Saturday 20 December 2008

HAPPY HOLIDAYS - JOYEUSES FÊTES

ENGLISH WILL FOLLOW

Comme cadeau des fêtes, nous vous offrons:


Le Guide 101 pour la réussite de vos partys des fêtes dans l’art de la rectitude politique

- Ne portez surtout pas votre manteau de fourrure et assurez-vous que vos souliers et sacs à main sont confectionnés avec du simili cuir équitable. Si vous devez absolument porter un smoking, défendez-vous en mentionnant que vous avez récemment lancé un groupe dans Face Book ayant comme mission de faire des pressions auprès du ministère de la santé pour substituer l’appellation ‘’smoking’’ avec l’appellation ‘’No-smoking’’. Ceci devrait assurément vous sortir de l’embarras.

- N’employez aucune expression et ne racontez aucune blague à connotation : religieuse, sexiste, homophobe, raciste, politique. En fait, évitez totalement ces sujets.

- N’exprimez surtout pas votre opinion, même modérée, si elle est contraire au féminisme, au réchauffement climatique anthropogène, aux organismes extrémistes pour les animaux, à la guerre contre le tabac, à la guerre contre l’obésité, à la guerre contre l’alcool, au registre des armes à feu, aux passeports entre frontières, aux caméras espionnes, à la délation entre citoyens, au nouvel enseignement religieux dans les écoles, au port obligatoire de la ceinture de sécurité et le casque protecteur, aux vaccins obligatoires, au sucre, au sel, aux feux de foyers, au bannissement des pesticides, au bannissement du cellulaire en auto, au bannissement des gras trans, au bannissement du foie gras, au bannissement des étalages de tabac, au bannissement des lits superposés, au bannissement des marchettes, au bannissement des sacs en plastique…

Dans le doute, heureusement que nous avons tous une ‘’matante’’ Thérèse, ou un ‘’mononcle’’ Roger qui croient tout-ce qu’ils lisent et entendent et l’adoptent sans questionner. Et bien, c’est le temps de les consulter pour éviter une gaffe monumentale !

Pour un maximum de précaution, contentez-vous donc de souhaiter ‘’joyeuses fêtes’’ et non pas ‘’joyeux Noël’’ à tout le monde, commentez sur les qualités nutritives des aliments, sur la couleur de la peinture sans plomb des murs, sur le génie de tous les enfants présents, remerciez vos hôtes ou invités et partez en vous faisant conduire par nez rouge ou votre chauffeur désigné. Des heures de plaisir seront ainsi assurées !

Sur ce, nous, qui n’avons jamais porté attention à la rectitude politique et l’opinion public de l’heure, nous nous permettons de vous souhaiter un Joyeux Noël et une bonne année remplie de tout-ce qui vous rend joyeux et heureux. Amusez-vous et revenez nous lire après les fêtes !






Happy holidays to our faithful members and visitors. Enjoy yourselves and come back to read us after the holidays.

As a Christmas gift we offer you the following poem by Harvey Ehrlich.

POLITICALLY CORRECT SANTA

by (c)Harvey Ehrlich


Twas the night before Christmas and Santa’s a wreck...
How to live in a world that’s politically correct?
His workers no longer would answer to "Elves",
"Vertically Challenged" they were calling themselves.

And labor conditions at the north pole
Were alleged by the union to stifle the soul.
Four reindeer had vanished, without much propriety,
Released to the wilds by the Humane Society.

And equal employment had made it quite clear
That Santa had better not use just reindeer.
So Dancer and Donner, Comet and Cupid,
Were replaced with 4 pigs, and you know that looked stupid!

The runners had been removed from his sleigh;
The ruts were termed dangerous by the E.P.A.
And people had started to call for the cops
When they heard sled noises on their roof-tops.

Second-hand smoke from his pipe had his workers quite frightened.
His fur trimmed red suit was called "Unenlightened."
And to show you the strangeness of life’s ebbs and flows,
Rudolf was suing over unauthorized use of his nose

And had gone on Geraldo, in front of the nation,
Demanding millions in over-due compensation.
So, half of the reindeer were gone; and his wife,
Who suddenly said she’d enough of this life,

Joined a self-help group, packed, and left in a whiz,
Demanding from now on her title was Ms.
And as for the gifts, why, he’d ne’er had a notion
That making a choice could cause so much commotion.

Nothing of leather, nothing of fur,
Which meant nothing for him. And nothing for her.
Nothing that might be construed to pollute.
Nothing to aim. Nothing to shoot.

Nothing that clamored or made lots of noise.
Nothing for just girls. Or just for the boys.
Nothing that claimed to be gender specific.
Nothing that’s warlike or non-pacific.

No candy or sweets...they were bad for the tooth.
Nothing that seemed to embellish a truth.
And fairy tales, while not yet forbidden,
Were like Ken and Barbie, better off hidden.

For they raised the hackles of those psychological
Who claimed the only good gift was one ecological.
No baseball, no football...someone could get hurt;
Besides, playing sports exposed kids to dirt.

Dolls were said to be sexist, and should be passe;
And Nintendo would rot your entire brain away.
So Santa just stood there, disheveled, perplexed;
He just could not figure out what to do next.

He tried to be merry, tried to be gay,
But you’ve got to be careful with that word today.
His sack was quite empty, limp to the ground;
Nothing fully acceptable was to be found.

Something special was needed, a gift that he might
Give to all without angering the left or the right.
A gift that would satisfy, with no indecision,
Each group of people, every religion;

Every ethnicity, every hue,
Everyone, everywhere...even you.
So here is that gift, it’s price beyond worth...
"May you and your loved ones enjoy peace on earth."

Notice: This poem is copyright 1992 by Harvey Ehrlich. It is free to distribute, without changes, as long as this notice remains intact. All follow-ups, requests, comments, questions, distribution rights, etc should be made to mduhan@husc.harvard.edu.

Friday 19 December 2008

FIRST THEY CAME FOR THE SMOKERS

We repeatedly warned about the slippery slope once you have allowed government to dictate your lifestyle choices even on unpopular issues such as smoking. Many people listened but only very few made the effort to be heard. Some didn’t believe us because it couldn’t possibly happen to anyone but the ‘’filthy’’ smokers who had it coming to them. Many others were and still are too happy to let government dictate their choices and meddle as far as in the intimacy of their family lives because it gives them a sense of security they cannot or will not seek on their own. Obviously they never fully grasped the meaning of Benjamin Franklin’s famous words: Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both.


Well folks, the ‘’fat tax’’ will very shortly cease to be ‘’do-gooder’’ rhetoric and will sooner than you realize become the hard reality facing you on your grocery store shelf day in and day out.


With the usual do-gooders -- our southern neighbors -- setting the trend, it will not be too long before our Canadian politicians will be copying their American counterparts in taxing fatty foods in an effort to coerce you and your family to adopt the government stamped lifestyle choices. And who knows what will follow after the ‘’fat tax’’. Perhaps one measure will be that if you’re over the ideal weight limit you will not be allowed to enter MacDonald’s or Burger King for your own good of course but especially to protect children from the bad example you would be setting for them. Say what? Was that a laughter in the background? Oh yes indeed it was! It sounded like it came from the same folks who thought it could never be forbidden to smoke in a bar!

What is even more alarming about the CNN article we link to below, are the comments from some of the readers which clearly make our point that there are unfortunately far too many people who will give up freedom to gain a false sense of security, sacrificing everybody’s freedom in the process. If you know of one such person, please remind him of what the notion of personal responsibility is, for everyone’s sake including his own.

Commentary: Why we need an obesity tax

Wednesday 17 December 2008

SMOKING BANS ARE BAD BAD POLICY! IT'S NOT AS IF WE HADN'T TOLD THEM SO!

As Statistics Canada recently reported, smoking prevalence that was steadily decreasing pre-ban years, has remained stable post-ban years for three years in a row. This phenomenon is not only happening in Canada. It happened in Ireland, it is happening in England and it is happening in France. And these of course are only the few countries that reported their findings. Chances are that the same results are seen mostly everywhere comprehensive smoking bans have been implemented.

Smoking bans are bad bad irresponsible policy that cause social and economic havoc and it is high time politicians throughout the world start realizing that they have been played like a fiddle by the pharmaceutical industry and their anti-tobacco front groups when they sold them the billion dollars lie that smoking bans will reduce smoking and will help the economy. The facts speak for themselves, when will honest politicians speak for the facts?

As for the Helena, Pueblo, Piedmont, Saskatoon, Scottish, etc… heart attack miracles that anti-smoking advocates invented, they have all been debunked one after the other, with the latest being the Scottish miracle.

Read about smoking prevalence remaining stable or increasing post-ban in several countries at:

Canadian Tobacco Use Monitoring Survey

Smoking ban fails to curb the habit: Figures reveal men are smoking MORE

Irish people drinking less, smoking more

One year after ban, French smoke just as much

Monday 15 December 2008

L’INTERNET N’EST QUE LE REFLET DES MAUX DE LA SOCIÉTÉ

Dans la presse de ce matin on peut lire un article qui traite de cybercondrie (voir lien à la fin de ce commentaire). On explique que ce terme a émergé en 2000 et décrit l’état d’une personne qui souffre d’inquiétudes démesurées par rapport à sa santé au point de passer énormément de temps à naviguer l’internet à la recherche d'une explication à son moindre petit bobo. Plusieurs cybercondriaques, nous explique-t-on, négligent même leurs responsabilités quotidiennes tellement qu’ils deviennent préoccupés par leur état de santé.

Selon l'article, le problème réside partiellement sur les moteurs de recherche qui défilent l’un après l’autre et pas nécessairement dans un ordre cohérent, les 1001 diagnostiques pour un mal de tête par exemple, qui peut avoir une cause aussi banale qu’un simple manque de caféine, que le grave diagnostique d’une tumeur au cerveau. Nous voulons bien donner le bénéfice du doute à cette théorie, mais partant du principe que l’internet est le reflet de la vraie vie, ce que l’article omet d’analyser est le pourquoi qu’une telle hypocondrie a émergée depuis quelques années.

Selon notre avis, ce phénomène n’est pas exclusif à l’internet mais bel et bien à la mentalité générale de la société qui a été conditionnée de viser sans discernement un état physique optimal souvent au détriment de son mental qui encaisse les contrecoups. Aussi, ce qui était jadis un petit mal de tête dû à un manque de caféine, à force de se faire marteler constamment des messages de prévention et les vertus des remèdes chimiques ou moins chimiques, il devient soudainement source d’inquiétude démesurée pour laquelle on cherche une théorie qui convient au degré d’hypocondrie qui nous a été démesurément inculquée. Les divers microbes avec lesquels nous sommes en contacte au quotidien et que notre système immunitaire pouvait jadis très bien combattre, sont depuis quelques années devenus une menace parfois réelle, en raison de notre système immunitaire affaiblit, parfois irréelle, à force de vouloir vivre dans un monde stérilisé de tout. Avec nos urgences qui débordent de gens davantage intolérants et inquiets de leurs petits et moins petits bobos, l’internet ainsi devient pour certains l’outil le plus accessible pour trouver des réponses vite qu’importe la source. Nos généralistes étant souvent très occupés et pressés pour nous donner pleine satisfaction à nos questionnements, ou parfois trop vite pour écrire des prescriptions mal adaptées, nous devenons des fervents consommateurs de cyber-diagnostiques qui nous aident soit à nous consoler, soit à nous inquiéter davantage selon notre tempérament. D'autant plus que 25% de la population ne peut pas trouver un généraliste.

En conclusion, il est de notre avis que l’internet est une excellente source de savoir, pourvu que tout comme dans la vie hors internet, nous consommons les informations (qui varient selon les intérêts pécuniaires et idéologiques des responsables des sites) avec un esprit vif et critique.

Cybercondrie: l'anxiété au bout du clavier

Sunday 7 December 2008

HOW LOW CAN YOU GO!

We have exposed in the past about how lowering the permissible BMI (Body Mass Index) levels creates millions of obese people overnight resulting in world-wide claims that there is a severe obesity pandemic. The perfect example of this ‘’obesity by definition’’ phenomenon is a new release from Indian health authorities who have recently adopted their very own norms that establish what makes a person fat. Indeed, while the WHO and many western countries lowered their BMI norms a few years ago from 27 to 25 thus creating millions of obese people across the world, in India they have adopted a BMI norm to be a further 2 points lower than the international level! The result of a 23 BMI norm, as per the article we link to below, is that the new parameters will bring millions of Indian citizens within the bracket of obesity. Reading about an obesity epidemic in the Indian and international papers should be forthcoming shortly since the table has now been perfectly set for the media to go ahead with the anti-obesity propaganda force-feeding. A few extra millions of obese citizens, are not a negligible customer base that can and will surely yield handsome dividends for the Big Pharma shareholders in their anti-obesity drug marketing.

What is further amazing is the way they’re selling these new low standards to the public. The explanation from public health, endorsed by several doctors, is that Indian people tend to be fatter around the waist, therefore a lower BMI target would most certainly be beneficial to their health. However, medical authorities if we can still trust them, seem to now agree that abdominal fat as in an apple shaped individual is a more significant risk for metabolic syndrome that can lead to diabetes and cardiovascular disease, than a pear shaped person. One can’t help wonder then, how targeting a lower general BMI will help a person that genetically carries much of his extra weight around the abdomen as it seems to be the case for men and a good number of women. If a person with for example a 23 ‘’ideal’’ BMI has slim members and a slim top but fat abdomen, how can public health claim that that person is at less risk than a person that has a 27 BMI but is well distributed across his body with no significant abdominal fat? One would think that the reporters would ask such pertinent questions of the medical authorities. Of course that would be too much to expect from today’s reporters!

Friday 5 December 2008

LEARNING FROM HISTORY - ALCOHOL PROHIBITION REPEAL DAY


On this 75th anniversary of the U.S.A. alcohol prohibition repeal we would like to turn your attention to the Alcohol, Problems and Solutions website and particularly the newly published sections on the damages that prohibition caused in the 13 years it was in force.

When reading the literature, please ponder on the alarming fact that prohibitionists are alive and well and working tirelessly to bring back a new form of alcohol prohibition which much like the tobacco ‘’puff by puff’’ prohibition, is insidiously brought about in societies ‘’drip by drip’’ through social engineering that is financially backed up by powerful organizations such as the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and propagandized by ‘’virtuous’’ front groups such as the WHO and MADD. The day it will have become obvious and we will have waken up to a form of prohibition which just like tobacco it will not have banned the product but all practical use of it instead, we will rightfully wonder how we never learn from history. The more indoctrinated among us will even hail the neo-prohibitionist healthist movement, sheepishly buying the propaganda that it is for the betterment of us imperfect humans that need superior minds to dictate the ‘’right way’’ to live and die. But just like 75 years ago, prohibition will have brought nothing but havoc, crime and social discrimination exactly as the tobacco neo-prohibition is doing to societies today.

To better illustrate this last point, we have taken an excerpt from the Alcohol, Problems and Solutions series of articles and highlighted with asterisks and red links some perfect modern day examples of what is happening with the tobacco issue as compared to alcohol prohibition back then and as it will undoubtedly happen in the future if we let the neo-prohibitionists go ahead with their insidious plans to demonize even moderate consumption of alcohol to the extent they have demonized even moderate consumption of tobacco.

Prohibition and Repeal in New York State
by David J. Hanson, Ph.D.

Many residents of New York state had hoped that Prohibition (1920-1933) would reduce crime, improve health and safety, promote economic prosperity, and increase public morality. However, experience would prove the Noble Experiment to fail on all counts.

Mob-controlled liquor quickly replaced legitimate tax-paying alcohol producers and retailers. ** Tobacco Road ** Gangster-owned speakeasies replaced neighborhood drinking establishments and within five years after Prohibition was imposed, there were over 100,000 speakeasies in New York City alone by some estimates. So many speakeasies operated that New York was known as the "City on a Still''.

Mobsters opened large nightclubs with elaborate floor shows and popular bands. ." ** Inside NYC's Smoking Speakeasies ** Speakeasies and nightclubs flourished because law enforcement officers were widely bribed. In essence, the speakeasies and nightclubs bought "protection" from the very people paid to enforce the law.

Hypocrisy was endemic. ** MPs 'smoking in Commons toilets' ** A raid on one of the city's most famous speakeasies caught a number of its politicians and other leading residents. The most famous and successful Prohibition agents in the state, "Izzy" Einstein and Moe Smith enjoyed nothing more after a hard day of vigorously enforcing Prohibition than sitting back and enjoying their favorite beverages: beers and cocktails.

Organized smuggling of alcohol from Canada and elsewhere quickly developed after Prohibition became the law. A "rum row" developed off the coast of New York City where ships lined up just beyond the three mile limit to off-load their cargoes onto speed boats under the cover of darkness. ** CORNWALL RCMP DETACHMENT SEIZE 430,000 CONTRABAND CIGARETTES **

In northern New York, bootlegging was especially rampant across the St. Lawrence River separating the state from Canada. Murder and hijacking were common in the dangerous but lucrative bootlegging business. ** Smuggling's price **

An increase in often deadly violence eroded support for Prohibition. Imprisonment reached a high after it became a felony to violate Prohibition. ** JAIL TERM, FINES AMONG PENALTIES FOR TOBACCO OFFENDERS ** The number of violators sent to jail doubled and the federal prison population in the state jumped from 5,000 to 12,000.

Federal Prohibition officials inadvertently promoted Repeal by announcing that effective enforcement in the state would require hiring several thousand more Prohibition agents
** Government of Canada invests $20 million in anti-tobacco activities **. The state legislature's reaction was to pass a law calling for a constitutional convention to overturn the disastrous "experiment in social engineering." Residents of New York State had come to the conclusion that Prohibition was not only impossible to enforce, but that it also created rather than solved problems.

After Congress approved the 21st Amendment for states to ratify if they wished, New Yorkers voted almost eight to one in favor of Repeal.

Over the decades, New York has made progress in modernizing its alcohol laws. In 2003, the state struck down its Blue law banning Sunday alcohol by allowing stores to open any six days, including Sunday, benefiting time-pressed consumers as well as retailers who now have the ability to operate like every other business in this 21st century economy. The success of the stores that opened on Sundays led the legislature to pass permanent seven day sales earlier this year. New York also recently repealed an archaic ban on spirits auctions. Slowly, the remaining vestiges of Prohibition appear to be disappearing in New York.

Thursday 4 December 2008

LE PISTOLET TASER PLUS DANGEREUX QUE L'ON PRÉTEND


En mai 2008 nous exprimions notre déception sur l’irresponsabilité du gouvernement en ce qui a trait aux pistolets taser et leur sécurité. (Voir L'IRRESPONSABILITÉ DE NOS ÉLUS ET STATOCRATES ).

Nous exprimions qu’il était aberrant que le feu vert d’utiliser ces pistolets a été basé sur les seules études des manufacturiers sans que le gouvernement commande des études de sources indépendantes. Or, voilà que des études autres que celles financées par les manufacturiers ont été effectuées et on a trouvé que ce type de pistolets est plus dangereux que les manufacturiers prétendent. Un fait très troublant à souligner est que contrairement à ce que nous étions en droit d’espérer, ce n’est pas le gouvernement qui a commandé cette étude indépendante mais les sociétés Radio-Canada et CBC. Assez spécial quand même comme situation que le gouvernement relègue ses responsabilités aux médias. Et maintenant que l’on sait qu’il peut y avoir danger, est-ce que le gouvernement s’appuiera finalement sur cette étude pour corriger son tir ou va-t-on balayer le tout en dessous du tapis pendant que davantage de gens y laisseront leur peau ?


La sûreté du Taser est remise en question


La Presse Canadienne

Une nouvelle analyse du pistolet électrique Taser a permis d'établir que certaines de ces armes utilisées par la police étaient plus puissantes que l'affirme le fabricant, ce qui soulève des questions au sujet de leur sûreté.

L'examen scientifique mené à la demande de Radio-Canada et de CBC a permis de constater que quatre des 41 pistolets mis à l'essai produisaient une décharge électrique plus puissante que Taser International affirme possible.

Dans le cadre de certains des tests menés, les armes libéraient 50 pour cent d'électricité de plus que prévu.

L'examen a été mené par un laboratoire américain, National Technical systems, au moyen de pistolets Taser de modèle X26 utilisés par sept services de police américains souhaitant en savoir davantage sur le comportement de ces armes. Ces services de police ont consenti à y prendre part à la condition de demeurer anonymes.

L'ingénieur Pierre Savard, de l'Université de Montréal, qui a mis au point la procédure d'essai en fonction de données fournies de Taser International, a jugé troublantes les conclusions de l'étude.
M. Savard étudie les rythmes cardiaques et la façon dont ils sont affectés par une stimulation électrique. Il affirme que puisque les policiers armés d'un Taser sont entraînés à viser en direction de la poitrine pour améliorer leurs chances de succès, la puissance électrique accrue pourrait être hautement dangereuse dans certaines circonstances.

Deux autres experts consultés par Radio-Canada, l'ingénieur Stéphane Massé, de l'Université de Toronto, et son collègue Roger Barr, de l'Université Duke, en Caroline du Nord, ont dit partager l'analyse de M. Savard.

Monday 1 December 2008

DENYING THE UNDENIABLE: FORCES RESPONSE TO ''NICOTINE NAZIS STRIKE AGAIN''

FORCES and many pro-liberty groups and activists have been often accused of being extreme in their assessment and characterization of anti-smoking proponents and other issue healthists such as anti-obesity, anti-alcohol or even anti-drug. Extreme healthists and public health in general have indeed often been described as the nico Nazis, the nico Talibans or Ayatollahs by their opponents. This characterization is so wide-spread now, (it can be read even in some of the more politically correct mainstream media) that one of the leading actors of modern anti-tobacco, Stanton Glantz (read more about him at DEBUNKING GLANTZ and at Stanton Glantz: Then and now ) co-authored a paper: "Nicotine Nazis strike again": a brief analysis of the use of Nazi rhetoric in attacking tobacco control advocacy, on this very subject.

As we have learnt to expect, the authors of the study, unwilling to let on that there are dissenting views from grass root groups with no ties to the tobacco industry, imply that any comparison to a totalitarian or fascist regime is directly or indirectly tobacco funded, thus outright dismissing with a stroke of their pen, the ever growing number of independent groups or citizens who disagree with the anti-tobacco heavy artillery war and other modern day exaggerated health crusades. Without even looking further into their paper one must concede that this tactic alone is totalitarian and typical of any great dictator.

FORCES has published a well articulated12 page response to the Schneider/Glantz paper outlining all the healthist similarities and lessons learnt from the Nazi regime that justify the characterization of public health and pharmaceutical funded modern day eugenicists as ‘’Nico Nazis’’.

Read it at:


DENYING THE UNDENIABLE: A RESPONSE TO “NICOTINE NAZIS STRIKE AGAIN”