So we get to pick from the standard one size fits all career politicians, who are pretty much the same. Big business is power, and politicians will cater to that power. Globalization is like environmentalism and global warming - a total power trip. Politicians on every side of the fence WILL cater to that power as well. Since it has never been otherwise, I don’t see how it will ever be otherwise in the future, either.

There has never been an administration in US history where this has not been so, except maybe in the early years of our republic. When power was not so big and in the hands of so few in such an organized way. But that is a growing pains things, and this is the typical outcome once a nation gets more established.

The question is how do we wrestle some of the control back to our hands, despite the pitiful crop of candidates we typically have from which to chose. And how to not get caught up in the sweet promises that are made with no intention of following through. I do not have an answer. I don’t think a “special” candidate or party will come along, and bam, things will be okay. There is NO administration that I have ever been 100% approving or proud of for the duration of their tenure. Not a one. Lesser of two evils means that I do know some of them could have been far worse. And I am realistic enough about human nature and governance to work with what we have at hand.

How do we get what we want? It isn’t some some magical vote choice that for once and for all make our world safe and as each of us wants it to be. Always some compromise, but compromise can simply kill us nowdays.

The real problem is that we don’t get what we vote for. I am still looking for a cure for that, but being my age, I am not particularly optimistic anymore.

The FDA leadership has shown it doesn’t give a damn about American consumers. As long as the American public continues to vote for politicians who are pawns of big business and apostles of globalization at any cost, the situation will only grow worse. The American voter has only themselves to blame if they keep putting people in Congress and in the White House who don’t represent their interests.

Scream at the FDA and USDA all you want - their bosses work in the White House. We are getting exactly what we voted for!

Of course, we hadn’t this pet food tragedy, or the subsequent human food scandals that seem to be erupting weekly now, and no one was especially willing to give up cheap toothpaste because of some “dumb” internet rumour. I mean, if it was that bad, the government would not allow the sale of such things, even at bargain stores. Right?

We were naive or what?

http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/.....01646.html

Throw away Chinese toothpaste, FDA warns
Products may contain poisonous chemical used in antifreeze

Updated: 7 minutes ago [June 1 2007 6:13 PM]

WASHINGTON - The government warned consumers on Friday to avoid using toothpaste made in China because it may contain a poisonous chemical used in antifreeze.

Out of caution, the Food and Drug Administration said, people should throw away toothpaste with labeling that says it was made in China. The FDA is concerned that these products may contain diethylene glycol.

The agency is not aware of any poisoning from toothpaste in the United States, but it did find the antifreeze ingredient in a shipment at the U.S. border and at two retail stores: a Dollar Plus store in Miami and a Todo A Peso store in Puerto Rico.

Officials said they are primarily concerned about toothpaste sold at bargain retail outlets. The ingredient in question, called DEG, is used as a lower-cost sweetener and thickening agent. The highest concentration of the chemical found in toothpaste so far was between 3 percent and 4 percent of the product’s overall weight.

“It does not belong in toothpaste even in small concentrations,” said the FDA’s Deborah M. Autor.

Increased scrutiny
The FDA increased its scrutiny of toothpaste made in China because of reports of contamination in several countries, including Panama.

The agency is particularly concerned about chronic exposure to DEG in children and in people with kidney or liver disease.
Agency officials said they had no estimate of how many tubes of tainted toothpaste might have made it into the U.S.

“Our concern today is potentially about all toothpaste that comes in from China,” Autor said. “Our estimate is that China makes up about $3.3 million of the $2 billion U.S. toothpaste market.”

The agency also issued an import alert Friday for all dental products containing DEG. The alert means toothpaste from China will be stopped at the border, she said.

Companies that make brands previously found with DEG will have to prove the toothpaste is free of the chemical before it’s allowed into the country. Meanwhile, all other brands of Chinese-made toothpaste will be stopped for testing, something the agency has been doing since May 23.

The import alert posted by the government says DEG has been improperly used in a variety of sedatives, syrups and cough medicines worldwide. Most recently, a cough syrup containing DEG resulted in more than 40 deaths in Panama last September.

The alert says the agency found DEG in three products manufactured by Goldcredit International Trading in China. The products are Cooldent Fluoride, Cooldent Spearmint and Cooldent ICE. Analysis of the products revealed they contained between 3 percent and 4 percent DEG.

The agency also found the chemical in one product manufactured by Suzhou City Jinmao Daily Chemical Co. in China. Analysis of that product, Shir Fresh Mint Fluoride Paste, found it contained about 1 percent DEG.

China’s food safety problems have in recent months become a matter of international concern, a situation reflected in trade talks between Chinese and U.S. officials in Washington last week.

Most notably, on March 15, FDA learned that certain pet foods were sickening and killing cats and dogs. FDA found contaminants in vegetable proteins imported into the United States from China and used as ingredients in pet food.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18985512/

Now my question is: might that have something to do with the (pet) food scandal?

Reasoning:
a) people buy less pet food than before - less time in shop - less other shopping
b) people take care of their animals - less free time - less spending
c) people are scared to buy anything edible, read labels and inquire because we learned the hard way that our food is most likely poisonous and bad for us
d) a lot of the bloggers are female, and 3rd millennium or not, buying decisions are still mostly done by women. That are also the ones who right now are either mourning an animal or caring for them.
e) in my case, a *lot* of my disposable income has been moved to vets, and since I know that a lot more is likely to come, I’m tighter than I usually are. Am I the only one?

Considering all those reasons above, I would like to conclude that, yes, the US economy is down: exorbitant gas prices (is EXXON having another record-breaking quarter?), the pet food scandal and the overlaying food scandal with government agancies that give us the spin-around and corporate America that feeds us poison, laced with TV ads how wholesome their (beeeeeeep) is…

Who else is convinced that our government is looking behind the wrong doors and initiating the wrong measures in order to jumpstart the economy?

just wondering….