Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Recognizing a True Believer

That the FDA allows the industry to infuse it with so many evident poisons stands as an epic failure of public oversight.
http://www.grist.org/article/2011-02-16-aspartame-soda-caramel-BPA-diet-soda-kill-you

The linked article was written by a TB.  You can tell because they think that the problem with the FDA is it just isn't living up the ideals of a centralized government - more protection for those that need it.  In this case, he's worried about all us poor uninformed consumers who aren't being protected from the potential evils in a can of diet soda. 

In the article, the author laments the FDA's inability to stand up to the food industry.  But he's got it all backwards - it would be a massive surprise if the FDA WAS standing up to the food industry.  We've allowed the federal government to take control over massive sections of our economy and therefore our personal activities.  Businesses MUST struggle for influence in a system which is politicially, and therefore irrationally, controlled - or they will die. 

In short - political meddling by federal agencies with too much power isn't a surprise unless one is either:
1 - ignorant and naive
2 - a true believer in government, in which the facts will never be an obstacle to the faith

Let's face it, this is the least of the FDA's shortcomings.  It has yet to pronounce sugar a threat to health, despite a massive wave of diabetes in this country.  It has been the agent of perpetuating the statin scam, allowing even young, healthy women to be prescribed a drug which has never been shown to benefit women, and has only been shown to benefit men under age 65 with previously diagnosed heart disease.  It never asserted it's authority and has allowed the DoA to establish the food guidelines, not challenging them even thought their basis in science is tenuous at best. 

The entire concept is a joke.  The FDA serves predictable masters, politicians and monied interests, and there's no rational basis to believe it will ever do otherwise.

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