Some know-it-all better, arrogant doctors are undermining public trust and obedience of the lockdown. Their open dissent is tantamount to murder. Don’t believe them nor heed their words! These are huge egos that feel entitled to speak against the real specialists at your cost. I’ll explain.
1. These older or ex-medical professionals claim that the young physicians now in charge don’t want to listen to them and just repeat their own mantras. That would be a first if the younger generation uses mantras.
2. They show no respect at all for the heavy responsibility carried so well by so many. Israel falls just under the top of countries handling the pandemic well. And the economy is better than ever, guaranteeing, most will effortlessly regain employment. So, they came to flaunt their superior knowledge and experience. That’s not science. That politics and ego.
3. They don’t argue professionally. We need to believe them on their (supposed) authority. That is contrary to (medical) science. It also speaks of the olden mentality that the doctor is G^d and we just need to obey.
4. They brag that they have the specialist knowledge, but when you look at the qualifications of the dozen high-ranking dissidents, it seems that (almost) no one has even the beginning of the relevant expertise. If one is an infectious diseases in children specialist, a second, professor of social work, and a third, a hospital director, that doesn’t make the club equal to epidemiologists, and especially not the ones who work as such and keep up with the literature and their colleagues around the world.
5. A proper doctor (not the old ones who played being the Almighty) can explain to a patient what the problems are, what options there are, and if we want, give a recommendation and explain it. Not them. Just obey us.
6. They claim that, on the one hand, lockdowns don’t work (but they don’t explain why — strange because when everyone stays home, the spread of the virus stops). But they seem to regard themselves above explaining.
7. On the other hand, they claim that lockdown is so damaging to health: “It will lead to another rise in domestic violence, dropout of more students from the education system, delay further diagnoses of cancer, increase rates of depression and anxiety, increase the loneliness of the elderly and many other heavy damages.” (Massive unemployment is missing. Is that the real motive for the revolt by these high-salary docs? Dishonest people often name everything and the kitchen sink to hide their real objectives.) They completely sidestep that we can aim to prevent and accommodate for these side effects. But when we get COVID-19, prevention is too late.
8. In a separate article, they give some of their ‘thinking.’ It’s more just an opinion: “medical knowledge today [can use] advanced methods of which the vaccine is only one.” No! Vaccination doesn’t work epidemiologically for many months. This shows their total lack of understanding. * And: there are “demented [elderly] who do not understand (…) why the children and grandchildren have disappeared.” What a drama. If they are demented, they won’t miss children visiting. They’ll enjoy them again when they return. If they’re not dead from following unauthorized medical advice. * And an old-timer AIDS specialist: “If within 4 weeks, in a targeted manner, the entire at-risk population will be vaccinated. Anyone who says the vaccine will only protect after a few months is wrong and misleading.” He doesn’t know the basics of the basics. It takes two injections (that is what is epidemiologically researched) with 3 weeks in between and two weeks after the last shot: 5 weeks. It will take 1-2 months to vaccinate all the at-risk people. So, hands-down, it will take months, not 4 weeks. * An expert in pediatrics and clinical microbiology explains how much children need school. So, we should just let their teachers and parents die? * About the new mutations, a specialist in Medical Genetics says that there is “no evidence that the disease caused is more severe.” I already explained from basic knowledge I learned in Medical School 45 years ago, that mutations that are ‘successful’ spread more and kill less. That means: clogging up the health system and more and younger people at risk of dying and invalidity. * One MD complains that many who must seek medical help don’t, for fear of getting infected. He’s right but that comes from everyone being out and about! * In other words: None of what they say pleads against a lockdown!
9. They claim that, as elected officials, who had patients who put their lives into their hands, they should be followed. This is so deceitful that it seems that they hired a lawyer to formulate this. They are not elected to give this advice. And that patients had (no choice but to) trust in them doesn’t prove that they now can and must be trusted by anyone and everyone, even in matters beyond their expertise and responsibility.
10. If it is found that a lockdown doesn’t work, they can credit themselves for calling on the public to violate the directives to hunker down at home.
Just like it is forbidden to give medical advice without the proper diplomas, it should be a crime to try and override advice by specialists. A medical diploma doesn’t entitle anyone to push their petty opinions. It’s OK when laypeople give foolish idiotic medical advice. But Medical Doctors and paramedical workers should stay in their field, be humble, or face the law.
MM is a prolific and creative writer and thinker, previously a daily blog contributor to the TOI. He often makes his readers laugh, mad, or assume he's nuts—close to perfect blogging. He's proud that his analytical short comments are removed both from left-wing and right-wing news sites. None of his content is generated by the new bore on the block, AI. *
As a frontier thinker, he sees things many don't yet. He's half a prophet. Half. Let's not exaggerate. Or not at all because he doesn't claim G^d talks to him. He gives him good ideas—that's all. MM doesn't believe that people observe and think in a vacuum. He, therefore, wanted a broad bio that readers interested can track a bit what (lack of) backgrounds, experiences, and educations contribute to his visions. *
This year, he will prioritize getting his unpublished books published rather than just blog posts. Of the 15 (!) books he has in mind, the next two are about homosexuality in Judaism and new rabbinics. Next year, he hopes to focus on activism against human extinction. To find less-recent posts on a subject XXX among his over 2600 archived ones, go to the right-top corner of a Times of Israel page, click on the search icon and search "zuiden, XXX". One can find a second, wilder blog that also may contain updates to Times of Israel posts, to which one may subscribe, here: https://mmvanzuiden.wordpress.com/ or by clicking on the globe icon next to his picture on top. *
He's getting ready to publicize books on: "Free Will, "Judaism and Homosexuality, "His parents in the Holocaust, "Judaism, "A New Torah Translation and "A New Hebrew Grammar, "Co-Counseling, "Vegan Facts, "Immortality, and more. *
Like most of his readers, he believes in being friendly, respectful, and loyal. However, if you think those are his absolute top priorities, you might end up disappointed. His first loyalty is to the truth. He agrees that in a post-truth world, that's irrelevant, but then this is for the record. He will try to stay within the limits of democratic and Jewish law, but he won't lie to support opinions or people when don't deserve that. (Yet, we all make honest mistakes, which is just fine and does not justify losing support.) He admits that he sometimes exaggerates to make a point, which could have him come across as nasty, while in actuality, he's quite a lovely person to interact with. He holds - how Dutch - that a strong opinion doesn't imply intolerance of other views. *
Sometimes he's misunderstood because his wide and diverse field of vision seldomly fits any specialist's box. But that's exactly what some love about him. He has written a lot about Psychology (including Sexuality and Abuse), Medicine (including physical immortality), Science (including basic statistics), Politics (Israel, the US, and the Netherlands, Activism - more than leftwing or rightwing, he hopes to highlight reality), Oppression and Liberation (intersectionally, for young people, the elderly, non-Whites, women, workers, Jews, LGBTQIA+, foreigners and anyone else who's dehumanized or exploited), Integrity, Philosophy, Jews (Judaism, Zionism, Holocaust and Jewish Liberation), the Climate Crisis, Ecology and Veganism, Affairs from the news, or the Torah Portion of the Week, or new insights that suddenly befell him. *
Chronologically, his most influential teachers are his parents, Nico (natan) van Zuiden and Betty (beisye) Nieweg, Wim Kan, Mozart, Harvey Jackins, Marshal Rosenberg, Reb Shlomo Carlebach, and, lehavdil bein chayim lechayim, Rabbi Dr. Natan Lopes Cardozo, Rav Zev Leff, and Rav Meir Lubin. This short list doesn't mean to disrespect others who taught him a lot or a little. One of his rabbis calls him Mr. Innovation [Ish haChidushim]. Yet, his originalities seem to root deeply in traditional Judaism, though they may grow in unexpected directions. In fact, he claims he's modernizing nothing. Rather, mainly basing himself on the basic Hebrew Torah text, he tries to rediscover classical Jewish thought almost lost in thousands of years of stifling Gentile domination and Jewish assimilation. (He pleads for a close reading of the Torah instead of going by rough assumptions of what it would probably mean and before fleeing to Commentaries.) This, in all aspects of life, but prominently in the areas of Free Will, Activism, Homosexuality for men, and Redemption. *
He hopes that his words will inspire and inform, and disturb the comfortable and comfort the disturbed. He aims to bring a fresh perspective rather than harp on the obvious and familiar. When he can, he loves to write encyclopedic overviews. He doesn't expect his readers to agree. Rather, original minds should be disputed. In short, his main political positions are among others: anti-Trumpism, for Zionism, Intersectionality, non-violence, anti those who abuse democratic liberties, anti the fake ME peace process, for original-Orthodoxy, pro-Science, pro-Free Will, anti-blaming-the-victim, and for down-to-earth, classical optimism, and happiness. Read his blog on how he attempts to bridge any tensions between those ideas or fields. *
He is a fetal survivor of the pharmaceutical industry (https://diethylstilbestrol.co.uk/studies/des-and-psychological-health/), born in 1953 to his parents who were Dutch-Jewish Holocaust survivors who met in the largest concentration camp in the Netherlands, Westerbork. He grew up a humble listener. It took him decades to become a speaker too, and decades more to admit to being a genius. But his humility was his to keep. And so was his honesty. Bullies and con artists almost instantaneously envy and hate him. He hopes to bring new things and not just preach to the choir. *
He holds a BA in medicine (University of Amsterdam) – is half a doctor. He practices Re-evaluation Co-counseling since 1977, is not an official teacher anymore, and became a friendly, powerful therapist. He became a social activist, became religious, made Aliyah, and raised three wonderful kids. Previously, for decades, he was known to the Jerusalem Post readers as a frequent letter writer. For a couple of years, he was active in hasbara to the Dutch-speaking public. He wrote an unpublished tome about Jewish Free Will. He's a strict vegan since 2008. He's an Orthodox Jew but not a rabbi. *
His writing has been made possible by an allowance for second-generation Holocaust survivors from the Netherlands. It has been his dream since he was 38 to try to make a difference by teaching through writing. He had three times 9-out-of-10 for Dutch at his high school finals but is spending his days communicating in English and Hebrew - how ironic. G-d must have a fine sense of humor. In case you wonder - yes, he is a bit dyslectic. If you're a native English speaker and wonder why you should read from people whose English is only their second language, consider the advantage of having an original peek outside of your cultural bubble. His posts are spell, grammar, and style polished by AI, but all written by himself. *
To send any personal reaction to him, scroll to the top of the blog post and click Contact Me. *
His newest books you may find here: https://www.amazon.com/s?i=stripbooks&rh=p_27%3AMoshe-Mordechai%2FMaurits+van+Zuiden&s=relevancerank&text=Moshe-Mordechai%2FMaurits+van+Zuiden&ref=dp_byline_sr_book_1
