Ralph talks to world–renowned doctor Andrew Weil about the pharmaceutical industry and the problem of over-medication, outlined in his book “Mind Over Meds.” And Princeton professor Robert Tignor tells us about the petition he wrote calling for the denuclearization of the Middle East that was signed by the likes of Ralph, Noam Chomsky and Chris Hedges. Plus, listener questions!
Andrew Weil, M.D. is a world-renowned leader and pioneer in the field of integrative medicine, a healing oriented approach to health care, which encompasses body, mind, and spirit. Dr. Weil is Director of the Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine at the University of Arizona and an internationally-recognized expert for his views on leading a healthy lifestyle. Among his many publications is the book, “Mind Over Meds: Know When Drugs Are Necessary, When Alternatives Are Better and When to Let Your Body Heal on Its Own.”
“There are between two and four hundred thousand deaths a year in the U.S. hospitalized population alone directly caused by medications. And this is not mistakes. This is the right dose. The right indications. The right patients. And that many people die, making it something like the fourth leading cause of death in the hospitalized population.”
Dr. Andrew Weil, author of “Mind Over Meds: Know When Drugs Are Necessary, When Alternatives Are Better and When to Let Your Body Heal on Its Own.”
Robert Tignor is a Professor of Modern and Contemporary History at Princeton University. Professor Tignor teaches courses in African history and world history and has done research on British colonialism and its aftermath and the modern histories of Egypt, Nigeria, and Kenya. Recently, Professor Tignor, along with a number of colleagues drafted a public statement calling for the complete denuclearization of the Middle East. And it has been signed by many concerned intellectuals and activists, including Ralph and past guests on this program, Noam Chomsky and Chris Hedges.
“I think it’s becoming very, very difficult to call Israel a democracy, especially with the passage of this nationality law, which says Israel is a Jewish state. It basically disenfranchises the privileges of the non-Jews.”
Princeton history professor Robert Tignor, co-author of a petition calling for the denuclearization of the Middle East.
Dr. Andrew Weil