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Sadly, you seem to have missed my point, which is not to say that there is anything wrong with the science, but rather folks who would read the same article and think "maybe all I need is a good trip and I don't need no stinkin' doctor to tell me what to do or how much to take."

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At a guess, the majority would be correct. In general, physicians, like all humans, are incompetent and self-interested. Absolving yourself of personal responsibility by ceding your autonomy to an authority figure rarely works out. This is why I hate compulsory government healthcare: Physicians cease to be employees or voluntary servants who help, and become police (or tax farmers) who control and exploit. It is human nature.

> In general, physicians, like all humans, are incompetent and self-interested

Self-interested, perhaps. But assuming that physicians are representative of the broader population when it comes to incompetence is really poorly-grounded.

I have had close friends killed by grossly incompetent diagnosticians, and seen numerous botched and often superfluous surgeries. Completely anecdotal, but evidently typical of rural environs.

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