Dumbing Down Society Part I: Foods, Beverages and Meds
Jun 28th, 2010 | Category: Vigilant Reports |667 Comments
Is there a deliberate effort by the government to dumb down the
masses? The statement is hard to prove but there exists a great
amount of data proving that the ruling elite not only tolerates,
but effectively introduces policies that have a detrimental effect
on the physical and mental health of the population. This series of
articles looks at the many ways the modern man is being dumbed
down. Part I looks at the poisons found in everyday foods,
beverages and medications.
Image by deesillustration.com
The theme of dumbing-down and dehumanizing the masses are often
discussed in articles on The Vigilant Citizen. Thepresence of those
conceptsin popular culture are, however, only the outward and
symbolic expression of the profound transformation happening in our
society. Scientific data has been proving for years that
governments around the world are tolerating the selling of many
products which have a direct and negative effect on cognitive and
physical health. As we will see in this article many everyday
products cause brain damage, impaired judgment and even a lower
IQ.
Is a dumber population something that is desired by the elite?
Hitler once said How fortunate for the leaders that men do not
think. An educated population knows its rights, understands the
issues and takes action when it does not approve of what is going
on. Judging by the incredible amount of data available on the
subject, it seems that the elite want the exact opposite: an
unhealthy, frightened, confused and sedated population. We will
look at the effects of medication, pesticides, fluoride and
aspartame on the human body and how those products are being pushed
by people from inside the power structure.
Prescription Drug Abuse
America has witnessed during the last decades a staggering rise
of drugs being prescribedto treat all kinds of problems. Children
are particularly affected by this phenomenon. Since the 1990s,
anever-rising proportion of American children are being diagnosed
with illnesses such as Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) and are
prescribed mind-altering drugs, such as Ritalin.
The DEA has become alarmed by the tremendous increase in the
prescribing of these drugs in recent years. Since 1990,
prescriptions for methylphenidate have increased by 500 percent,
while prescriptions for amphetamine for the same purpose have
increased 400 percent. Now we see a situation in which from seven
to ten percent of the nations boys are on these drugs at some point
as well as a rising percentage of girls.- Source
Today, children who show too much energy, character or strength
are being willfully sedated with powerful drugs which directly
affect the way their brains function. Are we going in the right
direction here?
Even if ADD is not a clearly defined and documented disorder it
causes NO observable biological effects whatsoever children are
still being diagnosed with the illness in great numbers. This
raises important ethical questions.
Pediatricians as well as ethicists have also voiced their
concerns in usage of these stimulants. In an article published in
the New York Times, they have questioned the appropriateness of
medicating children without a clear diagnosis in hopes that they do
better in school. They also asked whether the drugs should be given
to adults failing in their careers or are procrastinators. They
question the worthy of this method.
This concern have also been voiced out in the January 2005 issue
of Pediatrics in which the large discrepancies between
pediatricians practice patterns and the American Academy of
Pediatrics (AAP) guidelines for the assessment and treatment of
children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) was
bought forth. The article also stated that because the medical
community didnt come to a consensus on how to diagnose ADD/ADHD,
they should not be making extensive decisions as to how to treat
individuals who have been diagnosed with the disorder.
The usage of Ritalin at a young age breaks the psychological
threshold people maintain towards the usage of prescription pills,
which makes those children more likely to consume psychotropic
drugs later in their lives. We should not be surprised to witness a
dramatic increase of consumption of antidepressants in the years to
come. The trend is already beginning:
In its study, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention looked at 2.4 billion drugs prescribed in visits to
doctors and hospitals in 2005. Of those, 118 million were for
antidepressants.
The use of antidepressants and other psychotropic drugs those
that affect brain chemistry has skyrocketed over the last decade.
Adult use of antidepressants almost tripled between the periods
1988-1994 and 1999-2000. Between 1995 and 2002, the most recent
year for which statistics are available, the use of these drugs
rose 48 percent, the CDC reported.- Elizabeth Cohen, CNN
The use of prescription pills might be of a great help for
specific and properly diagnosed cases. The pharmaceutical industry
however, which has many friends in the highest levels of
government, is pushing for the widespread use of psychiatric drugs
within the public. Since 2002, a great number of pills claiming to
fix all kinds of mental conditions have been marketed to the
public, but many of those pills were approved for sale without
proper research for side effects. Even worse: the side effects
might have been known but hidden to the public. Below is a list of
warnings issued on commonly sold psychiatric drugs. Some of those
side effects are actually frightening as a pill should not be able
to have that much power over the human brain. Think about it: Some
drugs are subject to warnings because they can cause you to commit
suicide?
2004
March 22: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warned that
Prozac-like antidepressants (called Selective Serotonin Reuptake
Inhibitors or SSRIs) could cause anxiety, agitation, panic attacks,
insomnia, irritability, hostility, impulsivity, akathisia [severe
restlessness], hypomania [abnormal excitement] and mania [psychosis
characterized by exalted feelings,delusions of grandeur].
June: The Therapeutic Goods Administration, the Australian
equivalent of the FDA, reported that the latest antipsychotic drugs
could increase the risk of diabetes.
June: The FDA ordered that the packaging for the stimulant
Adderall include a warning about sudden cardiovascular deaths,
especially in children with underlying heart disease.
October 15: The FDA ordered its strongest black box label for
antidepressants warning they could cause suicidal thoughts and
actions in under those under 18 years old.
October 21: The New Zealand Medicines Adverse Reactions
Committee recommended that older and newer antidepressants not be
administered to patients less than 18 years of age because of the
risk of suicide.
December 17: The FDA required packaging for the ADHD drug,
Strattera, to advise that Severe liver damage may progress to liver
failure resulting in death or the need for a liver transplant in a
small percentage of patients.
2005
February 9: Health Canada, the Canadian counterpart of the FDA,
suspended marketing of Adderall XR (Extended Release, given once a
day) due to reports of 20 sudden unexplained deaths (14 in
children) and 12 strokes (2 in children).
April 11: The FDA warned that antipsychotic drug use in elderly
patients could increase the risk of death.
June 28: The FDA announced its intention to make labeling
changes to Concerta and other Ritalin products to include the side
effects: visual hallucinations, suicidal ideation [ideas],
psychotic behavior, as well as aggression or violent behavior.
June 30: The FDA warned that the antidepressant Cymbalta could
increase suicidal thinking or behavior in pediatric patients taking
it. It also warned about the potential increased risk of suicidal
behavior in adults taking antidepressants.
August: The Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration found a
relationship between antidepressants and suicidality, akathisia
(severe restlessness), agitation, nervousness and anxiety in
adults. Similar symptoms could occur during withdrawal from the
drugs, it determined.
August 19: The European Medicines Agencys Committee for
Medicinal Products warned against child antidepressant use, stating
that the drugs caused suicide attempts and thoughts, aggression,
hostility, aggression, oppositional behavior and anger.
September 26: The Agenzia Italiana del Farmaco (Italian Drug
Agency, equivalent to the FDA) warned against use of older
(tricyclic) antidepressants in people under 18 years old. It also
determined the drugs were associated with heart attacks in people
of any age.
September 29: The FDA ordered that labeling for the ADHD drug
Strattera include a boxed warning about the increased risk of
suicidal thinking in children and adolescents taking it.
October 17: The FDA warned that the antidepressant Cymbalta
could cause liver damage.
October 24: The FDA withdrew the stimulant Cylert from the
market because of the risk of liver toxicity and failure.
November: The FDA warned that the antidepressant Effexor could
cause homicidal thoughts.
2006
February 9: The FDAs Drug Safety and Risk Management Advisory
Committee urged that the strongest black box warning be issued for
stimulants, because they may cause heart attacks, strokes and
sudden death.
February 20: British authorities warned that Strattera was
associated with seizures and potentially lengthening period of the
time between heartbeats.
March 22: An FDA advisory panel heard evidence of almost 1,000
reports of kids experiencing psychosis or mania while taking
stimulants.
May 3: FDA adverse drug reaction reports linked antipsychotic
drugs to 45 child deaths and 1,300 serious adverse reactions, such
as convulsions and low white blood cell count.
May 12: The manufacturer of Paxil warned that the antidepressant
increases the risk of suicide in adults.
May 26: Health Canada issued new warnings of rare heart risks
for all drugs prescribed for ADHD, including the risk of sudden
death.
June 2: An FDA study determined that the antipsychotic drug,
Risperdal, might cause pituitary tumors. The pituitary gland, at
the base of the brain, secretes hormones that promote growth, and
regulates body functions. Antipsychotics may increase prolactin, a
hormone in the pituitary gland, and this increase has been linked
to cancer. Risperdal was found to increase prolactin levels more
frequently than in other antipsychotics.
July 19: The FDA said antidepressant packaging should carry
warnings that they may cause a fatal lung condition in newborns
whose mothers took SSRI antidepressants during pregnancy. Migraine
sufferers also need to be warned that combining migraine drugs with
SSRIs could result in a life-threatening condition called serotonin
syndrome.
Food Poisoning
The modern man ingests in his lifetime an incredible amount of
chemicals, artificial flavors and additives. Although there is
growing awareness regarding healthy eating, there is also a lot of
misinformationand disinformation.
At the present time, a single company Monsanto produces roughly
95% of all soybeans and 80% of all corn in the US. Considering
this, the corn flakes you had for breakfast, soda you drank at
lunch and beefstew you ate for dinner likely were produced from
crops grown with Monsantos patented genes. There are numerous
documents and films exposing Monsantos strong-arming of the
agricultural industry, so I wont expand on that issue. It is
however important to note that a virtual monopoly currently exists
in the food industry and theres a unhealthy link between Monsanto
and the American government: Many people who have passed laws in
the fields of food, drugs and agriculture were also, at some point
on the payroll of Monsanto. In other words, the elite decides which
foods are sold to you.
Public officials formerly employed by Monsanto:
Justice Clarence Thomas worked as an attorney for Monsanto in
the 1970s. Thomas wrote the majority opinion in the 2001 Supreme
Court decision J. E. M. Ag Supply, Inc. v. Pioneer Hi-Bred
International, Inc.|J. E. M. AG SUPPLY, INC. V. PIONEER
HI-BREDINTERNATIONAL, INC. which found that newly developed plant
breeds are patentable under the general utility patent laws of the
United States. This case benefited all companies which profit from
genetically modified crops, of which Monsanto is one of the
largest.
Michael R. Taylor was an assistant to the Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) commissioner before he left to work for a law
firm on gaining FDA approval of Monsantos artificial growth hormone
in the 1980s. Taylor then became deputy commissioner of the FDA
from 1991 to 1994.Taylor was later re-appointed to the FDA in
August 2009 by President Barack Obama.
Dr. Michael A. Friedman was a deputy commissioner of the FDA
before he was hired as a senior vice president of Monsanto.
Linda J. Fisher was an assistant administrator at the United
States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) before she was a vice
president at Monsanto from 1995 2000. In 2001, Fisher became the
deputy administrator of the EPA.
Former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld was chairman and
chief executive officer of G. D. Searle & Co., which Monsanto
purchased in 1985. Rumsfeld personally made at least $12million USD
from the transaction.
Many laws (approved by ex-Monsanto employees) have facilitated
the introduction and the consumption of genetically engineered
foods by the public.
According to current statistics, 45% of corn and 85% of soybeans
in the United States is genetically engineered (GE). Estimates of
70-75% of processed foods found at our local supermarkets are
believed to contain GE ingredients.
Other GE foods are canola, papayas, radicchio, potatoes, rice,
squash or zucchini, cantaloupe, sugar beets, flax, tomatoes, and
oilseed rape. One non-food crop that is commonly GE is cotton. The
GE hormone recombinant bovine growth hormone (rBGH or Prosilac) was
one of the first GE products allowed to enter the nations food
supply. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved
Monsantos rBGH in 1993.- Anna M. Salanti, Genetically Engineered
Foods
Although it is yet impossible to determine the long-term effects
of genetically engineered foods on the human body, some facts have
already been established. GE foods contain less nutrients and, most
importantly, they are chemical-friendly.
One of the features of GE foods is their ability to withstand
unlimited application of chemicals, including pesticides.
Bromoxynil and glyphosate have been associated with developmental
disorders in fetuses, tumors, carcinomas, and non-Hodgkins
lymphoma. Studies indicate that Monsantos recombinant Bovine Growth
Hormone (rBGH) causes treated cows to produce milk with an
increased second hormone, IGF-1. This hormone is associated with
human cancers. Recommendations by the Congressional watchdog
agency, Government Accounting Office (GAO), recommended that rBGH
not be approved. The European Union, Canada, and others have banned
it. The UN has also refused to certify that using rBGH is safe.
Ibid
Genetic modifications engineered by Monsanto makes their
products bigger and more aesthetically pleasing. Another, less
discussed improvement is the plants ability to withstand nearly
unlimited amounts of Roundup brand pesticides. This encourages
farmers to use that brand of pesticides which is produced by
Monsanto.
Studies on Roundup link the powerful pesticide and herbicide to
many health problems such as:
Increased risks of the cancer non-Hodgkins lymphoma
Miscarriages
Attention Deficit Disorder (the real one)
Fluoride
Another source of harmful chemicals is found in the modern mans
water supplies and soft drinks.As of 2002, the CDC statistics show
that almost 60% of the U.S. population receives fluoridated water
through the taps in their homes. The official reason for the
presence of fluoride in our tap water? It prevents tooth decay. Ok
really? Is this mildly important benefit worth the consuming of
great amounts of this substance by the population? Some studies
even denied the dental benefits of fluorided water.
Scientists now believe that the main protective action from
fluoride does not come from ingesting the chemical, with the teeth
absorbing it from inside the body, but from direct absorption
through topical application to teeth. This means swallowing water
is a far less effective way to fight cavities than brushing with
fluoridated toothpaste. Source
So why is fluoride still found in tap water? Here are some quick
facts aboutfluoridation chemicals:
theywere once used as pesticides
they are registered as poisonous under the 1972 Poisons Act, in
the same group of toxins as arsenic, mercury and paraquat
fluoride is scientifically classed as more toxic than lead, but
there is about 20 times more fluoride than lead in tap water
Many studies have been conducted on the effects of fluoride on
the human body and some notable adverse effects have been noted: it
changes bone structure and strength, impairs the immune system and
it was linked to some cancers. Another alarming consequence of
fluoridation is its effects on brain functions:
In 1995, neurotoxicologist and former Director of toxicology at
Forsyth Dental Center in Boston, Dr. Phyllis Mullenix published
research showing that fluoride built up in the brains of animals
when exposed to moderate levels. Damage to the brain occured and
the behavior patterns of the animals was adversely effected.
Offspring of pregnant animals receiving relatively low doses of
fluoride showed permanent effects to the brain which were seen as
hyperactivity (ADD-like symptoms). Young animals and adult animals
given fluoride experienced the opposite effect hypoactivity or
sluggishness. The toxic effects of fluoride on the central nervous
system was subsequently confirmed by previously-classified
government research. Two new epidemiological studies which tend to
confirm fluorides neurotoxic effects on the brain have shown that
children exposed to higher levels of fluoride had lower IQs.-
Source
A lesser known, but extremely important side effect of fluoride
is the calcification of the pineal gland.
Up until the 1990s, no research had ever been conducted to
determine the impact of fluoride on the pineal gland a small gland
located between the two hemispheres of the brain that regulates the
production of the hormone melatonin. Melatonin is a hormone that
helps regulate the onset of puberty and helps protect the body from
cell damage caused by free radicals.
It is now known thanks to the meticulous research of Dr.
Jennifer Luke from the University of Surrey in England that the
pineal gland is the primary target of fluoride accumulation within
the body.
The soft tissue of the adult pineal gland contains more fluoride
than any other soft tissue in the body a level of fluoride (~300
ppm) capable of inhibiting enzymes.
The pineal gland also contains hard tissue (hyroxyapatite
crystals), and this hard tissue accumulates more fluoride (up to
21,000 ppm) than any other hard tissue in the body (e.g. teeth and
bone).
- Source
Other than regulating vital hormones, the pineal gland is known
to serve an esoteric function. It is known by mystic groups as the
third eye and has been considered by many cultures to be part of
the brain responsible for spiritual enlightenment and the link to
the divine.Is enlightenment out of bounds for the modern man?
In the human brain there is a tiny gland called the pineal body,
which is the sacred eye of the ancients, and corresponds to the
third eye of the Cyclops. Little is known concerning the function
of the pineal body, which Descartes suggested (more wisely than he
knew) might be the abode of the spirit of man. Manly P. Hall, The
Secret Teachings of All Ages
Aspartame
Aspartame is an artificial sweetner used in sugar-free products
such as diet sodas and chewing gum. Since its discovery in 1965,
Aspartame caused great controversy regarding its health risks
primarily causing brain tumors and was denied its application to be
sold to the public by the FDA. Searle, the company attempting to
market Aspartame then appointed Donald Rumsfeld as CEO in 1977 and
things changed drastically. In a short period of time, Aspartame
could be found in over 5,000 products.
Donald Rumsfeld was on President Reagans transition team and the
day after he took office he appointed an FDA Commissioner who would
approve aspartame. The FDA set up a Board of Inquiry of the best
scientists they had to offer who said aspartame is not safe and
causes brain tumors, and the petition for approval is hereby
revoked. The new FDA Commissioner, Arthur Hull Hayes, over-ruled
that Board of Inquiry and then went to work for the PR Agency of
the manufacturer, Burson-Marstellar, rumored at $1000.00 a day, and
has refused to talk to the press ever since.- Source
Years after its approval by the FDA, leading scientists still
urge the organization to ban this product.
Dr. John Olney, who founded the field of neuoscience called
excitotoxicity, attempted to stop the approval of aspartame with
Attorney James Turner back in 1996. The FDAs own toxicologist, Dr.
Adrian Gross told Congress that without a shadow of a doubt,
aspartame can cause brain tumors and brain cancer and violated the
Delaney Amendment which forbids putting anything in food that is
known to cause Cancer. Detailed information on this can be found in
the Bressler Report (FDA report on Searle).- Ibid
In 1995, the FDA was forced to release, under the Freedom of
Information act, a list of ninety-two symptoms caused by aspartame
reported by thousands of victims:
Those symptoms are however only the tip of the iceberg.
Aspartame has been linked to severe illnesses and long term health
issues.
According to the top doctors and researchers on this issue,
aspartame causes headache, memory loss, seizures, vision loss, coma
and cancer. It worsens or mimics the symptoms of such diseases and
conditions as fibromyalgia, MS, lupus, ADD, diabetes, Alzheimers,
chronic fatigue and depression. Further dangers highlighted is that
aspartame liberates free methyl alcohol. The resulting chronic
methanol poisoning affects the dopamine system of the brain causing
addiction. Methanol, or wood alcohol, constitutes one third of the
aspartame molecule and is classified as a severe metabolic poison
and narcotic.- Ibid
In Conclusion
If the main message of this website has been to this point watch
what enters your mind, the main message of this article is watch
what enters your body. The consumption of the products stated above
will probably not cause an immediate and noticeable effect. But,
after many years of ingesting those substances, ones thoughts
become increasingly clouded and foggy, the ability to concentrate
becomes hindered and judgment becomes impaired. In other words, the
once sharp mind becomes dull. What happens when a population is
heavily sedated and poisoned on a daily basis? It becomes numb,
zombie-like and docile. Instead of asking important questions and
seeking a higher truth, the dumbed-down mass simply accomplishes
its daily tasks and absorbs whatever the media tells them. Is this
what the elite is looking to create?
There is, however, a silver lining here. Many of the negative
effects of the substances described above are reversible. And YOU
are the one who decides what enters your body. This article
provides a brief overview of dangers lurking for the unaware
consumer, but tons of information is available on which to base
enlightened decisions. Your body is a temple. Will you allow it to
be desecrated?
Irrational Consumerism (or The Few Companies Who Feed the
World)
Apr 15th, 2011 | Category: Vigilant Reports |262 Comments
Not many people realize that most of the processed foods
available on the market, whether they be in groceries or fast-food
chains, all come from the same few companies. Even less people
realize that these companies are major actors in elite
organizations who decide health, social and economic policies
around the world. Well look at the big three companies who feed the
world, their many brands and the tactics they undertake to make
people crave their products.
If one were to carefully study the labels on packaged products
in an average grocery store, one would probably notice that the
same company names appear repeatedly: Nestl, Kraft, General Mills
and a few others. Many brands offering good ol fashioned homemade
or all-natural/organic foods are nothing more than subsidiaries of
these few world-wide mega-companies. The major difference between
the main brand and the subsidiaries is packaging and advertising,
which are targeted to reach different markets. In order to preserve
the carefully crafted image surrounding a product, connections to
the mother company are often conveniently hidden. Imagine an
advertisement for bottled water going like this: Drink pure, clear,
refreshing Aquafina water, bottled with care from remote natural
sources in the Himalayas BROUGHT TO YOU BY PEPSICO, THE MAKER OF
TACO BELL AND CHEETOS MIGHTY ZINGERS! That would probably spoil the
healthy, natural image they are trying to create for the
product.
That is the reason marketing and branding are the most vital
part of the food industry. Each product must live in its own world,
separate from its mother company and similar products. Advertising
is so powerful that two similar brands of cereal, made from the
same basic ingredients, can be targeted to entirely different
markets. For example, are Special K and Rice Krispies so different?
From a strictly rational viewpoint, these products are nearly
identical in shape, taste and ingredients. From an irrational
(marketing) viewpoint however, they are in two different worlds.
Advertisements for Rice Krispies revolve around colorful cartoon
characters and played during Saturday morning kids shows while
Special K tends to show fit women doing yoga (or on their way to or
from yoga). Rice Krispies boxes have games and toy giveaways, while
Special Ks box gives access to a weight loss challenge website. All
of this is smoke and mirrors, however, because at the end of the
line, whether you choose one, the other or pretty much any other
cereal in the grocery store, youre eating the same thing and your
money ends up at the same place.
The processed-food industry can be considered a true oligopoly.
Together, the three leading food companies, Nestle, Kraft Foods and
PepsiCo, achieve a dominant proportion of global processed-food
sales. In fact, these three companies are often used as an example
of Rule of Three in business schools, since they are a real-life
example of a market being dominated by three gigantic actors. Their
position as worldwide food providers has made these conglomerates
extremely powerful, and they are represented in most elite
organizations such as the Council of Foreign Relations. This not
only allows them to provide their preferred policies on nutrition
and health issues across the globe, but on economic, political and
social issues as well. Such prominence also allows these companies
to ensure their continued market dominance, through policy-making,
access to insider information and the intimidation of potential
competitors. If considered objectively, the oligopoly of major
companies like these are a direct threat to free market
theories.
Today, if a small food company were to create a new
revolutionary product, it would find it difficult to obtain
distribution without giving up its rights to one these
conglomerates. In addition to dominating the shelves, the Big Three
control most of the worldwide channels of distribution, to the
point that up-and-coming companies cannot reach the consumers
without dealing with them. The only way small business owners can
avoid years of struggle and rejection to obtain shelf-space in
supermarkets is to strike a licensing deal with one of the giants,
where the owner cedes the ownership and the rights to the product
in exchange for royalty checks (which are usually a small
percentage of the sales). Each licensing deal consolidates these
companies position and eliminates threats from any potential
competitor who creates game-changing products.
Here are the top three companies and a summary list of their
multiple brands:
1- Nestl
Nestl is the worlds largest food company. It has 6,000 brands,
with a wide range of products across a number of markets including
coffee, bottled water and other beverages, chocolate, ice cream,
infant foods, performance and healthcare nutrition, seasonings,
frozen and refrigerated foods, confectioneries and pet food. In
2009, consolidated sales were close to $120 billion USD and
investments in research and development were $2.24 billion USD. The
chairman of the company, Mr. Brabeck-Letmathe, is on the Board of
Directors of Credit Suisse Group, LOral and ExxonMobil. He is also
a member of ERT (European Round Table of Industrialists) and a
member of the Foundation Board of the World Economic Forum (an
important actor in the push for a world government). Products sold
by Nestl include:
Cereals
Cinnamon Toast CrunchCheerios (outside US, Canada and
Australia)Cini MinisHoney Nut Cheerios (outside US, Canada and
Australia)Oat CheeriosCookie CrispGolden GrahamsHoney StarsKoko
KrunchMilo CerealsNestl Corn FlakesNesquikShreddiesShredded
WheatClustersTrix
Yogurt
Munch BunchSki
Coffee
BonkaNescafNespressoPartners
BlendRicoffyRistrettoRicorSicalTofaTasters ChoiceZogasShrameet
Water
AberfoyleAqua DOrAqua PodAcqua PannaAl
ManhalAquapodArrowheadBuxtonContrexDeer ParkHparIce
MountainHenniezKorpiLevissimaNestl AquarelNestl
VeraOzarkaPerrierPoland SpringPowwowMinerePure Life/Pureza
VitalQuzacSan PellegrinoSan BernardoViladrauVittelZephyrhills
Other drinks
Nestea (Joint venture with Coca-Cola, Beverage Partners
Worldwide)Enviga (Joint venture with Coca-Cola, Beverage Partners
Worldwide)MiloCarnationCaroNesquikLibbysGrowers Direct Organic
Fruit JuicesGood HostJuicy JuiceSki up and go
Shelf-stable products
Bear BrandCarnationChristieCoffee-MateDancowGloriaKlimLa
LecheraMilkmaidNesprayNestlNesvitaNestl Omega
PlusNidoNinhoSveltyEmswissMilo
Ice cream
CamyDreyersEdysFriscoHagen-Dazs (North America and the United
Kingdom)Hjem-IS (Denmark & Norway)MaxibonMottaMivviNestlNestl
DrumstickOreo (Canada)Peters (Australia)Push-UpSchllerSkinny
Cow
Infant foods
AleteAlfareBebaCrlacFM 85Gerber (the worlds largest baby food
company)Good StartGuigozLactogenNanNAN
HANanSoyNeslacNestlNestogenNidoPreNan
Performance nutrition
MusashiNestonNesvitaPowerBarPriaSupligen
Healthcare/nutrition
BoostCarnation Instant
BreakfastNutrenPeptamenGlytrolCrucialImpactIsosourceFibersourceDiabetisourceCompleatOptifastResource
Seasonings
BuitoniMaggiCarpathiaCHEFThomyWiniary
Frozen foods
StouffersLean CuisineBuitoniHot PocketsLean PocketsPapa
GuiseppiTombstone PizzaJacks PizzaDiGiorno PizzaCalifornia Pizza
Kitchen Frozen
Chocolate, confectioneries and baked goods
100 Grand BarAeroAfter EightAllensAnimal BarBaby RuthBertie
Beetle (Australia)Big Turk (Canada)Black MagicBoci (Hungary)Blue
RibandBono(Brazil)BreakawayButterfingerButterfinger BBsButterfinger
CrispBon Pari (Czech Republic, Poland and
Hungary)CaillerCaramacCarlos VChips Ahoy! (Canada)Coffee
CrispChunkyDrifterFrigorGalak/MilkybarGoobersHeavenHercules Bars
(with Disney)IcebreakersKit Kat (Hersheys in the
US)LionMatchmakersMilky BarMirageJoffMunchiesNestl Alpine
WhiteNestl with AlmondsNestl CrunchNestl Crunch CrispNestl Crunch
with CaramelNestl Crunch with PeanutsNestl Crunch PiecesNestl
Crunch WhiteNestl Milk ChocolateNestl PrincessaNestl Wonder
BallNipsNuts (Europe)Oh Henry (except US)Peppermint CrispPerugina
BaciPoloQuality StreetRaisinetsRolo (Hersheys in the
US)Rowntrees
Fruit PastillesJelly TotsPick & MixRandomsFruit GumsTooty
FrootiesJuicy JelliesSnowcaps
SmartiesTexan BarToffee CrispToll House cookiesTurtlesWalnut
WhipViolet CrumbleYorkieXXX mints
Petcare
AlpoBenefulCat ChowDog ChowFancy FeastFelixFriskiesGo
CatButchersBakersWinalotGourmetMighty DogMon PetitONEPro
PlanPurinaTidy Cats
Controversy
Nestl has faced ongoing resistance around the world for its
promotion of breast milk substitutes (infant formula), especially
in third world countries. According to campaigners, Nestl
contributes to the unnecessary suffering and even deaths of babies,
largely among the poor.
Advocacy groups and charities have accused Nestl of unethical
methods of promoting infant formula over breast milk to poor
mothers in developing countries. For example, IBFAN claim that
Nestl distributes free formula samples to hospitals and maternity
wards; after leaving the hospital, the formula is no longer free,
but because the supplementation has interfered with lactation, the
family must continue to buy the formula. IBFAN also allege that
Nestl uses humanitarian aid to create markets, does not label its
products in a language appropriate to the countries where they are
sold, and offers gifts and sponsorship to influence health workers
to promote its products.Nestl denies these allegations.
- Source
2- Kraft Foods
A subsidiary of Philip Morris (the maker of Marlboro
cigarettes). Kraft Foods is the largest confectionery, food, and
beverage corporation headquartered in the United States. It markets
many brands in more than 155 countries; eleven of its worldwide
brands each earn more than $1 billion annually. Like Nestle, Kraft
has consolidated its status in the food oligarchy by buying
gigantic brands such as Nabisco (Oreos, Chips Ahoy, Fig Newtons,
Ritz, etc.) and Cadbury (Ferrero Rocher, Dairy Milk, Caramilk,
etc.).
Krafts CEO Irene Blecker Rosenfeld was rated the 2nd most
powerful woman in the world by Forbes. Not surprising since most of
the world consumes Kraft foods. Before joining Kraft, Rosenfeld was
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Frito-Lay, a division of
PepsiCo (another of the Big Three). Krafts brands include:
Toblerone chocolate barsA1 Steak SauceAli CoffeeArrowroot
biscuitsBack to NatureBakers (chocolate)Balance BarBetter
CheddarsBoca BurgerBonoxBreakstonesBullsEye Barbecue SauceCaf
HAGCalifornia Pizza Kitchen (grocery store items)Calumet Baking
PowderCameo (biscuits)Capri Sun (juice drink)Carte
NoireCheesybiteCheese NipsCheez WhizChicken in a BiskitChips Ahoy!
(cookies)Christie (Canadian division of Nabisco)Claussen
(pickles)ClightClub Social (crackers)Cool Whip (non-dairy whipped
cream)CornNuts (snack food)Cte dOr (Belgium)Country Time (powdered
drink mix)Cracker BarrelCrystal LightDairylea (Europe)Delissio
(Canada)DiGiorno (pizza)Easy CheeseFig NewtonsFudgee-O
(Canada)General Foods InternationalGrape-Nuts (breakfast
cereal)Grey Poupon (mustard)
Handi-SnacksHoney MaidIn-A-Biskit (Australia)Jacks PizzaJacobs
(Europe)Jell-O (gelatin dessert)Jet-Puffed MarshmallowsKenco
(United Kingdom)Knox (gelatin)Knudsen (dairy products)Kool-Aid
(flavored drink mix)Kraft BBQ SauceKraft CaramelsKraft Macaroni and
CheeseKraft Dinner (Canada)Kraft EasymacKraft MayoKraft
BagelfulsKraft Peanut Butter (Canada)Kraft Singles (pasteurized
prepared cheese product)Kraft Sandwich
SpreadLefvre-UtileLunchablesMaxwell House (coffee)Miracle Whip
(salad dressing spread)
NabiscoNabob (coffee) (Canada)Naked DrinksNillaNutter ButterOnko
(coffee)Oreo (cookie)Oscar MayerGrated Parmesan cheesePhiladelphia
cream cheesePigrolacPlantersPolly-O (cheese)Premium (a Nabisco
brand of saltine crackers)PretzelsPtit QubecPrince PoloPure Kraft
Salad DressingsRitzRoyal baking powderSeven Seas (salad
dressings)Sanka (decaffeinated coffee)Shake n BakeSimmenthal
(canned meat)SnackaboutsSnackWellsSouth Beach LivingStarbucks
(grocery store items)Stove Top stuffingSuchardTaco Bell (grocery
store items)TangTassimo (single-serve coffee machines using pods
branded as T-Discs)
PepsiCo
PepsiCo Incorporated is a global Fortune 500 corporation
headquartered in Purchase, Harrison, New York, with interests in
the manufacturing, marketing and distribution of beverages,
grain-based snack foods and other products. If you hadnt guessed
it, its main product is Pepsi Cola, but soda pop is not the
companys only product. In fact, a teenager with the munchies could
easily leave a convenience store with three or four PepsiCo
products without realizing it (or caring).
PepsiCo is a Premium member of the Council of Foreign Relation
and of the Brookings institute, two of the most important
organizations for the worlds elite (as seen in the article Naming
Names: Your Real Government). The chairman and CEO of PepsiCo,
Indra Nooyi, is part of the World Economic Forum. Within these
organizations, executives from PepsiCo and other mega-corporations
like Sony (the largest label in the music industry), Nike (the
largest shoe seller in the world), Rockefeller Group International,
and Lockheed Martin (the largest defense company in the world),
work alongside various heads of state (including past US
presidents), policy-makers (such as current US Secretary of State
Hilary Rodham Clinton) and image makers (like Tom Brokaw and George
Clooney), to develop political, social and economic opinions and
recommendations affecting entire countries. The policies favored by
these organizations are collectively steering the world towards a
unified world government and a single world currency, in what is
often referred as a New World Order.
PepsiCo brands include:
Drinks:
AMPBriskMountain DewOcean SprayMistAquafinaLipton Ice
TeaMUGPepsiSobeGatoradeTropicanaNo Fear Energy DrinkPropel Enhanced
WaterStarbucks (retail products)
Food
LaysDoritosTostitosCheetosFritosSun ChipsBaked!Frito Lay
DipsBaken-EtsChesters PuffcornCracker JackEl Isleno Plantain
ChipsFrti-Lay PeanutsFunyunsGamesaGrandmasMatadorMaui Style Potato
ChipsMiss VickiesMunchiesMunchosNaturalNut HarvestQuakerRold
GoldRufflesSabritonesSantitasSmartfoodSpitzStacys
Yep, even the good ol trustworthy Quaker guy is part of
PepsiCo.
The Spin-Off Company
PepsiCo also feeds millions daily through its spin-off company,
Yum!, which owns restaurant chains including Pizza Hut, Taco Bell,
KFC,Hot n Now,East Side Marios,DAngelo Sandwich Shops,Chevys Fresh
Mex, California Pizza Kitchen and Stolichnaya.
Many of the products listed above have existed for decades, some
for over a century. What is the secret of such enduring success?
First, the recipe has to be just right. As mentioned above, Nestl
spent more than $2 billion dollars in 2009 alone for research and
development, which is mostly used to pay people in lab coats to
create the most appealing, taste-bud satisfying, addicting and, of
course, cost-effective products possible. The addictive properties
of salt, fat, sugar and other chemicals are well known to the $2
billion-per-year researchers. Processed foods contain a carefully
calculated mix of chemicals and additives that send satisfying
signals to the brain, which the brain then continues to seek out in
the form of cravings.
However, there are countless companies selling similar products.
So in order to keep consumers coming back to their specific brand,
corporations invest billions of dollars in the second secret of
success: brand loyalty achieved through marketing and
advertising.
Irrational Advertisement
While the ultimate goal of an advertisement is to sell a
product, PR firms will tell you that they are seeking to go way
beyond the cheap sell. Their mission is to create an emotional
attachment to a product, a concept that is totally irrational, yet
extremely effective. They dont just want you to like their product,
they want you to identify with it. They want you to define yourself
by it. They are looking to create loyal, life-long customers by
creating an image, a lifestyle and even a philosophy around a
product. Lets take this Miracle Whip commercial as an example.
By showing people partying and running on the beach, the
advertisement attempts to create an association between the product
and being young, cool, hip and rebellious. Although the ad is a bit
heavy handed, I do agree that theres nothing more rebellious than
stuffing ones face with a sandwich full of mayonnaise substitute.
Rock on.
Advertisements like these are meticulously calculated to reach a
particular demographic population and to generate specific emotions
within these viewers. To achieve these aims, they rely on extensive
research on human behavior.
No group of sociologists can approximate the ad teams in the
gathering and processing of exploitable social data. The ad teams
have billions to spend annually on research and testing of
reactions, and their products are magnificent accumulations of
material about the shared experience and feelings of the entire
community.
- Marshal McLuhan, The Extensions of Man
To sell brand loyalty to a viewer through a television
advertisement, rational/logical arguments have limited effects. The
most effective and successful ads are able to bypass rational
thought (where an argument can either be accepted or rejected) and
tap directly into the viewers subconscious, through their
instincts, fears or insecurities.
It is with knowledge of the human being, his tendencies, his
desires, his needs, his psychic mechanisms, his automatisms as well
as knowledge of social psychology and analytical psychology that
propaganda refines its techniques. Propagandes, Jacques Ellul (free
translation)
To illustrate this, lets look at two typical food advertisements
aimed at an important market: mothers.
Irrational Advertisement: Selling to Mothers
For marketers, mothers are a dream. They have an enormous weak
spot: children, especially their own. This love for kids is not
rational: the maternal instinct is one of humanitys most primal and
hormonal reflexes. To tap into it is to directly tap into a mothers
internal hard-wiring. Through the use of research and focus groups,
advertisers have learned the most effective ways to get reactions
out of mothers, and create targeted ads that make mothers feel
worried, moved, scared, angry or unsettled. Once the target is in
the intended emotional state, the product is presented as the
answer to everything. Heres a flour advertisement specifically
directed at mothers:
So this advertisement sells flour. A big ol bag of white powder.
If it was rational, it would had described the flours above-average
performance (which is true) or perhaps its advantageous cost per
pound. It doesnt. It goes straight to the emotions.
To effectively reach its audience, the ad does not talk about
flour at all, but about loving ones children and baking memories.
Behind the cutesy, heart-warming feel, the truth is that the ad
taps into mothers visceral fear of being considered a bad parent.
To do so, the marketers have conceived a cleverly phrased,
psychologically manipulative speech given by a cute animated girl
that sends non-baking mothers into a mega-guilt trip. The ads is
basically says this:
By refusing to bake muffins for your children, you are robbing
them of happy, licking-batter-off-a-spoon memories. And since
memories are all we have in life, you are robbing them of THEIR
LIVES. How can you do this to them? Do you want your children to
become broken and empty individuals? Do you? No? Well, stop being
such an incompetent mother and buy that bag of flour and make some
muffins. Maybe then your children will remember you as a Good
Mother. Maybe. If its not too late. You might have messed
everything up already with your outrageous non-baking ways.
Shame!
Heres another advertisement aimed at mothers.