Funny thing about this whole steroid debate is the utter nonsense in the first place about the dangers of steroid use. Does everyone realize that steroids was a political agenda? You all drank the kool aid like a bunch of Jim Jones followers. It’s actually quite scary how easy it is to influence and brainwash the general populace.
Do realize that there are approximately three deaths a year associated with steroids. THREE!!!! That’s a scary statistic in itself. Steroids, in fact, like any medication come with associated risks and EVERY drug on the market has some side effect. Listen to a TV ad or read the warning in a magazine, some warnings take up more copy than the advertisement. Anything used in excess is dangerous. This is all a smokescreen for creating public policy. But this was an amazing example of populace hypnotizing by problem creation, solution introduction leading to profiting. Genius!! Makes Congressman Francis Underwood in House of Cards character jump off the screen. How art imitates life. I laugh when I see all the people debase and demonize their favorite athletes and they aren’t even aware why they are doing it. Clear case of Hypnotized Populace.
Let’s look at the first step “create a problem”. Steroids KILL!! Simple problem. Clear and to the point. Very easy to rally people around a cause when it involves our first and strongest instinct…. SURVIVAL.
Throughout history, public policy has adapted the “danger strategy” to villainize and hypnotize the populace on what needs to be done. The prohibition of alcohol in the 20s to the reefer madness propaganda that served to criminalize a plant in the mid 30s, public policy creators have crafted a well thought out plan to “convince” the consensus. Alcohol prohibition was pushed by both sides of the aisle, Republicans and Democrats. Clearly, this act caused many things to happen. First off, legislation was enacted, the 18th amendment, which made alcohol illegal under the Volstead act. A new cottage industry was formed overnight. New employees of the federal justice system for enforcement and prosecution. The Mafia, Al Capone and others really stood to benefit, besides the countless politicians, judges and police he paid off. At the peak, it is reported that Al Capone ran 10,000 speakeasies. The average American consumed $17 of alcohol per year before enactment. After the repeal of Prohibition, American consumption had increased to $35 per year. A doubling in consumption and a 100% increase in spending. Nice!! Who personally benefited will never be known cause rudimentary forensic investigations at the time were not done. It’s easy to see now, in retrospect, who did benefit.
The U.S. Justice department grew, the gangsters profited. Corruption soared. Courts and jails were full with cases backlogged over a year. and lest, we forget the bootleggers. In,1973, Frank Costello told the world that Joseph Kennedy and he were bootleggers during prohibition. Never proven but makes you wonder how the Kennedy’s got their money since they never seem to work at anything. That’s a tale for another time. The point here is the Temperance movement was the hypnosis stage of the populace. By demonizing alcohol to women, the ideology of alcohol being an opposition to “true motherhood” , the temperance movement founders were able to dial in on the hot button and get “the moral authorities of their households” to get their men to refrain from the evils of alcohol. An amazing example of mass hypnosis using propaganda to form public opinion. It worked fabulously.
Marijuana followed a similar path. The policy reformers used a film called Reefer Madness which was originally titled “Tell your Children” and produced by an unknown religious group. Released in 1936, it served it’s purpose to demonize marijuana and effect the The Marijuana Tax Act of 1937. The federal government again embarked on a campaign to demonize by using William Randolph Hearst’s newspapers. It is known today as the “yellow journalism” campaign and the articles linked usage of marijuana to violent crime and blacks. Most historians agree that Hearst agreed to embark on this witch hunt because of the invention of “Decorticator Hemp”. This innovative way to cultivate hemp created an immediate, superior and cheaper alternative to wood pulp. and that very fact, threatened the timber empire that the Hearst family managed. At the time, the Secretary of the Treasury was Andrew Mellon, whose family’s original wealth accumulated because of their lumber business. But, the Mellon family evolved into banking and was a major investor in DuPont. At this time, DuPont invented a new fiber called Nylon. Nylon was also threatened by the Decorticator Hemp. So, they embarked on the task of creating public policy by creating a problem, demonizing it and then making it illegal. Another master plan, successfully implemented. Hemp became illegal, Nylon and wood pulp endure unencumbered. An empire protected. Job well done.
History repeats itself. War on steroids has been declared. Problem created. Steroids Kill!! Simple rally point again emotionalizing all Americans to jump on the bandwagon. To reiterate, some reality facts on steroids. Any drug used improperly and excessively is harmful. All drugs have side effects but steroids has been improperly demonized as much more dangerous. THREE people die a year from steroids. Now, that’s a funny number considering two substances, alcohol and cigarettes, both bought without prescription and both extremely dangerous, yet very legal and easily obtainable. Scary facts from the Centers for Disease Control.
- CDC Facts on alcohol. “There are approximately 88,000 deaths attributable to excessive alcohol use each year in the United States. This makes excessive alcohol use the 3rd leading lifestyle-related cause of death for the nation. Excessive alcohol use is responsible for 2.5 million years of potential life lost (YPLL) annually, or an average of about 30 years of potential life lost for each death. In 2006, there were more than 1.2 million emergency room visits and 2.7 million physician office visits due to excessive drinking. The economic costs of excessive alcohol consumption in 2006 were estimated at $223.5 billion.”
- CDC Facts on cigarettes. “Cigarette smoking is responsible for more than 480,000 deaths per year in the United States, including an estimated 42,000 deaths resulting from secondhand smoke exposure. This is about one in five deaths annually, or 1,300 deaths every day. On average, smokers die 10 years earlier than nonsmokers.”
Age restriction and advertisements are about the only laws governing their existence. Combined they kill some 600,000 Americans a year. Five million people worldwide will die from smoking this year. Both put a heavy burden on our medical system, but are very profitable and provide many cottage industries. Don’t need to pontificate the demons of the two, the dangers are very well known and ignored. But, steroids remain illegal. “Cause they kill people and cause cancer”. I’m sorry, but I just laughed and I’m sure you did as well. Three unlucky souls died from steroids the past year. That is still 597,997 less people who have died than the smoking and drinking business.
The steroid witch hunt. Every cause needs it’s first “public face”. The face that will be used to demonize. This one was footballer Lyle Alzado. Died in 1992, from “steroid abuse”. Actually, he had brain cancer. And, medically speaking. Steroids have NEVER been clinically proven to cause brain cancer. NEVER!!. Unfortunately, since they became illegal, term testing with testosterone is not legal in the US. NICE way to shut up the critics. Mr. Alzado publicly blamed his usage of steroids from 1969 till almost his death as the cause of his demise. He said that the slurred speech, loss of hair and lack of motor control function clearly showed that steroids was the root cause. Of course, he ignored the daily brain trauma he received colliding with another human being during his career and he ignored the fact, that most of the populace lose their hair as they age. He said that 90% of the NFL was on steroids and now we see, that 20 years later, there have been few, if any other players, that have succumbed to brain cancer linked to steroids. Guess we can close the book on the Alzado cause of death and attribute the brain cancer to another cause. Possible cause could be associated with what the NFL has now admitted to be a serious health consequence, the sustainment of multiple concussions. Unfortunately, steroid blame by Alzado doesn’t support the historical facts. But, he served his purpose to the policy makers. He became the poster boy for “Steroids are a killer”. Lyle wasn’t alone. The faces of the steroid user continue to be presented so the “kool aid” doesn’t have a chance to wear off. Remember Chris Benoit,WWE wrestler, killed his family and himself because of steroid abuse and roid rage. Then we have Mark McGwire, Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens and the rest of the athletes, careers asterisked forever. We have the national media attention surrounding the Congressional hearings. More time and money spent on hearings by the House Government Reform Committee that didn’t even have the jurisdiction over sports nor the health industry. A prime example of Washington showmanship. But, it put the light on steroids and made the black mark that much deeper. The fallout still is touching on other people. Former Mets catcher, has been, so far, cast off many ballots for the Hall of Fame because he had acne on his back, a sure sign of steroid abuse. Amazing. Not a failed specimen indicating steroid usage, pimples made him guilty as charged. in 2013, The Indianapolis Punter, Pat McAfee was selected for a “random” PED test after a game where he delivered a vicious tackle on Trindon Holliday that went viral on the internet. Paranoia will destroy ya. All of this contributing to this “greatest show on earth” circus mentality fueling the steroid crusade.. The power that Senators and Big Business have is not to be underestimated. Combined, they are a force of nature.
This whole scheme to demonize and make steroids illegal started in 1986 when the U.S. Olympic committee started testing for PEDs. The timeline and the benefiters of the steroid witch hunt can been easily identified by stepping away and looking at the long term plan in retrospect. We have to look at who benefitted, The How and the Why are just window dressings. In 1990, Congress passed the Anabolic Steroid Act of 1990, NOW, it is a controlled substance. At the same time, Congress enacts The Nutrition Labeling and Education Act requiring all packaged foods to labeled with nutrition information and all health claims for foods standardized by terms defined by the Secretary of Health and Human Services. This law trumps state requirements about food standards, nutrition labeling, and health claims.
With the former, Steroids have now been officially demonized. The latter gives the FDA broad power to enforce and make companies complicit to a standard on what can be advertised and sets forth a requirement regarding labeling. Wow, that really irked some people and spoiled their plan. But the policy makers have a Plan B and they put it into high gear. In 1994, Congress passed the coup de grace, the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act(DSHEA). It restricted the Food and Drug Administration from exerting authority over dietary supplements as long as makers made no claims about preventing or treating disease. As a result, the FDA currently regulates dietary supplements as a food, and not in the category of pharmaceutical drugs. BAM!! Plan is back on track. This leaves the gates open for anyone to jump into the dietary supplement business which today is estimated at $30 Billion dollars and growing like it’s on steroids. . Now, we start to see the “why”. Money, of course. But who is the culprit of this “Francis Underwood” plot to make billions in the politbureau of Washington. Who is the rainmaker? Well, history is extremely transparent when it comes to the truth. Senator Orrin Hatch(R-Utah) was the sponsor of the bill to deregulate supplements and reclassify as a food thus neutering the ability to regulate the industry. Bravo!! Who benefitted directly? Well the great state of Utah. The number #1 industry in Utah is the diet supplement business. Almost $8 billion annually. Smoking guns are easy to see in hindsight. Did Mr. Hatch get paid? You damn straight he did and so did other Hatch family members. In 1990, this industry was worth $800 million, fast forward twenty years later and its grown 10 times as big, thats an amazing growth rate and can only be attributed to the said deregulation. Utah citizens have become very comfortable and support themselves nicely cause of the other branches of the diet supplement business tree. Between 2007-2012, over 200k people attended conventions in the state concerning supplements spending on average of $1,000 per person on food, lodging, entertainment and transportation. $200 million dollars in convention money. That’s big.
Who got paid? The Senator has been paid nicely with most of his re-election money coming from the supplement business. His son, Scott Hatch is a longtime industry lobbyist in Washington who derives his income from the mega-conglomerates in the Utah diet supplement business.
- In March 2003, the Los Angeles Times reported that Scott Hatch’s lobbyist firm was formed with Senator Hatch’s personal encouragement and that he saw no conflict of interest interacting with his son’s firm regarding constituent issues.
- In 2007, five pharmaceutical companies and Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), donated $172k to the Utah Families Foundation, a charitable foundation which Hatch founded in the 1990s.
- In March 2009, the Washington Times reported that the same pharmaceutical companies that received help from the Senator failed to file disclosure
Mr. Hatch’s former partner at his law firm owns Pharmics, a nutritional supplement company in Salt Lake City. Gets better and better.
Utah controls the market and fights viciously to protect it. The government has attempted to reverse the deregulation and require broader control and oversight of the supplement business to no avail. A President doesn’t stand a chance fighting a long term Senator and his political connections. Witnessed back in the day of the prohibition amendment when vetoed by the President but overridden by Volstead et al.
Classic case of Washington bill blocking. Senator McCain Withdraws Support For Dietary Supplement Safety Act. It was confirmed by a Senate staffer that Sen. John McCain no longer supports a bill he introduced to tighten the regulatory requirements for dietary supplements. In February, McCain offered the Dietary Supplement Safety Act of 2010. Since withdrawing the bill, Senator McCain now announces he will work collaboratively with Senator Hatch on a revised bill to increase transparency and safety within the supplement industry but without the intensive regulatory rhetoric proposed in the bill. No effective timeline is set for re-introduction of a new bill. The legislation was blocked on every attempt. Job well done by Senator Hatch. That new “legislation” will never see the light of day. And watch the timeline of what happens next. Hatch’s next plan to accelerate more control for the industry. Next step, the Co-conspirator.
Utah supplement industry has other political puppets in Washington it controls outside of Senator Hatch. It single handedly helped elect Congressman Jason Chaffetz. What an interesting bio on Jason when read. A former Democrat who converted to Republican and a former Jew who converted to Mormonism, a former Californian who relocated to Utah. Man changes sides at a moment’s notice. A former employee of Nu-Skin, an infamous diet supplement MLM company in it’s own right. Who would have thought it (sarcasm). In the news, January 2014, Nu-Skin is accused of being a classic pyramid scheme by the Chinese government and the stock tanked. What happens in the future will be determined at a later date. But the blood is running red. As a Junior Congressman in 2011, motivated by his loyalty to the supplement people who bankrolled his campaign, he sponsors The Free Speech about Science Act(FSEA ). It will greatly reduce the FDA’s authority to prevent consumers from receiving legitimate scientific information before purchasing food or dietary supplements. Currently, no information can be provided alongside these products, except for what the FDA approves. Current FDA laws and regulations prohibit any mention of a scientific study by the makers of a dietary supplement if the information elaborates any specific health results. It will allow dietary supplements and health foods to cite “legitimate” scientific research. But the question of what is legitimate is a slippery slope and well traveled historically. The Tobacco Industry to refute claims on the dangers of smoking in 1954 established the Tobacco Industry Research Council. It’s sole function was to put out the ‘fires’ that smoking was dangerous. It used data and testimonials from doctors and scientific studies to refute the health danger claims. Much like that can be done by the supplement business. Which is why they want the FSEA passed. Just more wiggle room to state whatever it wants in its advertisements. Classic case of snake oil salesmen with their panacea cures, just an advanced evolution of the occupation.
The FDA reports there are 50,000 health issues related to diet supplements. According to them, the industry fails 70% of the time to follow basic quality standards. Now that’s scary. But it doesn’t stop consumers from going into their local health store and buying a giant jug of “muscle milk” and believing the hype. BMB Medicine reported that a third of what was claimed as an ingredient wasn’t identifiable as present when tested. The really sad statistic is out of the 55,000 U.S market diet supplements, only 0.3% have been tested, that leaves 99.7% of the products on the shelf untested. Which leaves the question to what negative side effect interaction is possible and what unknown danger is present. Because of the 1994 DHSEA, the FDA must prove a supplement to be adverse rather than a product prove it worthiness to be in the market. Quite the backwards standard. And because of budget issues, the FDA is not equipped to study the properties of 55,000 products. In 2007, the FDA implemented a “good manufacturing practices” policy to standardize the labeling and the purity of the ingredients. In 2012, FDA director of diet supplements, Dan Fabricant said that 70% of the companies were not in compliance. Imagine that. An industry that lacks oversight brought to you by Senator Orrin Hatch, Congressman Jason Chaffetz and the great people of Utah. Imagine if the top Mormon rainmaker, Mitt Romney was elected to President. How much would the USDA be worth if the cattle industry was deregulated like the diet supplement industry and substituting their product with horsemeat? Don’t laugh, HR Bill 2112 lifted the US ban on the slaughter of horses for human consumption which was effected in 2006. This provision was squeezed in quietly in the body of The Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act.of 2012. How long before Horse winds up at the butcher shop. Now serving Mr. Ed at $3.99 a pound. I digress, my apologies.
So the next time a ballplayer is maligned as a cheater because he took steroids. Think Arnold Schwarzenegger or Sly Stallone. Don’t think Alex Rodriquez. No steroid enabled him to hit a curve. Next time, Gov. Arnold comes out against steroids, ask him about the bodybuilding competition with his name on it and if they PED test. Nope, they don’t. No money in a bodybuilding contest containing small bodies. Ask him about the 2007 winner and his indictment on running a steroid distribution operation. When Arnold claims to “not know”. Shake your head and ask him how at his own peak, while admitting his own steroid use, stood 6 foot 3 inches and weighed 235 pounds. But Victor Martinez was 5 foot 8 inches and a massive 255 pounds. But he didn’t know if Martinez was juicing or not. Incredible!! The face of the Arnold Classic.
Next time you attend a concert, think about the pill the performer took before climbing on stage. Most take some form of beta blocker to get rid of the nerves and stage fright. Is that a PED? Cause it definitely gave them a performance enhancement. Today’s students go to their physician to get Adderall prescribed because of it’s known benefits to increased attention span and the ability for the student to focus and achieve stellar test results. A recent study suggested that 66% of students were offered Adderall by their senior year. Is this using a PED? Check Twitter around mid terms and you will be amazed at all the students hunting for some Adderall. Is this cheating?
Captain America, comic book hero, was transformed by a Super Soldier Serum, “steroid”, to transform from wimp to macho super soldier. Popeye the sailor man, opened a can of spinach, another form of PED. I’m kidding. We are surrounded by enhancers. People cosmetically enhance their appearance without thought. Is it such a stretch that people want to be the best at what they do? If that takes a shot in the arm every now and then, most people will trade the result for the risk. Three people dying a year, doesn’t sound like much of a risk compared to how many who die undergoing a breast augmentation or butt lift. I bet more people die from over the counter medications like aspirin. American policy makers made steroid the villain so an industry and a politician could enhance their bottom lines and fatten their wallets. Plain and simple. This steroid issue was about creating and building the diet supplement business. No demand for diet supplements without the demonization of steroids.
Now at the sound of my voice, you will awaken from your “sleep”.
JibbJabber 