Reader Paul J. takes me to task for my spectacular capitulation to Andy Willoughby's charm offensive, which Paul implies has overwhelmed my critical thinking, caused me to shed all principles of decency and left me a veritable pawn in a malignant scheme to defraud good people everywhere.

But he prefaced it with a nice compliment about my Web site, so I'm giving him the floor:

Thanks for your reply to my post on Andy Willoughby and Xango. You have a great site, very innovative and interesting! I wish you the best of luck with it.

I must differ with you that Andy Willoughby is not "a bad guy" and that he is not trying to rip people off. I don't believe this for a minute. The problem may be that "you" are a nice guy and therefore assume that most everyone is nice just like you. This is how guys like Andy get their foot in the door and hand into your wallet. You just might be "naïve" as to the real nature of "master grifters" like good ole Andy boy. Make no mistake Andy is a real pro. His ads are carefully crafted works of art. He tells people exactly what they want to hear. He pushes all the right buttons. Why, he even monitors internet sites like "Alpaca Burger", looking to switch opponents into subscribers, and to nip criticism in the bud! He's even conned you into promoting his business for him! Talk about slick!

The facts are:

1. $37 dollar mango juice is a huge rip off. Anyone who would pay this much for a bottle of juice is an idiot.

2. MLM stands for "Make Little Money". Read the stats on MLM's - rank and file MLM'ers never make any money - it’s a big Ponzi scheme.

3. MLM is particularly sinister in that it asks its participants to exploit their closest personal relationships with family and friends for a buck. The MLM'er enters into a "deal with the devil" - the conned soon become little mini conn-ers themselves.

4. There is no scientific evidence that Xango will provide any greater health benefit than any other juice such as blueberry juice - also very high in antioxidants, at pennies per ounce.

5. Willoughby is specifically targeting the largely trusting Christian community of stay-at-home-moms; a highly vulnerable group who in most cases lacks a solid business background and is easily manipulated and bamboozled. If this is not the case, why hasn't Willoughby run any ads for his Xango business in the "Wall Street Journal" or in "Forbes Magazine"? Answer: because "real" business people would laugh at him.

Prediction: within the next year or so, the "Three Step Plan" will begin to tumble down the steps. These are the reverse steps of the Three Step Plan:

Step 1: Suddenly the radio blitz of ads will stop. Step 2: Andy will head for the Cayman Islands with his stash of loot. Step 3: Xango Distributors will wonder what to do with their cupboards full of worthless mango juice.

BTW, have you heard about Tahitian Noni juice at $50 per bottle? This could be the next big thing!

Harsh words, here at the Andy Willoughby Forum, where you can rest assured the truth is as evanescent as a stream of soap bubbles sailing by on a bright spring afternoon.

UPDATE: After having a few hours to reflect on this matter, fully analyze my data catalogue, allow the passions to cool and weigh the vicissitudes, I have absolutely no idea what I think about it.

Paul is making the same point I started out with last year, albeit with nary a qualification. I'm still stuck in the "nice guy" logjam, as a result of Andy's letters. Maybe I'M the 'useful idiot'?

Paul's point about the actual Xango product is a very important one: Mangosteen juice may not deserve the exemption I carved out for Mary Kay, Pampered Chef and Tupperware (and which could be extended to Amway - I bet there are plenty of people who still gladly use those cleaning products). The stuff Andy's advocating is a little...iffy. I'm not a health-science guy so I can't say for sure.

Call me soft-headed, but I still think even if Andy Willoughby is misguided about the product he is not heading for the Caymans. If he was a snake, I think he would have snapped at me because of the pretty rough treatment I gave him.

At least, now the legions of future google-referrals will have a full circle of opinion to evaluate. Thanks, Paul, for the well-stated case.

America: We report, you decide.

UPDATE II: Paul adds:

John, I am delighted that you are beginning to regain your critical thinking capacities! I suspect your high protein diet may be robbing your body of its critical “xanthones”!

Speaking of xanthones, consider the health claims that Xango attributes to their juice in their U.S. Patent Application - which was rejected April 21, 2005:

“Chronic back pain, nausea and chronic vertigo, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, muscle aches, fatigue and dysthemia, depression, irritable bowel syndrome, chronic neck pain, familial hyperlipidemia, fatigue and insomnia, hypokelemia, fatigue and weight gain, degenerative arthritis, C-difficile colitis, fatigue, decreased appetite, hypokelemia, and numbness of the fingers and toes, malaise, muscle aches, hepatitis, glomerionephritis, diabetes and hyperlipidemia, and most importantly, chronic dermal rash.”

Of course Xango’s attorneys are appealing.

Since Xango’s patent application has been (so far) rejected, this leaves Xango distributors more or less in the lurch. For example, anyone wishing to add xanthones to their diet can purchase “80 proof” mangosteen juice at Costco for $.56 per ounce vs. Xango’s $1.54 per ounce. You don’t even need to show your driver’s license!

Once again, free market capitalism seems to be balancing the scales of in-juice-tice.