'Evidence keeps mounting against phony autism-thimerosal link'

From: Consumer Health Digest #08-02

New data showing that the number of diagnosed cases of autism
spectrum disorder has kept rising in California provide more evidence
that thimerosal is not a cause. [Schechter R, Grether JK. Continuing
increases is autism reported to California's Developmental Services
System: Mercury in retrograde. Archives of General Psychiatry
65:19-24, 2008] 

~ LINK ~

 
Quackery promoters claim that the thimerosal in vaccines is a major
cause of autism. A 2004 Institute of Medicine report noted the lack
of data supporting this belief, but recommended that trends in autism
diagnoses be observed as exposure to thimerosal decreased.
Thimerosal, a mercury-containing preservative, was eliminated from
most vaccines by 2001. By now, if it were a cause, the incidence
rates should have dropped. The California report was accompanied by
an editorial that concluded:

"Parents of autistic children should be reassured that autism in
their child did not occur through immunizations. Their autistic
children, and their siblings, should be normally vaccinated, and as
there is no evidence of mercury poisoning in autism, they should
avoid ineffective and dangerous "treatments" such as chelation
therapy for their children." [Fombonne E. Thimerosal disappears but
autism remains. Arch Gen Psychiatry 65:15-16, 2008]

 

http://www.quackwatch.org/

'We own the world'

1 Jan 2008

by Naom Chomsky

 

" ... How many offensive nuclear armed missiles does the United States have? Well, it turns out to be 10,000. China may now have maybe 400, if you believe the hawks. That proves that they are trying to conquer the world.

It turns out, if you read the international press closely, that the reason China is building up its military capacity is not only because of U.S. aggressiveness all over the place, but the fact that the United States has improved its targeting capacities so it can now destroy missile sites in a much more sophisticated fashion wherever they are, even if they are mobile. So who is trying to conquer the world? Well, obviously the Chinese because since we own it, they are trying to conquer it.

It’s all too easy to continue with this indefinitely. Just pick your topic. It’s a good exercise to try. This simple principle, “we own the world,” is sufficient to explain a lot of the discussion about foreign affairs.

I will just finish with a word from George Orwell. In the introduction to Animal Farm he said, England is a free society, but it’s not very different from the totalitarian monster I have been describing. He says in England unpopular ideas can be suppressed without the use of force. Then he goes on to give some dubious examples. At the end he turns to a very brief explanation, actually two sentences, but they are to the point. He says, one reason is the press is owned by wealthy men who have every reason not to want certain ideas to be expressed. And the second reason—and I think a more important one—is a good education. If you have gone to the best schools and graduated from Oxford and Cambridge, and so on, you have instilled in you the understanding that there are certain things it would not do to say; actually, it would not do to think. That is the primary way to prevent unpopular ideas from being expressed. ... "

 

~ Full article ~

 

Apaches Rise to Defend Homelands from Homeland Security

Apache land owners on the Rio Grande told Homeland Security to halt the seizure of their lands for the U.S.-Mexico border wall on Jan. 7, 2008. It was the same day that a 30-day notice from Homeland Security expired with the threat of land seizures by eminent domain to build the U.S.-Mexico border wall.

Homeland Security (DHS) declared that it will use the principle of eminent domain to take possession of land currently held by private ownership. DHS has also presented waivers requesting that the landowners grant DHS personnel access to their property for a 12-month period in order to conduct surveys for the intended construction project. The property owners were informed that if they do not voluntarily allow the federal agents on their property, the U.S. government will file a lawsuit to grant Homeland Security authorities unimpeded access to private land, despite the owners' opposition. Homeland Security has stated that it will seize property even without the consent of landowners if necessary to complete the construction of the border fence.

Many landowners, as well as civic leaders and human rights activists, oppose the U.S. government's plans to allow federal law enforcement agents access to private property. The government's demands and aggressive tactics are in conflict with settled rights of private property ownership and are particularly disconcerting to the indigenous peoples' communities impacted by this undertaking.

Deep Roots of Resistance

The Texas communities along the international boundary zone are largely made up of Native Americans and of land grant heirs who have resided on inherited properties for hundreds of years. Homeland Security plans to complete the Texas portions of the fence before the end of the 2008 calendar year.

"There are two kinds of people in this world, those who build walls and those who build bridges," said Enrique Madrid, Jumano Apache community member, land owner in Redford, and archaeological steward for the Texas Historical Commission.

"The wall in South Texas is militarization," Madrid said of the planned escalation of Border Patrol and military presence. "They will be armed and shoot to kill."

In 1997, a U.S. Marine stationed on the border shot and killed 18-year-old Esequiel Hernandez, who was herding his sheep near his home in Redford. "We had hoped he would be the last United States citizen and the last Native American to be killed by troops," Madrid said during a media conference call on January 7 with Apaches from Texas and Arizona. Instead, the number of people shot and killed or run over by Border Patrol and other U.S. agents has risen sharply as the militarization continues.

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