Theodore Dalrymple - Romancing Opiates - May 2006 (2 of 6)

On May 30, 2006, Theodore Dalrymple marked the release of his book Romancing Opiates: Pharmacological Lies and the Addiction Bureaucracy with a speech at the Harvard Club in New York. The book was published by Encounter Books, and the event was hosted by the Manhattan Institute. To learn more about Theodore Dalrymple, visit www.skepticaldoctor.com, an unofficial website devoted to the man and his work.

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News & Politics

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• theodore
• dalrymple
• dr.
• anthony
• daniels
• romancing
• opiates
• skeptical
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• encounter
• books
• manhattan
• institute
• politics

[BFKate]

Dolly Dalrymple writes classic bullshit on fire. His first argument is a total straw man - no one claims withdrawal is a terrible illness or a life threatening illness. But the real beauty is when he cites interviews with 100 addicts he interviewed IN PRISON. 67 had been in prison before ever using opiates. He then extrapolates the results of this self selecting group to mean all opiate addicts are criminals first addicts second? Either sloppy science or unforgivable sophistry.

[crazymanstephen]

I can see why Dalrymple is cold shouldered by the British media-the evidence he highlights conflicts with politically aceptable received wisdom. The interventionist State and those who philosophically support Big State need these people to be helpless victims so it can develop industries to 'care' for them-at taxpayers' expense.

[Xenostrobe]

@crookshanks576 I can understand your confusion. This guy had used pictures out of library books (public property) for his school project. When I expressed disapproval he refused to accept that this was indeed regrettable. A no regret attitude so prevalent in society - that's a predisposition to addiction. Put it this way, he's full of psychological defenses and evasions and obfuscations that Dalrymple writes so well about... the attitude set in young, before drug abuse.

[crookshanks576]

@Xenostrobe Huh this makes no sense?

[Xenostrobe]

I know someone, not so much with a dispositon to crime, but certainly addiction. Once he showed me a school exercise book, I think from when he was at primary school. In it, a shool project, that actually looked rather good but he'd cut & pasted pictures out of a library book.

When I expressed strong disapproval he refused to accept this was indeed regrettable. A no regret attitude so prevalent in society - that's a predisposition to addiction.

[DJBAMTOM]

patrick dalrymple