3 ms·

There are thousands of pages of regulations on federal meat standards. I think your statement would work better if you said, "If it were 'well regulated/sensib

There are thousands of pages of regulations on federal meat standards. I think your statement would work better if you said, "If it were 'well regulated/sensibly regulated'..." It's also possible that regulations are confusing, unenforceable, out of date, or addressing symptoms instead of causes. I don't disagree with you, but I think your comment needed some clarification.

mschuster91 13y ago
I would rather say that "Big Money" is preventing existing regulations from being enforced. The biggest issue is, of course, the sequester and the general lack of funding for food inspection - if there were enough food and animal safety inspectors, food scandals would simply not exist because of inspection pressure. The second issue, tightly connected with the funding issue, is lobbyism. The "food lobby" has only recently lobbied for making recording of animal rights violation a crime...
- D9u 13y ago
  People are denial about fascism in the USA. Just look at how many pharmaceutical products are approved by the FDA only to be eventually recalled. Of further concern are the pharmaceuticals advertised as having side effects which "may result in death." How can the FDA allow these products?
  - mullingitover 13y ago
    On the one hand, yes sometimes bad things get approved in error. On the other hand, pharmaceuticals are already very tightly regulated. Plain old Aspirin wouldn't be approved by the FDA if it were invented today, it's too dangerous by their standards.
    - D9u 13y ago
      What some refer to as "crony capitalism" is more properly labeled "fascism." (Corporate intermingling with government at the expense of the plebiscite) As evidence there's the trend toward appointing people with strong ties to the very entities which they are appointed to regulate. (Can you say "conflict of interest?) http://www.naturalnews.com/020029_Byron_Richard_Andrew_von_Eschenbach.html http://www.naturalnews.com/020029_Byron_Richard_Andrew_von_E... http://tobaccoanalysis.blogspot.com/2013/02/pharmaceutical-consultant-appointed-to.html http://tobaccoanalysis.blogspot.com/2013/02/pharmaceutical-c... http://www.activistpost.com/2011/12/case-study-in-corporatocracy-monsanto.html http://www.activistpost.com/2011/12/case-study-in-corporatoc... Compare these facts to the recent crackdowns on natural foods. http://www.farmtoconsumer.org/litigation-FDA.htm http://www.farmtoconsumer.org/litigation-FDA.htm As for "tightly regulated" pharmaceuticals, have you any citations in support of this claim? http://www.forbes.com/sites/davidmaris/2012/10/10/fda-recall-points-to-serious-problems-at-the-fda/ http://www.forbes.com/sites/davidmaris/2012/10/10/fda-recall...
      - monkeyspaw 13y ago
        Fascism is "extreme right-wing, authoritarian, or intolerant views or practice." I can see how strongly held views might lead one to exaggeration, but I don't think hyperbole lends anyone's position much authority.
        D9u 13y ago
        "Fascism should more properly be called corporatism because it is the merger of state and corporate power." - Benito Mussolini. Your definition is a new interpretation, and is only one of many forms of fascism. I'll continue to adhere to the definition which predates the internet, Wikipedia, and the other sources which have chosen to ignore the words of the father of modern fascism. Ergo, The USA is, arguably, the epitome of a fascist nation. I'm not exaggerating at all. http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article7260.htm http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article7260.htm
        mullingitover 13y ago
        Well, I'll certainly admit we do have a lot of fasces in our government symbology.[1] [1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fasces#Fasces_in_the_United_States http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fasces#Fasces_in_the_United_Sta...
  - monkeyspaw 13y ago
    Just to play devil's advocate: sometimes the dangers of a drug aren't evident until many years after exposure. The FDA tries to balance the benefit of the drug with the dangers. Otherwise, many beneficial and lifesaving drugs wouldn't hit the market until decades after the initial trials.
    - D9u 13y ago
      https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5583878 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5583878
- monkeyspaw 13y ago
  The recent sequestration doesn't affect anything that led to the current standards. It may affect the regulatory environment going forward, but we're in the current situation independent of it. I agree that food safety is a concern, but believe the source of the problem lies in the American relationship with food. More, bigger, and cheaper lead to the conditions we see.

mschuster91 13y ago

I would rather say that "Big Money" is preventing existing regulations from being enforced. The biggest issue is, of course, the sequester and the general lack of funding for food inspection - if there were enough food and animal safety inspectors, food scandals would simply not exist because of inspection pressure. The second issue, tightly connected with the funding issue, is lobbyism. The "food lobby" has only recently lobbied for making recording of animal rights violation a crime...

D9u 13y ago
People are denial about fascism in the USA. Just look at how many pharmaceutical products are approved by the FDA only to be eventually recalled. Of further concern are the pharmaceuticals advertised as having side effects which "may result in death." How can the FDA allow these products?
- mullingitover 13y ago
  On the one hand, yes sometimes bad things get approved in error. On the other hand, pharmaceuticals are already very tightly regulated. Plain old Aspirin wouldn't be approved by the FDA if it were invented today, it's too dangerous by their standards.
  - D9u 13y ago
    What some refer to as "crony capitalism" is more properly labeled "fascism." (Corporate intermingling with government at the expense of the plebiscite) As evidence there's the trend toward appointing people with strong ties to the very entities which they are appointed to regulate. (Can you say "conflict of interest?) http://www.naturalnews.com/020029_Byron_Richard_Andrew_von_Eschenbach.html http://www.naturalnews.com/020029_Byron_Richard_Andrew_von_E... http://tobaccoanalysis.blogspot.com/2013/02/pharmaceutical-consultant-appointed-to.html http://tobaccoanalysis.blogspot.com/2013/02/pharmaceutical-c... http://www.activistpost.com/2011/12/case-study-in-corporatocracy-monsanto.html http://www.activistpost.com/2011/12/case-study-in-corporatoc... Compare these facts to the recent crackdowns on natural foods. http://www.farmtoconsumer.org/litigation-FDA.htm http://www.farmtoconsumer.org/litigation-FDA.htm As for "tightly regulated" pharmaceuticals, have you any citations in support of this claim? http://www.forbes.com/sites/davidmaris/2012/10/10/fda-recall-points-to-serious-problems-at-the-fda/ http://www.forbes.com/sites/davidmaris/2012/10/10/fda-recall...
    - monkeyspaw 13y ago
      Fascism is "extreme right-wing, authoritarian, or intolerant views or practice." I can see how strongly held views might lead one to exaggeration, but I don't think hyperbole lends anyone's position much authority.
      - D9u 13y ago
        "Fascism should more properly be called corporatism because it is the merger of state and corporate power." - Benito Mussolini. Your definition is a new interpretation, and is only one of many forms of fascism. I'll continue to adhere to the definition which predates the internet, Wikipedia, and the other sources which have chosen to ignore the words of the father of modern fascism. Ergo, The USA is, arguably, the epitome of a fascist nation. I'm not exaggerating at all. http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article7260.htm http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article7260.htm
        mullingitover 13y ago
        Well, I'll certainly admit we do have a lot of fasces in our government symbology.[1] [1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fasces#Fasces_in_the_United_States http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fasces#Fasces_in_the_United_Sta...
- monkeyspaw 13y ago
  Just to play devil's advocate: sometimes the dangers of a drug aren't evident until many years after exposure. The FDA tries to balance the benefit of the drug with the dangers. Otherwise, many beneficial and lifesaving drugs wouldn't hit the market until decades after the initial trials.
  - D9u 13y ago
    https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5583878 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5583878
monkeyspaw 13y ago
The recent sequestration doesn't affect anything that led to the current standards. It may affect the regulatory environment going forward, but we're in the current situation independent of it. I agree that food safety is a concern, but believe the source of the problem lies in the American relationship with food. More, bigger, and cheaper lead to the conditions we see.