Posted by zeugma on June 28, 2007, at 7:50:22
despite recent reports of poisonous toothpaste being far more widely distributed than first announced.
I know that the FDA can't have been dismantled, because it seems they are firing 37 percent of their laboratory staff responsible for testing these products, in order to control costs. They would not dismiss such a large percentage of staff if they were not absolutely convinced the agency had too many chemists as it is.
in any case, I don't know why the FDA employs any chemists whatsoever. It would appear to violate free-market principles by taking the decision as to whether the product is toxic away from the consumer and into the hands of a know-it-all Government scientist. It seems like I have a right to buy toothpaste with as many toxins as I please, and I have no doubt that when the inevitable lawsuits from consumer advocate groups wind up in the Supreme Court, the strict constitutionalist Justices will rightly conclude that these 'class-action' lawsuits involve infringement on civil liberties and corporate profits, and laugh the litigators out of court.
Just don't look at their teeth.
-z
poster:zeugma
thread:766383
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/poli/20070312/msgs/766383.html