Opinion by Consumer Advocate Tim Bolen
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.” They 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 delicensed MD Stephen Barrett, author of the infamous “quackwatch.com” website, will be officially confronted in a Courtroom in his home town of Allentown, Pennsylvania. Barrett was forced to give up his medical license in 1993 when he lost his part-time employment at the State mental hospital and because he had so few patients, he couldn’t afford the required malpractice insurance premiums any more.
Barrett has angered MOST of the health professions with his blatant accusations of quackery against anyone who does not believe in “drugs, drugs, and more drugs” as the answer to health problems. This time Barrett is attacking one of the top people in the Chiropractic profession – Tedd Koren DC of Koren Publications – and Koren, and the Chiropractic profession, is not taking it lightly. Barrett is going to get slapped around the Courtroom, for Koren has brought in Washington attorney Jim Turner, and experienced Barrett-slapper Carlos F. Negrete of California.
The Foundation for Health Choice is heading up this assault on Barrett. You can read about it by clicking here.
There is a difficulty in the case that we’ll find out if we get around tomorrow. Somehow, or other, Barrett’s attorney was able to get the local Judge to rule that Koren will not be allowed to put on a defense…. and of course, Koren wants a full-on assault against Barrett’s activities. Koren has about sixty witnesses willing to testify against Barrett – including me, Tim Bolen. There is a hearing tomorrow, Tuesday, September 27th, 2005 where the Judge will be asked to reconsider his decision. If he doesn’t the trial will go on anyway, because, frankly, Barrett, himself, is the BEST witness Koren could have against Barrett… Barrett, in testimony under pressure is laughable. He’s such an arrogant jerk he harms himself. In an Oregon Federal Court case a few years ago, Negrete, using “cross-examination,”almost literally used Barrett to polish the Courtroom floor. Barrett lost that case, dramatically.
I’m looking forward to this confrontation. More on this later.
(4). On October 28th to 30th, 2005, this year, a conference will be held in Minneapolis, MN by the very successful “National Health Freedom Coalition.” The point of the meeting is to get North American Health Freedom activists together, under one roof, to strategize. The scheduled speakers represent a “Who’s Who of North American Health Freedom.” I’ll be joining Carolyn Dean MD, former congressman Dan Haley, Diane Miller JD, Alliance for Natural Health Barrister David Hinde, and Robert Verkerk PhD, the National Health Federation’s Scott Tips JD, Citizen’s for Health James Gormley, Friends of Freedom’s Trueman Tuck, the Law Loft’s Suzanne Harris JD, and long-time health activist Clinton Ray Miller on the speaker’s platform.
Primarily the meeting is to trade strategic, and tactical information. As you probably already know, there are different approaches to dealing with health freedom issues. There are those, like me and Canada’s Trueman Tuck, who believe in a no-prisoners, all-out assault, and those that use a quieter, convincing, legislative approach – and those in between. Come to this meeting and you’ll get an overview like you’ve never seen before – because EVERYTHING we do, EVERY APPROACH is working.
(5). On November 4th to 6th, 2005, another Health Freedom Expo will be held in Dallas, TX. With four events scheduled per year, around the US, this organization is waking up America. I’ll be there, as well as leading alternative Cancer Researcher Hulda Regehr Clark PhD – plus many others.
(6). And, much, much more…
We are heading for a health care “Nuremberg…” And, it’s about time…
Stay tuned…
Tim Bolen – Consumer Advocate