Saturday Links for the Week – February 17, 2007

1. Globalization’s Deadly Toll: Vandana Shiva, in a stunning speech to the Soil Association, explains how the disappointments and gross market distortions of globalization are causing a mass suicide of Indian farmers. Thanks to Avi Solomon for the link. And when you’ve read the speech, check out more of the great stuff at Transition Culture.
2. US Housing Collapse Could Precipitate Depression: The overextended US economy is staggering from the collapse of the housing market in several areas, which is leading to a credit crunch, a spike in foreclosures and mortgage defaults. When the principal asset of most Americans loses much of its over-secured value, the whole economy is threatened.
3. Wealth = Health; Poverty = Death: A rash of health and finance stories stresses this grim equation of inequality: 
• As Bush cuts health budgets, some states strive for universality against the neocon tide.
• Struggling nations object to giving affluent countries flu samples free so they can develop vaccines that the struggling nations won’t get and can’t afford.
• A new study proves that global overprescription of antibiotics is producing superbugs that are completely resistant.
• Vulture Funds in affluent countries are buying up struggling nations’ unrepayable debt and then holding them for ransom. (Thanks to Dale Asberry for the link)
• Kaiser Permanente insurance is underwriting a huge long-term study of the causes of skyrocketing chronic diseases in affluent nations. If they prove that environmental toxins are the cause, then what?
• And far too many citizens are so clued out they have no idea what’s going on. Thanks to Craig De Ruisseau for the link.
4. A Prescription for the US Health System: A scathing review of what is needed to really reform the corrupt, bureaucratic, ineffective, profit-and-greed driven US health care system is offered by Mike Adams (Thanks to Mike Yarmolinsky for the link):
• End patent protection for genes, seeds and medicines
• Ban aspartame, water fluoridation and mercury fillings
• End FDA corruption and radically reform this criminal agency
• Require open source publication of all clinical trials, even the negative results
• Ban direct-to-consumer drug advertising
• Stop junk food and soda advertising to children
• Overhaul national dietary guidelines to benefit consumers, not Big Business
• Ban the use of known cancer-causing additives in the food supply
• End censorship for nutritional supplement manufacturers
• Require food manufacturers to list acrylamides, pesticides and heavy metals content on the label
• Outlaw cancer-causing chemicals and fragrances in personal care products
• Launch public service ad campaigns that teach consumers how to tell thedifference between healthy vs. unhealthy food and grocery products
• End Big Pharma’s FDA-enforced drug monopoly

Thought for the week (courtesy of Siona Van Dijk):

love is a place
& through this place of
love move
(with brightness of peace)
all places

yes is a world
& in this world of
yes live
(skilfully curled)
all worlds

    – e.e. cummings