OK-Dr. Joseph Sonnabend showed up tonight in London for my public conversation on AIDS with the great Simon Watney. Dr Sonnabend is one of the most important figures in the history of AIDS, and he has my complete respect. He objected to my claim that, based on 165 interviews I have conducted for the ACT UP Oral History Project (actuporalhsitory.org) that ACT UP forced the change in thinking about AIDS meds that produced the protease inhibitor. That by setting research agendas, and doing direct action at both Pharma and Government that we forced a change. He said I have no proof that our actions, or any activist actions, produced any substantial outcome. He asked me how I know that the claims of my interviewees are accurate. Where is my proof? He proposed that maybe pharma changed simply because they saw the size of the market. I asked him what he thought the answer was to his own question and he said he did not know. What do you think? How do you prove influence?
Posted on: Sun, 10 Nov 2013 19:01:34 +0000