We’ve lived so long under the spell of hierarchy—from god-kings to feudal lords to party bosses—that only recently have we awakened to see not only that “regular” citizens have the capacity for self-governance, but that without their engagement our huge global crises cannot be addressed. The changes needed for human society simply to survive, let alone thrive, are so profound that the only way we will move toward them is if we ourselves, regular citizens, feel meaningful ownership of solutions through direct engagement. Our problems are too big, interrelated, and pervasive to yield to directives from on high.
—Frances Moore Lappé, excerpt from Time for Progressives to Grow Up

Friday, June 18, 2010

The Bad, the Bold and the Bogus: Food Industry Health Claims to Watch Out For

from Eco Salon. It is unfortunate that a society dedicated to the private pursuit of profit inevitably ends up with the chronic lies we are told about consumer products by those who sell them--the powerful mega-corporations.
...the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which is one of the government agencies in charge of regulating such claims, has signaled a greater willingness to regulate than under past administrations. As evidenced by the warning letters sent to industry. But it remains to be seen whether these letters will translate into actual regulation.
Yeah, like when hell freezes over. The mega-corporations are in charge of FDA.