From Gallo to Duesberg ... which way now?

It's been an interesting week since I last posted. Trying to wrap my head around and make sense of all the information that has come my way; but I think I am starting to lean into a direction I didn't expect at all.

First there was Dr Robert Gallo and his 'co-discovery' of HIV, the virus that allegedly eventually causes AIDS in most of those who have become infected with it. I don't like the history of the man. Something tells me there's something really really wrong here. No doubt my distaste for military plays into that, and Gallo's past work on biological weapons tells me that the man is no humanitarian. Anything I have read of him seems to point to a 'look-at-me-and-see-how-great-I-am' type of person, who will do anything to get attention, even if that might perhaps include stealing a virus sample that was sent to him from Paris, renaming the virus to something ominous-sounding, and claiming he discovered it. In fact, in his quest for recognition, it appears he went so far as to change the paper of the findings of his Assistant to say a lot more and different about the discovered virus, than the Experiements actually revealed. Perhaps he is little more than an egomaniac or megalomaniac. I am not sure.

Then there is Professor Peter Duesberg, a Specialist in molecular and cellular biology, basically stating that his research shows that the so-called HIV-virus is little more than a harmless passenger virus which causes... nothing. And that AIDS is actually brought on primarily by recreational drug use - 'poppers' which use is widespread in gay circles - cocaine, injection drugs, and last, but not least, anti-retrovirals like AZT themselves, which attack the bone marrow and the bodies immune system.

So we have a weapons-scientist turned humanitarian (really?) on one side claiming the end is near, and another accomplished scientist who has lost all his research grants for questioning the HIV-causes-AIDS hypothesis, on the other side. The standoff continues.

In the meantime we have people suffering from HIV infection. Not drug users. Not poppers users. Not on anti-retrovirals. And yet, showing symptoms which are declared to be signs of HIV infection: swollen lymph, stomach cramps, fever, diarrhea. Coincidental? Strange coincidence. There are hypothesis' out there, but no answers. While the academics are scoring 'take-that!'-points against each other, people are suffering the reality of a 'harmless passenger virus' which seems to be rather unruly, and doesn't allow itself to get forced off the train.

That Gallo and his team are alleged to have been working on creating a virus with exactly such immuno-destroying consequences for the infected person as HIV is claimed to be, makes him suspect to me as actually not wanting to find a cure, though I would find it a lot more plausible that he'd be interested in finding a better continuous treatment for it... after all, who doesn't like money?

But even though I have ordered Peter Duesbergs book 'Inventing the AIDS virus' to read more about his hypothesis, I already suspect there will be a lot of allegations, but no actual solutions for those who are infected.

If I combine the opinions of - and circumstances related to - the two sides, I get a virus which will escape any scientist with tunnel-vision: A bio-engineered monster which behaves like a harmless passenger virus to foil the research of such people as Peter Duesberg - who perhaps cannot fathom that HIV may be the product of military research and not be naturally occuring at all, and thus outside of their 'laws' of how certain viruses ought to behave -, but which is actually an unruly 'passenger', causing some significant trouble itself, before opening the doors to other killers once the bodies immunity is suffiently broken down.

But these are still hypothesis' and not answers. So who has answers? Well, there may be a surprising discovery after all...