in Canada:

Elizabeth May said in 2011 the inclusion of homeopathy in the Green Party’s health care policy was a mistake, but two years later the controversial “alternative medicine” is still part of official party doctrine. 

The Green Party leader was reminded of this fact Sunday when people on Twitter took her to task for the party’s continuing support for a thoroughly discredited medical treatment. 

...When Toronto-based writer Audra Williams brought up the Green Party’s support for homeopathy and other dubious alternative medicines, May denied it. The party’s 2011 “Vision Green” policy had listed homeopathy as an “error,” she said, but that same paper is still listed as the Green Party’s current policy document on greenparty.ca. 

What followed was a bizarre exchange in which the 2012 Parliamentarian of the Year seemed unwilling to accept that her party’s current policy, available online, is to “promote complimentary health care – through support of chiropractic, naturopathic, homeopathic, and other non-western practices.” It’s right there, on page 73.

 

 Of course it was bizarre - it involved homeopathy - and things will get less "bizarre" when it's gone,...