LACTNET Archives

Lactation Information and Discussion

LACTNET@COMMUNITY.LSOFT.COM

Options: Use Forum View

Use Monospaced Font
Show Text Part by Default
Show All Mail Headers

Message: [<< First] [< Prev] [Next >] [Last >>]
Topic: [<< First] [< Prev] [Next >] [Last >>]
Author: [<< First] [< Prev] [Next >] [Last >>]

Print Reply
Subject:
From:
Reply To:
Lactation Information and Discussion <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Sat, 27 Feb 1999 08:31:22 -0500
Content-Type:
text/plain
Parts/Attachments:
text/plain (35 lines)
Breastfeeding is a threat to the multinationals.  That is why they take
every opportunity to bring it down.  That's the reason for using bottles to
represent babies even in ads which have nothing to do with infant feeding.

We are living in an era where the multinationals are taking over from the
state as *the* power in the world.  In the same way as the state took over
from the Church in Europe in the middle ages.  In fact, this has been going
on for a long time now.  At least for a century.  Even Ike (Eisenhower)
could see it in discussing the "military industrial complex".

It is interesting that there are people who have hypothesized that the
Plague was in large part responsible for this.  So many people died that
there were no longer enough people to teach in Latin, and the vernacular was
used, thus resulting in teachers who had more local loyalty than loyalty to
the Church.  Universities grew up to teach because the monasteries had been
reduced and knowledge needed propagating.  And more.  Today, the Plague is
Consumerism and Materialism, and we as Consumers who always want cheap stuff
and more cheap stuff have helped the rise of the multinationals.  Brand
loyalty?  Nationalism?  That much different?

What has this to do with breastfeeding?  A lot.  The multinationals, like
all big powers, want willing, compliant, workers and consumers.  Anyone who
has worked for a big company, hospital or whatever, knows that "independent
thinking" is talked about a lot, but not really valued, even despised.
Breastfed babies, especially those that breastfeed a long time are
independent and independent minded (no references, hypothesis).  Don't want
them.  And, of course, nothing much to sell to breastfeeding mothers either,
not compared to formula feeding mothers.

So ABC and other media corporations, which are, after all, just other
multinationals, play the party line.  You won't see much on the risks of
formula feeding on ABC.  Stop dreaming.

Jack Newman, MD, FRCPC

ATOM RSS1 RSS2