…or: Look!…Squirrel!
A government that does such things as the following is not serious…but it is extremely dangerous.
From The Hollywood Reporter, Alex Ben Block reporting, we learn [tip of the fedora to Drudge]:
Dr. Mehmet Oz was put on the defensive Tuesday after appearing before a U.S. Senate subcommittee where he was taken to task for calling a weight-loss product of questionable value "a miracle in a bottle." He was also admonished for "melding medical advice, news and entertainment in a way that harms consumers."
"I recognize that my enthusiastic language has made the problem worse at times," Oz said in a statement after the hearing made headlines.
At the session in Washington, D.C., Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Missouri), chairwoman of the Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Product Safety and Insurance, told the daily TV talk show star, "The scientific community is almost monolithic against you in terms of the efficacy of the three products you called ‘miracles.’ " She said his endorsements gave viewers "false hope," whether intentional or not.
"I don’t get why you need to say this stuff when you know it’s not true," said McCaskill, "when you have this amazing megaphone, why would you cheapen your show?"
…
McCaskill and other Senators said it is up to Oz to use the power he has on TV in a responsible manner.
"You can use your knowledge and celebrity status to do good things, and right now it seems we’re going the opposite way here," said Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minnesota).
"We didn’t call this hearing to beat up on you," said McCaskill, "but we did call this hearing to talk about a real crisis in consumer protection, and you can be part of the problem or you can be part of the police."
Oz said he did want to be "part of the solution."
He told the senators he is now exercising more restraint: "I am in the situation where I’m second-guessing every word I say on the show now."
(I guess, then, he’ll be allowed back in the Inner Party.)
Jesus Christ and General Jackson!…is all I can say about this whole sham show, this latest episode in the long-running, [sadly] highly-rated program from the Despot Network: Bread And Circuses.
Could This Be One Explanation?
