Tim Bolen: "Health Freedom" Counter-Attacks - Big Time

Opinion by Consumer Advocate Tim Bolen

Monday, September 26th, 2005

The world-wide war between "health" and "medicine," "conventional" and "alternative," rages across continents. "Big Pharma," in an almost uncontrolled panic in the US, is shoveling so much cash, by the truck and trainload, at US television networks, trying to buy their way back to Americans, it's laughable.

If you thought North American television was buried in "drug ads" last year, this year is far worse. Sheer panic has hit the drug world. New York ad agencies are in a heyday.

North American dentistry, another hellhole of bad practices, is reeling from assaults, and according to ADA's Edwin Mehlman from their membership division, who tells me, in a personal email, that the ADA is having to spend "a Budget of over$100 million proposed for 2006 and reserves of over 47 million." Just to keep their heads above water, I think.

For good reason.

Americans are on the march, with anger in their eyes. The "duping" of America is about to be paid for in industry blood...

In a nutshell, Americans are finding out, simply, that they are NOT getting first-rate, or even GOOD health and dental care from the system - although they are paying top prices - and that to get "first-rate" health and dental care they have to go outside of the system, and pay for it "out-of-pocket," AFTER they, and/or their employer, have laid out a lot of hard-earned dollars for supposed "Health Insurance," or "Dental Insurance."

Worse, "the system" is feeding on itself, and has, in place, mechanisms to destroy any one of its members who try and break out and solve the problems of healthcare. The system is at crisis point. Frankly, it's a house of cards a good wind could, and will, knock down.

But, lets not wait - lets knock it down ourselves.

The Counter Attacks...

(1). Last Wednesday, September 21, 2005, in Madison, Wisconsin a very large irate citizen's group gathered, from all over the State, in a hearing room at the State Capitol building. They were there to testify in front of the Wisconsin Legislature's "Government Operations and Spending Limits" committee. They came, figuratively, with a hangman's noose, for the express purpose of "stringing up" the Wisconsin Department of Regulation & Licensing (DRL).

For seven hours they testified - and the Legislators listened, sometimes with mouths agape, to the horror stories poured out in official complaint, about the unrestricted activities of certain members of the staff of the DRL, and that staff's relationship with the "quackbuster" operation - an organization sworn to stopping advances in health care in favor of the deadly status quo.

Testifying, at the hearing, to a standing-room only crowd, were MDs, Chiropractors, Nurses, Dentists, DOs, Attorneys, and ANGRY consumers.

First to testify were two members of DRL Management. They were there to answer questions about "How they manage their employees." The response, immediately, from a Wisconsin attorney who spoke next was "That's nice to hear, but the reality of the operation is somewhat different." Six hours later a STUNNED legislative committee had heard the reality of "health prosecutions" in Wisconsin - and the hunt begins...

I know exactly what's going to happen next - and I'm very pleased. But, like those Saturday movie matinees I used to go to as a kid - you'll have to wait to read it later...

(2). The American Dental Association (ADA) is about to get "publicly confronted" at their 2005 Philadelphia convention. In shock, I think, and reeling from the effects of lawsuits ("ADA Gets 'Kiss of Death'"), the ADA may be totally unprepared for what will happen next. As we know, mainstream US dentistry is in bad shape.

And, what happens next? Well, the "Pennsylvania Coalition for Mercury Free Dentistry" is insulted, and incensed that the ADA would even THINK if holding a meeting in their state - and are gearing up to get in their face... They've put together a five pronged attack. I'll tell you about one of those prongs:

Dentists - "Get your Head Out of the Sand...The ADA won't protect you when the lawsuits start...... describing how the ADA abandoned one of its members in California, when it bailed out of a case claiming: "The ADA owes no legal duty of care to protect the public from allegedly dangerous products used by dentists. The ADA did not manufacture, design, supply or install the mercury‑containing amalgams. The ADA does not control those who do. The ADA's only alleged involvement was to provide information regarding its use."

This one will be fun to watch. I don't think most dentists have any idea that the ADA has abandoned them. For more information click here.

(3). On October 10th, 2005 this year * MD Stephen Barrett, author of the infamous "quackwatch.com" website, will be officially confronted in a Courtroom in his home town of Allentown, Pennsylvania.

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