Re: US to Outlaw Vitamins

J. D. (jhdaugh@a-albionic.com)
Thu, 31 Oct 1996 08:10:35 -0500 (EST)


On Wed, 30 Oct 1996, Lyle Burkhead wrote:

> Ian Goddard backtracks --
>
> > I've been informed by Life Extension Foundation
> > Political Coordinator John Hammell that the article
> > contains serious inaccuracies.

Well, exactly what are the innaccuracies? I have heard from many sources
the the WTO is already working on supplement regulation. Once these are
in place it will be nearly impossible to repeal them. Not often noted is
that Congress does not really have the power to legalize narcotics because
of international Treaties on the subject which take precedence. These
treaties would be extremely difficult to abrogate. The same situation
will obtain with vitamins and supplements eventually.

I heard that Media Bypass also reported something similar so again,
exactly what are the inaccuracies? Are you sure the Life Extension people
aren't just Burkhead clones?....can't see the big picture? When someone
claims serious inaccuracies without detailing them, I don't bother paying
much attention.

I wouldn't doubt that the danger to supplement production and health food
stores is less immanent that suggested, but the principle?.....

> Nevertheless it remains true that the FDA has been trying to restrict
> our access to vitamins for a long time, and shows no sign of giving up
> on this. Meanwhile, other things such as pot and steroids are illegal,
> and this situation seems unlikely to change.
>
> The questions remain: how did this situation come about, and is there
> any way we can get leverage on it?
>
> James Daugherty writes,
>
> > The pharmaceutical Corporations, were unable to control Congress
> > which recently responded to public pressure and allowed freedom in
> > food supplements. However, they are not so easily defeated
> > in their quest to reap cartel style profits based on "reguations".
> >
> > So, they are going to the World Government institutions to
> > circumvent our rights...
>
> This seems unlikely to me. Pharmaceutical companies can sell
> vitamins at a profit like any other product. I read somewhere that most
> vitamins are made by pharmaceutical companies, usually Hoffman-
> LaRouche, and then repackaged under various labels. (If the vitamins
> are supposed to be organic, they just mix in some floor sweepings
> so the tablets will be speckled and organic-looking :)

They get higher profits for a longer period when their products
fall under regulations. If you don't know the pharmaceutical companies
support the FDA you aren't paying attention. Try reading Milton Freidman
on the subject. He has detailed somewhere how the industries regulated
alwasys end up controlling the regulations.

Free competition serves the consumer, not the producers.

According to economics, in the absence of government enforced
cartel regulations, profits tend to approach zero over time due to
competition.

Clearly, all producers, unless morally restrained, look for a
pretext under which to have the govt cartelize their industry, limiting
competition, and thereby prolonging profits. Protecting the public from
fraudulent claims regarding supplements is a pretty good pretext esp. when
the authority of "science" is put into the mix and "dangers" are touted
bought and paid for "experts".

> James continues:
>
> > ...GATT=World Tyranny, not Free Trade!
> >
> > Frankly, it is probably too late to do anything about it!
> > Everyone was too busy calling us conspiracy theorists names
> > when we told you to oppose the UN, Gatt, Nafta, etc.
>
> Yes, and you also told us about the CIA sex slaves. <g>

So? Have you looked into either issue? Let's hear your
refutation. Interesting how you have such a high level of certainty with
apparently no data. What is so incredible about compromising high level
pubpols and finpols with child sex, drugs, etc? Seems like an obvious
strategy that would work to me? Are you familiar at all with the results
of the 70's Congressional probes into the CIA? MKULTRA?

> We are trying to find a causal explanation of the fact that certain
> products are restricted and others are sold on the open market. I think
> the UN, Nafta, and GATT are irrelevant to this particular point.

Now this is really total ignorance. The whole purpose of the
World Trade Organization is to make product regulations uniform worldwide.
There is no doubt this is already being worked on...our Congress has
already endorsed whatever the WTO comes-up with just by voting for
GATT....US Govt authority in these matters is already gone....whether or
not Ian's initial report was fully accurate or not.

In the long run we can expect the special interests to manipulate
WTO regulations. The benefits of regulation can be concentrated in the
producers....thus, a good feedback loop is created. As the benefits of
free competition are widely dispersed, the feedback loop is weak.

> The main question is: what is to be done? There are several ways
> to approach this. One way is to begin by considering what Peter Voss
> wrote in Extropy #17, pages 25 - 26:

> Maybe we are living in an era when basic freedoms are only available
> to the very rich. As Twirlip would say, this kind of sucks in a way, but
> if this is reality then we had better recognize it as such.
>
> Lyle

Hmmm! Easier said than done! Esp. the very rich part.

And even the very rich have to risk jail and assets forfeiture to
obtain illegal drugs.

I have been active in business for decades....so far everything I
have tried has been too competitive to make any really big money.....as
though guided by an invisible hand I continue to serve primarily the
consumer of my products! How about you?

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