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(Mises)—Two weeks ago, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. suspended his campaign for president. In his nearly hour-long speech explaining the decision, Kennedy highlighted what he sees as the three biggest issues facing the United States. The first two—the threat to free speech and the danger of the war in Ukraine—are familiar to anyone following the daily political fights happening online and in the traditional media.
But when Kennedy got to his third concern, it was striking how absent any discussion of it has been from our hyper-active national discourse. The issue was the scale of chronic disease affecting the American population and, especially, American children. Kennedy explicitly called this “the most important issue” and, as he laid out the scale of the problem, it’s easy to see why he feels that way.
As Kennedy said in the speech, two-thirds—or around 222 million Americans—suffer from chronic health issues. In the 1970s, the rate was lower than one percent. On top of that, nearly three out of every four Americans are now overweight or obese, and the childhood obesity rate stands at 50%.
There has been an explosion in diabetes in both kids and adults, as well as neurological illnesses and disorders like Alzheimer’s and autism. Kennedy also highlighted the sharp increase we’re seeing in food allergies, ADHD, and cancer, among others. His point is that, at the same time Americans are paying more for healthcare than the populations of nearly every other country, we are also quickly becoming the sickest.
What’s astonishing about all of this is that almost nobody denies the health emergency Kennedy lays out. Some argue that he is exaggerating a few of his numbers slightly or is misleading people with some rates of increase that are inflated by changes in how chronic diseases are defined and screened—something Kennedy and those he cites claim to have corrected for. But most of Kennedy’s critics in the media simply ignore what he says about this topic.
So, if the scale of the problem is this extreme and its existence is not controversial, why is this not the central issue in every national election? Simply put, because the chronic disease epidemic is making the political class absurdly rich.
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In many ways, the problem has its roots in the Progressive Era at the end of the 1800s. At the time, there were several competing approaches to treating sick and ailing patients, each with its own network of doctors and professional associations. One such group was what their rivals called allopathic physicians. Their approach was to treat patients with painkillers and other drugs aimed specifically at reducing patient suffering.
Of course, for certain ailments, that is a perfectly reasonable approach. And, as one of many available in the early healthcare market, it provided many Americans who required such an approach the care they needed. But in the early 1900s, the allopathic doctors’ professional group—the American Medical Association (AMA)—decided to get with the times and lobby the government for special privileges.
As Patrick Newman explained in a lecture based on a chapter from his upcoming book, the AMA maneuvered its way into setting the official accreditation standards for the nation’s medical schools. With that newfound power, the association was able to both greatly restrict the supply of doctors—by forcing half of the country’s medical schools to close—and to certify their allopathic approach as the preeminent, legitimate, government-recognized form of medical care.
And the AMA was not alone. In most industries, powerful corporations and professional associations realized they could make a lot more money if they lobbied the government for monopoly privileges, lucrative subsidies, and cartel-preserving supply quotas. Similar efforts in the food industry resulted in the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and many so-called nutrition programs at universities with deep ties to the biggest food companies.
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On the agricultural side, farming and meatpacking groups successfully lobbied for the creation of what would become the recurring five-year farm bill. This law contains a multitude of handouts and privileges for agricultural giants, such as supply restrictions that artificially raise the prices of some kinds of produce and subsidies that over-saturate the market with other crops and products.
Finally, drug manufacturers were able to get the government to criminalize competition in the pharmaceutical industry and to protect companies from liability for the side effects of many drugs. The government even mandates the purchase of some drugs with its immunization schedule—much of which is required to attend school.
Together, all these companies and interest groups use their government privileges to fill their pockets.
Big agricultural companies flood the market with highly subsidized crops which have alternative uses, like corn syrup and seed oils, that crowd out healthier options that consumers actually prefer. Food companies can then use these artificially cheap ingredients to produce highly addictive ultra-processed foods that their friends in the government and university nutrition programs then say are part of a healthy diet.
Americans, who are taught from a young age to trust the government and university-trained, state-licensed medical professionals, are easily hooked on these ultra-processed foods. That’s great for the food companies but terrible for our bodies. Many of the chronic diseases plaguing Americans can be drawn back to our consumption (or our parents’ consumption) of these addicting food-like substances.
But it doesn’t stop there. The flood of chronic illnesses caused by ultra-processed food is lucrative for the medical industry, whose allopathic approach ensures the root cause is never discussed, much less addressed, but is instead treated with a barrage of prescription drugs that solely attack the resulting symptoms. After all, addressing the root cause would be bad for the pharmaceutical industry’s bottom line. And doctors who don’t play along are systemically denied official, government-recognized credentials.
The extensive drug cocktail that most Americans are swallowing and injecting each day allows them to stay hooked on toxic foods that their bodies are trying to tell them are hurting them and, thanks to side effects, can even aggravate or cause other chronic diseases. The deadly cycle keeps accelerating and the large, politically-connected businesses in the agricultural, meatpacking, food processing, healthcare, and pharmaceutical industries grow absurdly rich.
But they’re not the only ones benefiting. Government bureaucrats enjoy an ever-increasing level of power and resources as companies lobby for them to intervene even more in their respective industries. Universities are gifted millions by food and drug companies to run friendly academic programs. And politicians get to appear heroic to both sides as they exploit how obviously awful the healthcare system is to fight distracting, meaningless battles over whether to cap the prices of a couple drugs—usually while pushing to send even more taxpayer money into the healthcare industry.
Government officials, industry insiders, and state-credentialed experts have nothing to gain and everything to lose by actually addressing our country’s health issue. That’s why there is no urgency, even in theatrical political fights, to talk about how sick Americans have gotten. As the problem worsens, however, it will be harder and harder to ignore.
Still, the path forward must start with rolling back the government policies and privileges that this massive, deadly racket is built upon. Because it is a grave mistake to rely on those benefiting from a problem to solve it.
Smoke And Mirrors: What Happens After Biden’s Economic Manipulations Disappear?
by Brandon Smith
There is a popular school of thought that believes most economic stability is purely psychological; that the health of the economy relies on the population NOT knowing the true state of things. In other words, “ignorance is bliss.” I partially agree with the premise but only under certain conditions. If…
Kamala Harris Has a ‘Conversation’ With the National Association of Black Journalists
by Red State
Vice President and selected Democrat nominee Kamala Harris did not have to wait like former President and GOP nominee Donald Trump for the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) to get their technology together on Tuesday. They were right on time for this “Conversation with Vice President Kamala Harris” in…
Vaccine-Injured Americans Fight to Hold Biden-Harris Admin Accountable Over Censorship Campaign
by The Blaze
Novel COVID-19 vaccines advertised as “safe and effective” left multitudes of Americans injured or worse during the pandemic. Some of those individuals still physically capable went online to express their concerns, share their life-changing experiences, and engage with others medically compromised by government mandates and experimental science. However, in many…
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ABC News Hits the Panic Button After Sworn Statement Proving the Debate Was Rigged, David Muir Does Damage Control
by Joe Kovacs, WND
(WND News Center)—ABC News is apparently pressing the panic button in the wake of fierce criticism of its Sept. 10 presidential debate between former President Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris. A sworn statement by an ABC News whistleblower exposing network bias favoring Harris continues to be in focus regarding…
The FBI Should Visit the New York Times About Instigating More Anti-Trump Violence
by The Federalist
If the price to pay as a Republican running for president is the media blaming you for being nearly assassinated, they are culpable. The FBI should consider stopping by the homes of New York Times reporters Michael Barbaro and Peter Baker after their slew of public remarks about Donald Trump…
IT NEVER ENDS! Soros-Funded Group Doubling Down on Censorship Efforts Ahead of 2024 Election
by Newsbusters
A radical censorship-obsessed group financed by leftist billionaire George Soros is doubling down on efforts to interfere in the 2024 election by turning the screws on Big Tech to censor speech and by manipulating journalists. Free Press, fueled with at least $2 million by Soros between 2017 and 2021, announced…
NYPD: 81-Year-Old Woman Knocked Unconscious in Random Attack, Suspect on the Loose
by Breitbart
An elderly New York City woman was injured in an unprovoked attack when a random man sucker punched her in the head while she was walking her dog, surveillance footage shows. The victim, 81, was out with her dog on Friday just after 7:00 p.m. near W. 66th St. and…
Wi-Fi Routers Are ‘Significant EMF Emitters’ and ‘Should Be Away From Livingrooms/Bedrooms’ — Study
by Infowars
A recent scientific study on the specific absorption rate (SAR) values in the brain and body from electromagnetic frequencies (EMF) emitted by modern electronic devices indicate that certain tech devices, such as Wi-Fi routers, should not be in the same rooms that people spend much of their time in, such…
America First Legal Investigates Biden Admin’s Potential Knowledge of Second Trump Shooter
by Daily Caller
The conservative group America First Legal (AFL) is investigating whether the Biden-Harris administration was monitoring Ryan Wesley Routh, the suspect who allegedly attempted to assassinate former President Donald Trump on Sunday. AFL announced Tuesday it was launching a “multi-front” investigation into any records the Biden-Harris administration may possess on Routh….
With a Male Player, San Jose State University Women’s Volleyball Is Having Its Best Season Ever
by The Blaze
The women’s volleyball team at San Jose State University remained undefeated and is now 6-0 following its latest victory. The team is off to its best start in program history, according to OutKick, and continued its hot streak with a 3-2 win over fellow NCAA Division I Santa Clara. The…
Klaus Schwab Calls for “Global Collaboration” to Combat “Misinformation”
by Reclaim the Net
It will take serious research and serious access to information ever to figure out which came first, the WEF chicken, or the WEF egg. But this unelected, informal group of highly influential global elites has often been able to either seemingly predict, or seemingly help make happen – some major…
‘I Reached Out’: Chris Cuomo Reveals What He Told Trump After Second Assassination Attempt
by Daily Caller
NewsNation host Chris Cuomo on Monday said he expressed condolences to Donald Trump after the second attempt on his life on Sunday, saying the former president “doesn’t deserve” to face assassination attempts. Federal and local officials confirmed Sunday the arrest of 58-year-old Ryan Wesley Routh for allegedly attempting to assassinate…
ABC’s ‘World News Tonight’ Ratings Tank After Hosts’ ‘One-Sided’ Moderating of Trump-Harris Debate
by Harold Hutchison, Daily Caller News Foundation
(DCNF)—Ratings for ABC’s “World News Tonight” fell by over 10% since the Sept. 10 debate between former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris hosted by ABC News hosts David Muir and Linsey Davis. The Disney-owned network’s broadcast news program hosted by Muir that airs at 6:30 p.m. EDT…
Federal Loopholes Allow China to Buy Land Near Sensitive Ports, Labs, and Coast Guard Facilities, Prompting Congressional Concern
by Free Beacon
China and other foreign adversaries are still permitted to purchase U.S. land near sensitive Coast Guard facilities, ports, and Energy Department labs, exposing national security gaps that lawmakers say enable hostile regimes to conduct espionage operations on American soil. The Treasury Department’s Committee of Foreign Investment in the United States…
Iran’s Ambassador to Lebanon Reportedly Injured by Exploding Pager
by Red State
I’m not sure who had exploding pagers on their Bingo cards for 2024, but why not? As Bonchie reported earlier: In one of the most unbelievable developments of 2024, Israel somehow hacked into the pagers and cell phones of Hezbollah fighters and caused them to explode. News of hundreds of…
Trump Issues a “Cease and Desist” to Election Cheaters, Promises Retribution for Those Who Don’t Heed the Warning
by Fred Lucas
(The Daily Signal)—As early voting begins this week in the battleground state of Pennsylvania, former President Donald Trump posted another warning to cheaters on Truth Social. “CEASE & DESIST,” the 45th president posted Tuesday. “I, together with many Attorneys and Legal Scholars, am watching the Sanctity of the 2024 Presidential…
Lawmaker Warns of Rising Trend of ‘Hostage Diplomacy’ After China Releases Us Citizen
by The Epoch Times
The top Republican on the Foreign Affairs Committee said “hostage diplomacy” is on the rise, a day after the Chinese regime released an American citizen and pastor who had been detained for nearly 20 years. The State Department announced on Sept. 15 that David Lin, who was on a missionary…
Hillary Clinton Calls for Americans Who Disagree With Democrat Narratives to Be Imprisoned
by Cindy Harper, Reclaim The Net
(Reclaim The Net)—Former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has has decided to ignore the First Amendment and has advocated for punitive measures aimed at Americans who contribute to the spread of what she calls “propaganda.” Speaking to MSNBC on Tuesday, Clinton suggested that holding American individuals accountable through civil…
CBS Ties 2nd Trump Assassination Attempt to Springfield, Buries Threat Hoaxes
by Newsbusters
With the aftermath of the second assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump drawing significant coverage, the Springfield “dogs and cats” story is beginning to recede from view- except on CBS, which chose to flog the story for at least one more night. Watch CBS Evening News anchor Norah O’Donnell’s…
Exposing the Lethal Fraud of Gender Ideology: Dr. Ann Gillies’ Documentary Unmasks the SOGI Agenda in Schools
by RAIR Foundation
Dr. Ann Gillies, who was featured in a RAIR Dr. Ann Gillies, who RAIR featured in an article on July 3rd, has created a 45-minute documentary exposing the dangerous and sometimes lethal fraud of SOGI (Sexual Orientation and Gender Ideology), which is being promoted in both Canadian public and Catholic…