ANDRO BAN - It's about MONEY, Lies and Deceit!

[mikeb]

I don't want to come off as the new guy on the block opening his mouth but I can't sit here any longer without putting my two cents in.
First I'd like to introduce us as a new sponsor to IronMagazine.com and come right out and state the obvious that there is clearly a financial stake for us (as well as the other sponsors here and supplement companies in general) but the latest news from the FDA on the possible andro ban is so full of hypocrisy and financial/backdoor dealings as to be laughable (if it weren't so pathetic and sad).

What is amazing about this country's government (mostly republican who claim to be for "less" government intervention) is that with all the crap going on the world, with all the problems that exist, they still have time to wring their f-ing money greased hands and act worried about nutritional supplements. I could pull my hair out if I had any (must be the sides from years of andro abuse) when I hear these political pie-holes making statements like this: "Anyone who takes these products in sufficient quantities to build muscle or improve performance is putting himself or herself at risk for serious long-term and potentially irreversible health consequences"
Yeah, that came from the FDA spokeshole yesterday.


Let's see if I've got this right, A 21 year old kid (sorry but at my age, 21 is a kid and that's not a slam on anyones intellect or a generalization at all) can walk into the local liquor store, buy a fifth of Wild Turkey and have at it. He can do this as often as he likes for the rest of his life as many do, starting early on a life of alcoholism and all of it's related problems. There are far too many to list but if we look at nothing more than highway deaths related to alcohol abuse, liver disease, spousal/family abuse, I think it's enough.


Or, maybe he's not into drinking but just enjoys a smoke now and then. 18 years old? Hey step right up bro and smoke 'em if ya got 'em. Oh..what? Cancer? Emphysema? Heart disease? All virtually certain? No worries.


ON the other hand, this same kid, according the the brain dead suits in our government, CANNOT walk into a health food/supplement store and buy a product that will increase testosterone levels. Let's wash away all the chance of good things happening if (God forbid) this kid actually starts training seriously and starts to apply the focus and goals he has learned in the gym to his everyday life.

Or how about this for an illustration of how ridiculous this all is: The CDC (Center for Disease Control) just this week announced that obesity and it's related health problems is about to overtake tobacco as the nation's #1 killer. 400,000, yes almost a half million people died LAST YEAR from being fat but they are not allowed to use a product (ephedra) to help them lose weight because it was (arguably) was the cause of death in 123 people.

This is sick, pathetic and twisted and it is about MONEY. It is about pharmaceutical companies getting a grip on products and it is about hypocrisy. The products that will be banned, if any, will be those related to the sport/fitness (i.e. bodybuilding) segment of the supplement industy. Why? Because in relative terms, I would suspect it is the smallest, most "cultish" segment. It is comprised of mostly young people who are not inclined to protest in large enough numbers.

The FDA has said that unless the manufacturers of prohormones can "prove" their products are safe, they will ban them. Maybe I'm an idiot but isn't it hard to prove a negative? How many of the more "mainstream" supplements (an oxymoron for sure) been proven safe??? Has Milk Thistle been "proven" safe? Black Cohash Root? Nettles Leaf? Scullcap???

And while I'm on this freight train of anger, How about a certain, large vitamin manufacturer that has a "kids line" of supplements?
Ever hear of Catnip Extract for kids? How about Kids, flavored Ginger Root extract? All out there, all legal and all certainly not to be effected by this...oh and irony of ironies, all of these "kid" supplements have this warning on the label: "Keep out of reach of children".

THIS IS INSANITY.


I hate to repeat myself but let's see....hmmmmm.....
Alcohol - Proven killer for numerous reasons but legal because of societal standards that allow people to look the other way.

Tobacco - Almost 450,000 people dead each and every year from it but, well hey....

Andro...wooooo.....bad, bad, bad.

I am steaming.

 

[Arnold]

yup, I have said the same things here in the past...if the FDA really cared about our health as they say they do (yeah right) tobacco and alcohol would be illegal, it's rediculous.

 

[mousie]

Wait till my boyfriend gets off of work later...I'm sure he'll have a good, long reply to your thread about how the gov't intervenes. I agree with you as well. I think it's ridiculous how the gov't tries to make itself look good (especially for elections) by banning stuff that has killed a couple hundred people. For instance, ephedra didn't kill that many people, but yet, let's go ahead an ban that to get votes! Too bad that the doctors didn't have a change to tell them that they didn't see any significance with ephedra and the deaths. Those people that died either abused it or had pre-existing conditions. The gov't receives money for cigarette sales, but yet they kill thousands of people every year. And why would the gov't try to ban supplements for people who are actually trying to be healthy?! Isn't that what the gov't wants?! No, let's just ban supplements so that everyone can find a harder way to be healthy, but an easier way to raise obesity. Duh. Are they blind? Why punish the good people?! Well, hopefully they won't take my overall freedom away...

 

[mikeb]

Originally posted by mousie
Well, hopefully they won't take my overall freedom away...

Yeah...hopefully.

 

[ZECH]

Welcome! And great post.

 

[nikegurl]

total bullsh*t.

it's also a huge insult to the public's intelligence. (or it SHOULD be) but unfortunately....the general public jumps right onboard believing and repeating the hype that's fed to them.

incidentally, i was told by my 4th friend last night that they'd feel better if i'd "destroy" the dymetadrine i have stashed away before it kills me.

you'd think it was a drug intervention to get me off heroine.

 

[topolo]

The bill is sponsored by Biden--------a DEMOCRAT, easy with the Republican cheap shots

 

[PurpleHulkBlood]

The goverment only cares about image, its easy to attack something like PHs because the public has no knowledge of these products. Then the only thing voters see is what a 'wonderful' thing the goverment did, and how many people are now safer. Its all bull, its our bodies, why do they care.

 

[mikeb]

Adddendum to my post: I was so far gone on tantrum that I forgot to state something I feel is important: I do NOT think that prohormones, andro or any steroid precursor should be taken lightly nor should they be taken by anyone under 21. And to be honest, even below 25 is debatable. There are always exceptions (length of time training and other particulars) but overall these substances are for more experienced athletes.

 

[mikeb]

Originally posted by topolo
The bill is sponsored by Biden--------a DEMOCRAT, easy with the Republican cheap shots

Topolo...guess what? Registered Republican here. I don't want to get into the whole dem/rep shouting match but to say that I am disappointed in our (yours and mine) administration is an understatement. But that's another thread.
In all fairness though, yes Biden is yapping like a small dog but Orrin Hatch (republican senator from Utah) who originated the whole Supplement Act back in 93 is another fence sitter. I guess the ephedra industry which was based in Utah wasn't lining his deep pockets enough.
Oh and a last thought, I do believe the current FDA chairman is a Clinton appointee.

 

[tomas101]

good post....but u have to remember that there are millions and millions of pple who are sheep/clueless/ or just follow the news...thats why many pple feel this shit is bad without having any knowledge of it...just like ephedra. everyone i talk to that ask why i take it says "but isnt this stuff dangerous and has killed lots of pple" and i say nope do your fuking homework first..

 

[Monolith]

Sorry to beat a dead horse, but www.lp.org

 

[mikeb]

Originally posted by Monolith
Sorry to beat a dead horse, but www.lp.org

I've been leaning this way for many years. But my fear is that as much as the dem/rep parties have their fat fingers in everything, the Libertarians will wash their hands of everything. I mean, can we possibly get to the middle somehow???
My main concern with the Lib party is national defense issues.

 

[Monolith]

Originally posted by mikeb
I've been leaning this way for many years. But my fear is that as much as the dem/rep parties have their fat fingers in everything, the Libertarians will wash their hands of everything. I mean, can we possibly get to the middle somehow???
My main concern with the Lib party is national defense issues.

Yeah, im not for a libertarian political majority by any means... but by supporting them in their current state (as a very very small third party), their "personal responsibility" values (et al) get heard by more people, and perhaps eventually integrated into the republican party, which has traditionally been for small gov't (although the current prez would have you thinking otherwise).

Something just needs to be done to stop the government from trying to protect us from ourselves.

 

[Power Rabbit]

what they should realize is the sec they take away the legals...kids will just come over to the dark side and use gear....If they kept it legal they could at least regulate it....they have no control on it once its black market material....and banned things will allways be able to be obtained..

 

[tomas101]

just shows how much they really care about our youth..they know that this is what would happen if banned but they dont really care

 

[SJ69]

-They came for the smokers, but I wasn't one so I didn't care.
-Then they came for the fast food junkies, but I wasn't one so let them have at it.
-Then they came for the SUV owners, who needs them anyway?
-Now they come for the body builders, and there's no one left to help me in my battle.

 

[Par Deus]

The Libertarian Party might fuck around on national defense, though I doubt it (unless you consider the martial law that Ashcroft has and wants instituted as the proper way to go about things), but libertarianism, as a political philosophy will bring it like Hiroshimo, when it comes to things that TRULY threaten national interests.

 

[RCfootball87]

The government really doesn't give a damn about the people that vote for them or how their destroying the country for the most part. The main issues for me in an election is first off gun control, second off all this shit with supplements, and third is gas prices. You guys with the supplements now know how I feel about the government slowly but surely trying to widdle away all second amendment rights (the key word in that amendment that everyone pretends isn't there is "infringed"). They'll do it one supp at a time. Another huge problem is the patriot act that they passed and what that's doing for search and seizure. It's sad how they used 9/11 and the people killed to get that law passed, so the the cops, DEA, and ATF can stick their noses in more people's business. I also hate how they've spent billions for no reason on the war on drugs that they can't win, and the war on terroism that they also can't win. And register for the draft so you can take a 7.62X39 round for your country in the middle east, but God forbid you drink a beer before your 21. The libertarians are bad-asses I hope they grow and maybe win a few seats. As far as Bush goes, he's a pussy who is just trying to get relected. He doesn't have the stones to veto the assualt weapons ban renewal if it comes up, yet he still calls himself a conservative. Vote Kerry or Bush, their basically the same person anyways. And as far as concern for the youth goes, I'm part of the youth they swear they're trying to protect, and as far I'm concerned, 90% of the senators and elected officials can fuq off.

 

[Flex]

Originally posted by mikeb

ON the other hand, this same kid, according the the brain dead suits in our government, CANNOT walk into a health food/supplement store and buy a product that will increase testosterone levels. Let's wash away all the chance of good things happening if (God forbid) this kid actually starts training seriously and starts to apply the focus and goals he has learned in the gym to his everyday life.

that's how many people about steroids