Usually, a cease-and-desist letter is more a scare tactic than anything else. However, there are always those who have the money to pursue litigation even in those situations when they already suspect they’ve little chance of winning. Why? It is usually done in hopes to frighten someone before it ever going as far as court, an avoidance of sort. Because it is a way to scare their subject into submission.
As for actually pursuing legal means, it’s the old game of suing someone into submission by bleeding their finances dry. One extremely wealthy individual did this very thing to the U.S., government a few years back when the IRS opened a sub agency specifically meant to target the super wealthy who were not paying their taxes. And yes, despite whatever so-called tax rates supposedly their bracket lies in, very very few of them ever pay that, if any at all. That’s what very high-end legal offices and accountants are for, not to mention the list of politicos they’ve bought or put into office to pass tax codes in their favor. Think GE International and the long list of other multinationals that often get away with claiming a loss, thus reaping in billions from the taxpayers at the end of their corporate tax year as a result. Don’t you wish you could do that? In this case, the individual succeeded in burying the IRS in mounds of counter suing, objections, mistrials, etc., for so long that it was no longer prudent or economical for the government to continue and that was just one person.
With the amount of wealth, the top 8% have amassed these past four decades, let alone the top 1%, yes, the country is in a very dangerous position. More importantly the average American is in far more danger. We’ve always had an aristocracy of sorts, but it’s been these past four decades that its grown so powerful and amasses so much wealth that we’ve in essence recreated the very thing the early colonists and our forefathers fought against in the first place. It’s the reason why we exist, or at one time did.
Needless to say, that sub agency was closed and considered a failure. Even the U.S., doesn’t have that kind of cash to throw at the super wealthy. A very small percentage of the population who now own and control 97% plus of all American assets and resources. They’ve not just amassed billions but trillions. The last quarter of 2024 saw just the top 1% alone amass 44 trillion dollars just in stock income and nowhere else. That was due to multiple industry wide lying about raising prices due to inflation and other lies, when it had nothing to do with that. American companies artificially caused the inflation rate to be 56% higher than it actually was due to hiding behind the fact that inflation existed. Don’t mistake this for "numerous" companies. Not this was nationwide "industry" wide lying. This study was released by Forbes Magazine in March, proving what they suspected as early 2022. The media pretty much denied it, ridiculed it, and marginalized and made the story a low interest one. And as of today, nothing has been done about it. Americans haven’t stopped spending to express their anger, quite the opposite. Only one Senator has tried to get a bill to the floor to prevent future price gouging, but nothing is being done about what already has occurred. In fact, prices are still artificially rising just the same on everything from rent to candy. It’s the kind of people we wish to be, and the kind of country we’ve created for ourselves. So, we live with it. Americans should be shivering in their pantaloons at the idea that not just one, but two companies (or individuals) can amass so much coin that they can organize, create, and carry forth with their own space programs.
Anyway.
So, this game of aiming and shooting at those who publicly decry harmful people with money is too often a losing game unless you’re in their economic circle. But even then, there is a sort of code among thieves. Doctors know who amongst them is and isn’t worth their medical licenses, yet they will be the last to come forward unless subpoenaed to testify against them. Even then, expect a lot of hedging. Physicianhood is indeed a brotherhood like any other profession. They don’t tattle on one another. Even in cases of serious malfeasance.
Someone brought up the First Amendment, suggesting that it provides one the right to say what they will with no repercussions. There is a common misunderstanding regarding the First Amendment and what that actually means as it applies to Americans. Yes, you have the right to express yourself. But that generally means you are free of censorship by authority, especially government. However, it doesn’t mean that you can walk up to someone’s house and paint a diatribe in marker pen on their front door and not expect to be held accountable for it, even if it is true. Nor can you expect to say what you will, right or wrong and not have to either pay a penalty or reap a reward if it ends up being a lie.
All freedoms and rights come with heavy responsibility, and somewhere along the line too many Americans have either forgotten or no longer accept this. What it means in common vernacular is that your rights end where my nose begins. If what you say is proven to be libel, a lie, untrue, malicious intent to cause harm, create violence, incite a riot, etc., you will be held accountable. Remember, you cannot expect to yell fire in a crowded theater and get away with it. Especially if someone is hurt in the rush to the exits when there is no fire. So, no. The First Amendment is not a force field or a magic bullet, or a get out of jail free card allowing you to say anything you wish, while the person you are saying whatever about must simply sit there as a captive audience and accept it.
So, in this situation what the doc is doing is forcing Thunder to stop allowing someone to post their experience with his practice to protect his "best interests". Which says much about his medical intentions and physicians’ oath. Regardless, he is using his probable wealth to push his weight around suspecting that the forum doesn’t generate nearly the kind of revenue his practice does in good ol’ California, the capital of plastic surgery (or is that Miami now?). It’s a bit sleazy, but then he elongates guys Wienerschnitzel’s for a living to pay for his toys and American lifestyle. He’s not a cardiologist, or immunologist, or anyone who is in the practice to save someone’s life. He just cashes in on a lot of guys with delicate egos, of which one can capitalize on quite abundantly. I wouldn’t expect anything above the board from a guy like that.