-----Original Message----- From: Jed Rothwell [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Thursday, August 11, 2005 6:27 PM To: [email protected] Subject: RE: Herbal medicine
Chris Zell wrote: >In a word, no, no, no, no, no > >Supplements can't be fairly regulated because the ENORMOUS bias of >money distorts the whole subject. . . Let me add no, no, no, no, hell no! I have good reasons for absolutely opposing the FDA/Drug Cabal - and so do the American people. Congress was shocked by the sheer volume of mail they received on the subject of supplement regulation (DSHEA) - supposedly only exceeded by mail during the war in Vietnam. Why? because they know (some) alternatives work - and they rightfully observe corrupt government agencies prostituting themselves to drug companies. Note the situation with Canadian phamacies - in which Bush Administration officials worked out a quiet deal with Canada to stop or reduce importation after FAILING to prove to skeptical Congressmen that a general health hazard exists with Canadian drugs. It's a little embarrassing to not be able to cite a single negative example, as happened in one hearing. I strongly believe that we are close to getting REAL anti-aging treatments in hand. I also believe that it is likely that such treatments will involve natural supplements that are UNPATENTABLE. If you value your life ( and I'm not making a joke here!) absolutely keep them away from regulating supplements. Consistent with that, look at what the drug companies are up against: They must pay maybe 500 - 600 - 900 million bucks to get a new drug to market and then risk getting it wrecked by side effects they couldn't forsee. They see the GREATEST MARKET OPPORTUNITY IN HUMAN HISTORY SLIPPING THRU THEIR FINGERS because a rapidly aging world population is shifting to supplements and alternatives. AND NOW FOR THE WORST POTENTIAL DISASTER OF ALL! As researchers investigate natural, unpatentable supplements, THERE IS THE VERY REAL POSSIBILITY that they could stumble across a cheap substance that slows down aging damage AND WIPES OUT THEIR MARKETS ENTIRELY. Dang Martha, I don't need that expensive arthritis prescription anymore! This is why there are now TWICE the number of registered drug company lobbyists in Washington as actual Congressmen! People the world over continue to suffer and die largely because drug research priorities are wildly skewed against cheap, unpatentable therapies. This is why the Lancet - in the 1930's - protested against the utter lack of progress in cancer research. Now, its 70 years later and the standard treatment is "cut, poison and irradiate" - and they don't even warn you that many cancer treatments are CARCINOGENIC themselves! It's truly amazing what can prevail when the natural and the inexpensive are painted out of the picture - rather like a Soviet Cosmonaut who fell out of political favor ( "where'd that guy go? Siberia, maybe") Sorry for the rant but we're on the verge of wonderful things and I don't want to see them screwed up by governmental obstructionists.
