“Safe and effective?”

by Alison Despathy 

Is it Stockholm syndrome? Maybe a burning need for a solution even if it’s false?  How many times can a federal regulating agency claim “safe and effective” and be wrong yet still hold faith with followers? Is it a three strikes out rule?  If that is the case the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) would have been gone eons ago. 

A read through chapter 14 of The Jungle by Upton Sinclair grotesquely demonstrated the original need and intention for the FDA at that time. Corporate abuses were unrestrained and unchecked. The need for some level of regulation to ensure consumer safety, human rights and worker protections was demanded. The Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906 was passed after President Teddy Roosevelt read The Jungle, investigated the situation and worked with Dr. Harvey Wiley–Head of the Bureau of Chemistry- most well-known for his Poison Squad experiments. 

However, soon after its inception, the FDA became impotent in its mission. On average annually, 45% of the FDA funding comes from the industry it is intended to regulate. Controversial revolving door policies are standard practice–from FDA Commissioner Michael Taylor to Scott Gottlieb– the revolving door issue is alive and well. Several US Senators tried to change this policy after Pfizer hired Scott Gottlieb less than 90 days after leaving the FDA. Gottlieb was responsible for weakening regulatory procedures in favor of industry and holds strong ties to Big Pharma. 

There have been multiple Congressional reports about the money paid by industry to the scientists who staff these agencies. Yet- no action or recourse has developed. 

Silent Spring by Rachel Carson led to the creation of the EPA in 1970 after her book brought to light the dangers of DDT and lead and arsenic sprays used for insect control. More corporate abuse and experimentation marketed as safe and effective—“DDT is good for me-e-e!” was the promo or more accurately the propaganda. Linda Fisher is probably the most egregious when it comes to the EPA revolving door. From PCBs to PFAS (forever chemicals), fluoride, glyphosate, paraquat, chlorpyrifos- Who do these regulating agencies actually work for and why after continual abuse, blatant corruption and experimentation is there still a high level of blind faith and trust in these agencies who have failed the American Public repeatedly for decades.

What toxic compounds will the next lawsuit take on since the federal regulating agencies are failing miserably? There are three bills in the Vermont Statehouse that would regulate PFAS and there will most likely be a lawsuit down the road. My money is on statin medication. It will take decades but I bet will happen at some point. Thank goodness US Health authorities were not successful in their push to add statins to the water supply. 

There is currently a federal lawsuit against the EPA after their refusal to take action on a citizen petition to remove fluoride from drinking water. For decades, activists have tried to have fluoride removed from the water supply.  Finally the federal courts are listening as a large body of research demonstrates lowered IQ due to prenatal and early life fluoride exposures. 

The chemical industry is an incestuous crew that has undergone antitrust lawsuits and holds ties to Hitler and chemical warfare. In 2018, Bayer bought Monsanto for $63 million. The name Monsanto is infamous and makes many shutter due to their heinous track record of toxins: aspartame, glyphosate, genetically modified food, dioxins, Agent Orange and DDT.  Monsanto needed to rebrand desperately after the bad press and lawsuits. Who other than their historical partner in crime Bayer to take them under their wing. 

Bayer and Monsanto have been business partners before. In 1954, they had a joint venture known as MOBAY.  Agent Orange ingredients were one of the many chemicals created and produced through MOBAY.  In 1967, this partnership was forced to separate due to antitrust violations; apparently that does not matter anymore. Bayer AG was part of Hitler’s IG Farben conglomerate. Nazi war criminals held leadership and board positions at Bayer.  Monsanto shielded the German Bayer company when the Allies won WWII and now Bayer offers Monsanto refuge and a new name to go undercover and heal their wounds, all the while continuing to create toxic chemicals. 

It was Stefan Oelrick, the President of Bayer’s Pharmaceutical division, who announced at the World Health Summit in Berlin in 2021, “mRNA vaccines are an example of that cell and gene therapy. I always like to say if we had surveyed two years ago in the public would you be willing to take gene or cell therapy and inject it into your body, we would have probably had a 95% refusal rate.” 

But as the pattern goes- Instill fear, slap an intensely controversial, ethically questionable, high risk and ultimately meaningless FDA approval on these “safe and effective”, experimental, gene therapy drugs, combine with propaganda and a massive marketing campaign vastly accelerated via internet and social media, and voila you have a recipe for disaster. Swine flu vaccine roll out on steroids. 

This resulted in a high majority of institutions justifying covid injection mandates thus creating widespread experimentation on the people including our youth. Keeping in mind due to both the National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act of 1986 and the PREP Act that BIg Pharma cannot be held liable for any damages, death or negligence related to these vaccines. They are fully protected – no market forces, no accountability, no incentive to make safe and effective products in this case. The ultimate guaranteed profit stream. And this was relentlessly forced onto the people— speechless. 

We need regulating agencies to actually do their job and not give corporations and industry a free pass to experiment on people and the earth. And then after making billions say- oops we are so sorry- we didn’t know that this new chemical causes cancer, strokes, heart attacks, Parkinson’s, and contaminates water or kills pollinators or birds. Holding our regulating agencies accountable in their duty to protect people and the environment must be a top priority.  Sadly and honestly, I question the reality of this goal based on existing corruption and the fact that for so many – money talks. 

In 2022, Vermont successfully litigated an opioid lawsuit and will receive over $100 million. Back in 2018, a lawsuit against tobacco companies brought in $59 million to VT.  Attorney General Clark will most likely be successful in her mission to sue Monsanto over PCBs due to the legal precedent set by Oregon. No doubt this will bring money to help rectify the situation in Vermont schools and who would say no to money from uber-wealthy, destructive corporations. However, aside from the money, real resolution would be to dissolve the corrupt and captured federal regulating agencies and attempt to build a trustworthy entity focused on actual oversight of toxic compounds and protection of the people and the earth from corporate abuse. Breaking this vicious cycle is the real issue and until this is resolved, humans and the earth will continue to withstand rampant abuse by corporations and industry whose heartless bottom line is plain and simple- profit over people any day. We are mere expendable commodities, and it should not take lawsuits to force the federal regulating agencies to do their job.

The author is a clinical nutritionist in St. Johnsbury.