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Weird search terms that brought new visitors to Fried Wire this week were:
Tom Hoefling (4)
Monkeys with hard (1)

Today's front page:
Jason McElwain and the Retard:
Hypocrisy in action
Pharm Mafia Profits, Kids at Risk
Presidents of Genius #3:
Thomas Jefferson and George W. Bush
The New White Man's Burden?
Iran and the atom bomb
Media Pinheads of the Week:
Still Katharine Debrecht...

I'm sure Jason McElwain was stoked to meet Bush. Good for him. But shame on The Commander-in-Chimp for milking Jason's news-friendly story of overcoming adversity. Why? Because at a time when studies show that as many as 1 in 166 children will be diagnosed autistic in 2007, Bush's response is to cut federal funding into researching its causes and assisting those affected like it doesn't exist. Bush's proposed 2007 budget plans to:

Cut all federal funding for the National Children’s Study, a project investigating the causes of autism, asthma, and other serious illnesses.

Eliminate Medicaid reimbursements for schoolchildren with disabilities.

Reduce Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) funding for schools by $6.3 billion below the amount recommended by Congress.

For me, it's difficult to avoid using the word 'hypocrite' (or, indeed, 'cunt') in response to Bush mugging for the cameras, using Jason McElwain as a human prop, whilst simultaneously plotting to screw over America's disabled. But what do Bush supporters think? Surely even the most flint-hearted neo-Victorian Jeezuz lover would oppose shitting on the disabled in such fine style? Here's a wing nut commenting on the budget cuts at Thinkprogress.org:

"Bush has thrown more money away on social programs than Carter and Clinton combined. In 2003 he spent 500 billion on you losers and his proposal for 06 is over 650 billion. How much more do you want?" (original comment)

Nice. But even these kind of inhuman pricks who believe taxes only exist to be cut and resent every penny of revenue spent on other people, should worry. America is getting fucked by the Pharm Mafia financially, psychologically and physiologically. That pool of 'other people' afflicted by autism and other debilitating conditions is getting bigger. Soon even kind-hearted souls, like the commenter above, might find themselves and/or the someone they care about, in danger of falling in. (top)

"Not many Americans paid attention to autism, because 20 years ago, only one in every 5,000 kids in the United States was affected. By the turn of the millennium, that ratio was one in 500 children. By 2002, it was one in 250 American children. Last year, it approached one in every 155 male toddlers in the country.

Dr. Mark Geier, a Washington area geneticist and vaccine expert, studied autism rates among 85,000 children who had received mercury-containing vaccines against about 70,000 who didn't. He found the risk of autism in the thimerosal-receiving group was almost 27 times higher." -- John Hanchette, Autistic Society

PHARM MAFIA PROFITS, MORE KIDS AT RISK

After the Thimerosal debacle, you'd think they and even the government would have learned something. Apparently not. According to the AP "Soaring numbers of American children are now being prescribed anti-psychotic drugs" to treat ADD and other comparatively minor behavioral problems. Drugs such as Zyprexa and Risperdal, developed for treating adult schizophrenics, are now being prescribed for 2.5 million American children - a five-fold increase over the past decade.

Known side effects of these costly and heavily marketed drugs include weight gain, elevated cholesterol and diabetes - though virtually no new research has been conducted to gauge their safety for children. This might be explained by the fact that major drug companies usually spend half as much marketing their products as they do on R&D. While this boosts profits for Bill Frist's buddies in the Pharm Mafia, it may cause concern for anyone who objects to the idea of screwing up our children's health to make a buck.

Without wishing to get all Tom Cruise about the issue, what kind of über-complacent, kid-hating jerks are we that we permit our children to be pumped full of hobo drugs so drug companies can turn bigger profit stats? And doesn't it seem odd that the people who bitch loudest about paying taxes and praise Bush's tax cuts, are the same people who would never raise a whisper of objection about the money-hungry beast that is the Pharm Mafia?

Sure, the pharmaceutical industry disables and/or kills thousands of us every year while sucking in the kind of profits that would make an oil company CEO weep, but business is business. (top)

Thomas Jefferson, third president of The United States bought paid France $15 million for the Louisiana Purchase in 1803. The area comprises more than 22% of the modern United States. George W. Bush, 43rd president of The United States is currently spending $5 billion per month to bring civil war to Iraq and Afghanistan. (Top)