42% of visitors to this blog have come from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Twitter is inundated with Kutcher followers defending him opposed to the advocates who are, rightly, pointing out that Kutcher put his name to the infamous Paxil 329 study.
Alison Bass, who was quoted in the original article from The Coast, has even blogged about this intriguing story HERE.
Alison, who authored the book, 'Side Effects: A Prosecutor, a Whistleblower, and A Bestselling Antidepressant on Trial' asks pertinent questions regarding the reasoning behind The Coast pulling the article and issuing an apology. She writes:
Last Thursday, five days before the Halifax elections, which are being held May 2, Bousquet posted this article about Kutcher's involvement in study 329. Bousquet quoted me as saying that the researchers "essentially distorted the outcome measures." He also quoted Kutcher as saying that he stood by study 329 and didn't think it had caused any particular controversy.
She adds:
Kutcher's lawyers immediate responded to Bousquet's April 28 article by threatening to sue the newspaper for libel unless it immediately issued a retraction. Even though Bousquet backed up his article's assertions with documentation, the Coast decided to issue an apology and retraction anyway.
All of this makes me wonder: where have The Coast and its editors been all these years? And do they really want to go down in history as an example of the not-so-free press buckling under to craven threats?
Kutcher's followers have been joined by an anonymous group who gather on the 'Why We Protest' forum, a forum where like-minded individuals discuss Scientology in the media, when I say discuss, I actually mean they try to make connections to Scientology if a person happens to have an opinion.
What is interesting with the Stangate story is that a bunch of posters on this forum have, it appears, tried to orchestrate a smear campaign against Alison Bass.
The thread starts with the usual nonsense that one would expect from a bunch of conspiracy theorists.
The title of the thread reads:
REQUEST: Canadian Liberal Party candidate and psychiatrist under attack by scilons?
The content of the post by the user and moderator who calls himself 'Trouble' is:
This kind of makes me laugh as the same forum has labelled me a Scientologist in the past - to be honest it would be easier for me to convert to Scientology than it would to keep on stating that I'm not one.
I have many friends who are Scientologists, as a matter of fact I have never met a better bunch of people. They are warm, considerate human beings who care about human rights. I also have Catholic, Christian, Hindu and atheist friends who are equally warm and considerate human beings.
That said, I expect the usual rebuttal from my critics. Fiddaman is a Scientologist, Fiddaman blog funded by Scientology, Yadda yadda.
The thread is interesting, if only for the last post by someone who calls himself 'Roomr'
The avatar used by 'Roomr' is striking.
Skip to Twitter and you will find the same Avatar used by one of Kutcher's supporters:
Even more interesting is the photo section of Stan Kutcher's Facebook Election page:
Check out the fourth image on the right:
Coincidence? I guess it could be argued that this particular image is used by many people, just unusual that when one joins the dots it comes back to the old anti-Scientology brigade orchestrating an attack on a published author whose book, 'Side Effects: A Prosecutor, a Whistleblower, and a Bestselling Antidepressant on Trial', was a winner of the 2009 Science in Society Journalism Awards, sponsored by the National Association of Science Writers. [NASW] I suspect the crazies will somehow try and link the NASW to Scientology next!
Kutcher's response to the original article posted in The Coast was expected - The Coast's pulling of the article was surprising to say the least. Had they have stood firm and told Kutcher that the article was based on evidence then their newspaper, judging by the response across the Internet, would have had themselves one hell of a story. They missed out on a trick there eh?
The Scientology labeling is as old as the hills, it's tiresome and has been used by the pharmaceutical industry as a way to discredit.
With so many people discussing Stan Kutcher, the crazies are going to have some fun on the Internet coming up with connections that fit in with their blinkered views.
For the record, I have won two awards from the CCHR, judging by the logic the crazies use, I'm a Scientologist. Hey, I can live with that, just don't get labeling me a Catholic, I distanced myself from that religion once I hit senior school.
I once went to a Hindu wedding so I must be a Hindu. I've seen AC/DC in concert more times than I can remember, so I must be a devil worshipper. Oh, and I once got caned at school for farting...so I must be part of that new religion the Fartologists! [Breaking wind near you soon]
In fact, the crazies would have me down as being an Australian because I have visited Australia!
If people's beliefs in religion is the only tool critics can use then those critics are doing Kutcher's election campaign more harm than good.
Kutcher must be squirming at the connection he has [more than likely] unwittingly made.
More on Kutcher after the election votes are in tomorrow.
His early intervention stance mirrors the great one from Australia.
Back stories:
Stan Kutcher "Vote Paxil"
Newspaper Issues Apology to Canadian Politician Stan Kutcher
Why 'The Coast' Pulled the Stan Kutcher Article
Paxil Study 329 - The Secrets of The Drug Trials
Other blogs:
Ghostwritten text books & skewed Paxil 329 study Nemeroff, Kutcher demand apologies for truth exposures
Paxil, Seroxat : Reputations for sale? a review of the PAXIL 329 scandal: Stan Kutcher
Fid
Fartologist
Devil Worshipper
Hindu
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'THE EVIDENCE, HOWEVER, IS CLEAR...THE SEROXAT SCANDAL' By Bob Fiddaman
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