THE FDA: INSTRUMENT OF OPPRESSION

First, a word of warning concerning the MIA... a friend of mine subcribes
to the MIA which recently posted "information" about some investment
"opportunity" which he only needed to call for information (I think he said
it was supposedly some kind of offshore mutual fund).  He called the number
and was answered by an MIA "telassistant" who almost immediately demanded
his Social Security Number.  He protested, of course, informing this person
that his SSN was privacy act information and for government use only.  The
MIA rep still insisted he give up his SSN if he wanted the "information" he
was calling for!  Needless to say, he hung up.  Now, there are plausible
explanations for this (all arguable, 'natch)...  1) the MIA could have been
requesting SSNs pursuant to IRS/SEC "regulations" citing tax reporting
requirements **these "regulations" are aimed at those providing "sources of
income," ie. interest and dividend payments, NOT at institutions allegedly
only "providing information ABOUT investment opportunities"**; 2) the MIA
"rep" could have been ignorant concerning the above matters; 3) you decide
the rest...

Now, the MIA is usually a decent source of patriot type information, but
consider the following: being a "source of information" does not meet the
requirements for tax reporting so why is MIA so insistant on having the
SSNs of its readership?  Furthermore, being a "source of patriot type
information," employing a staff of presumably knowledgeable and/or informed
researchers and writers, is it reasonable to assume that such a source
would be ignorant of privacy and/or Social Security issues?  Something to
think about.

Notwithstanding the above, the MIA, like most other media sources, patriot
and otherwise, *can be* a good source of information if utilized as a
starting point for further research.  The article concerning the FDA's "war
against alternative medicine" is a good case in point!  Alternative health,
particularly as it concerns nutritional supplementation and herbalism, has
been another subject of my keen interest for a few years now.  Wake up
ACTers, there's far more to Hillary's "health reform" than you might at
first imagine!  `:-o  This "program" seems to be a next step in the FED's
attempt at taking away yet another of our fundamental freedoms... the
freedom to manage our own health.  Here's *somewhat* of a recap:

    o vitamin craze takes America's underground radicalists (and above
      ground fadists) by storm during the sixties and early seventies
      {probably as a result of the alleged LSD/vitamin-C symbiosis}

    o usefulness of taking vitamins is debunked by nearly the entire
      "medical establishment" -- read AMA/Pharms (a standing position of
      both to this day) -- during the late seventies {primarily as a result
      of bio-nutritional ignorance among the mass citizenry, ie. the taking
      of vitamins alone; vitamins without food equals useless (and in some
      cases, harmful) vitamins

    o a "new" breed of health advisor - the nutritionist - erupts onto the
      scene of America's image concious early eighties and begins weaning
      the mass citizenry of its nutritional ignorance; however, along with
      the renewed boom of supplement makers/marketers comes an equal boom
      in snake oil vendors

    o America is taken by the "tryptophan scare" of the mid-eighties
      resulting in that amino being removed from the shelves in pure form
      and its use in formulas in "large" quantities ( > 100mg A DAY) banned

    o a campaign of "consumer warning acts" and health bills begins;
      allegedly to protect us primarily from the snake oilers promoting
      a whole gamut of such nonsensical things like "hair growth vitamins,"
      "weight loss 'creams'," and a multitude of "cure-alls" (many of which
      so-called medical science "radicalists" - non-AMA affiliates - are
      discovering sound scientific bases for); anyone not hear of minoxidil
      (think Rogaine)?  Isn't it funny how that's not considered a "snake
      oil"?

    o '91 sees the introduction and passing of the National Labeling and
      Education Act (NLEA), a heavily lobbied after bill that would give
      the FDA broad "enforcement" powers and virtually promises to destroy
      the entire natural health industry

    o in '92, shortly before NLEA is to go into effect, the health industry
      is granted a year long moratorium while congress reviews the NLEA for
      possible amendment

    o '93 - the FDA with cooperation by the FBI, DEA, IRS, and state
      authorities gives the finger to jurisdiction while it goes on a
      nationwide rampage, stealing people's property and livelihoods, and
      begins a campaign of "enforcement" robbing us of our fundamental
      health freedom.  BTW - the "year long moratorium" has not yet even
      ended.  {oh yea... in '93 we also got the Clinton administration and
      its wonderful "health reform" program}

[I probably should put some kind of disclaimer here concerning the above
"recap" but I'm not gonna, so fire away...]

While the moratorium is still in effect and other, genuinely more
benevolent, bills have been introduced in congress, their usefulness is
destined to be short lived and non-effectual (as can *already* be seen).
Among the many wonderful things that NLEA promises to bring us when it does
finally go into effect are:

    * total ban of ALL amino-acids {so much for "drug free" sports; and
      what's gonna happen to body-building?}

    * immediate removal of Co-Q10, a widely researched cognition enhancer
      and promising longevity promoter {the Japanese love this one!  They
      also synthesized Idebenone from it.  Idebenone is a drug currently
      prescribed to stroke victims and has demonstrated remarkable
      cognition and longevity effects well beyond its precursor.  However,
      it is *currently* available by prescription only... and ONLY in
      Japan!}

    * immediate removal if cascara sagrada and other anti-cancer herbs
      {chaparral, a "proven" anti-cancer herb with wide ranging support
      INCLUDING, but not limited to, the *National Cancer Institute* has
      already been removed from the shelves.  The "reason"... *7* reported
      cases of liver toxicity among THOUSANDS of users nationwide}

    * all supplement formulas containing vitamin "mega-doses" -- to be
      determined by the FDA for each vitamin in turn, IOW a "mega-dose" can
      be anything, larger than an RDA, that the FDA decides -- are to be
      banned and all new formulas will be subject to FDA approval {so-
      called mega-doses will still be obtainable though... BY PRESCRIPTION!}

    * and many, many, more wonderful "protections"

There is a rumor floating around that the FDA is going to ban
[pseudo]ephedrine.  While this *might* be true (I've yet to see anything
substantial), I find it unlikely since the majority of OTC cold remedies
contain [p-]ephedrine as its active ingredient (read the label of any
[*]fed... Sudafed, Actifed, etc. as well as many others).  I seriously
doubt the Pharms would sit still for it (unless they already have something
else to "offer" us in its place...).  However, this rumor could simply be
refering to ephedra (the plant source of ephedrine; pseudoephedrine comes
from "Mormon tea," ephedra's American cousin), in which case, in light of
all that has been happening, I could hardly put it past the FED.  I can see
sales of [*]fed reaching record heights as all us caffedrine (caffeine+
ephedrine) abusers (I happen to be one!) head to the local drug store.  >:-)

Obviously, I could go on and on and on and on... but here I will stop.
{Whew!}  |-)

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