Corporations hire public relations experts to help them deny responsibility for what they’re really doing. This is euphemistically called “spin.” The American Dairy Council is an umbrella organization for dairies who want to take control of any possible controversy that might arise from the business of feeding growth-hormone-augmented food intended for baby cows to humans. All during the eighties, celebrities would pose for photos wearing milk mustaches with the caption “Milk, it does a body good!” underneath. Except for the fact that it was lie, it felt like public service. The celebrities pictured probably felt good about what they were doing, even though I’m sure they got paid for the endorsement.
Most cardiac disease (number one killer of Americans) is food-borne. It comes from what we eat. The Japanese think Americans stink because we smell like dairy. Like sour milk. The rate of coronary disease among Japanese is much lower than it is among Americans.
Letting corporations decide what we eat is only a fraction of what we let them control. Even though their first loyalty is to their shareholders, we pretend that this is somehow a benevolent setup, that much good comes from a free market and capitalism. Except that it’s often a lie. More often than not, the fox is guarding the hen house.
I live in Thailand and have been coming here for ten years. During that time I have noticed a sudden thickening of the average Thai school child. They were all pretty svelte when I showed up in 2010, but now, thanks to KFC, Pizza Hut, Burger King, McDonalds, Dairy Queen and soft drinks, every fifth Thai child is downright chunky.
Endure and thrive 