Despite the latest news from Queensland Australia and Southampton in the UK, on balance, I would say that 2008 has been a positive and progressive year in the fight against fluoride and those who advocate it. Opposition world wide has never been stronger or more determined and there are now signs that the tide is at last turning.
In the UK for example, after sterling work from the UK Councils Against Fluoride and with help from the Fluoride Action Networks' Paul Connett, the Isle of Mann government rightly gave fluoride and the fluoridistas the bums rush. This was achieved not by militant or radical action but by campaigners ensuring that there was a frank and open debate which allowed the public, the politicians and the media to examine the science and the facts. When the oxygen of publicity actually reaches the subject of fluoridation, the majority of those sitting on the fence usually turn against fluoridation. All the bull in the world from the BDA or the BFS amounts to nothing when confronted by the facts. Le; fluoride is not a medicine, fluoride is not safe, fluoride doesn't work and people don't want it.
Similarly, Local authorities all over Lancashire were also far from impressed by the unscientific tosh emanating from the lips of meshuggeners such as the Chief Medical Officer, Ellis Friedland and his truly pathetic Power Point presentation. This consisted of a lot of guff about the Government paper chase and only one page about the science which showed a diagram of a tooth which was attacked by sugar and carbohydrates and saved by fluoride. How we laughed. Perhaps the best nail in this coffin is the truly excellent research and and report from Hampshire County Council which one must presume all Government glove puppets are desperate not to read.
Friedlands' cohorts at the East Lancs Primary Care Trust seem to know even less than he does but of course when push comes to shove they keep schtum in anticipation no doubt of some reward at a future date. Their lethal combination of ignorance, fence-sitting, smug indifference and incompetence (which is used world wide and not just here in the UK) allows the fluoridistas to browbeat and brainwash the public, the media and governments into believing their lies and nonsense. The latest example of which is a clearly planted article in the Daily Telegraph, a paper which once actually read press releases before printing them.
If you can actually force them to show their hand in a scientific discussion, fluoride is quickly shown up as the complete rubbish it really is. But this is difficult because they will not usually show up at open meetings unless they have themselves convened them and even when they do make a public appearance, they always forget to bring any evidence with them. PCT meetings are supposed to be open to the public of course but here in Pendle, they handed out a variety of different stories to people who phoned for advice about the next meeting, and promised to keep us all informed about when fluoride would be discussed. Despite all this public interest however, they still managed to “forget.” to let us know.
Now however, even in the USA, where this political poison first took root, the election of President Elect Obama brought with it victories for scores of Towns and Cities who now reject fluoridation. The issues are making major news on TV and the Press and heated arguments are being heard in various councils. Criticism is coming from a wide range of medical and academic sources as new evidence is reviewed and people are at last realising that fluoridation really doesn't work in any meaningful way and that its' wide ranging dangers outweigh any discernible benefits. One must hope that with a new administration in power later this month they may care to look at evidence that fluoridation is particularly hazardous to Afro Americans and Hispanics and take the appropriate action.
But enough of the good news. The British government still exemplifies the fluoridistas combination of indifference, incompetence and corruption of the democratic process and hardly makes any pretence at consultation or involvement of the people Indeed, it has spent a small fortune of our money, has ignored all the evidence and public opinion and seems set dump the poisonous crap in Southamptions water and some of Hampshires too. Shame on all who have supported fluoride in the face of all evidence and criticism, and, come the next local or general elections, lets hope the public insist they make career moves away from the area. Perhaps most sadly of all, Australias' Government is now using the same tactics to force fluoride down the throats of it citizens, and runs along behind the British Government like a Corgi sniffing an Alsatians bottom.
Whether it be post office or accident and emergency closures or fluoridation of drinking water, the much vaunted “consultation” is always a total sham and millions of taxpayers £s are wasted to bully the public into accepting the inevitable. In 2003, they even enacted extraordinary new laws granting water companies, “immunity from prosecution” in the event of an accident with fluoridation and “indemnity for loss of income” due to public refusal to pay for polluted water. It remains to be seen how long these “laws” survive when the Class Actions and the Credit Crunch effects surface. Fluoride? Just say No!
