I don’t think I’m being overly dramatic when I say that if I had been born prior to the development of antibiotics, I probably wouldn’t be alive today. That is equally true for many of my acquaintances.
As wonderful as they are, however, we don’t routinely consume antibiotics without a prescription for a specific malady. Diseases would soon become resistant to treatment.
Studies done by the F.D.A. recommended the same type of policy for animals--specific antibiotics for sick animals on a case-by-case basis. This is a change from present agricultural practices; 80% of the antibiotics used in this country are consumed as animal feed supplements to make the animals grow bigger and faster.
Now the F.D.A. has issued voluntary guidelines to discourage antibiotics in feed. The agency is asking the drug companies to limit themselves. Do you think that drug companies in association with the industrial and corporate agriculture which now produces most of the meat consumed in this country will change their policy voluntarily? I’m guessing not.
Most definitely not! It's always about the dollar. The more they get the happier they will be. At least they think that way. For the wealthy it's a way to keep score in their game of life. Most people are happy with living a relatively comfortable life.
ReplyDeleteIn spite of what Gordon Gecho said about greed, greed is not good.