NATIONAL HEALTH FEDERATION EXTORTED!!!

[Guest guest]

PRESS RELEASE

_http://www.thenhf.com/press_releases/pr_30_jun_2009.html_

(http://www.thenhf.com/press_releases/pr_30_jun_2009.html)

NATIONAL HEALTH FEDERATION EXTORTED!!!

June 30, 2009

 

Recently, the National Health Federation – the World’s oldest

health-freedom organization, the only health-freedom organization accredited by

Codex

to attend and speak out at its meetings and which has been diligently

following and attending Codex meetings since the mid-1990s – received an

extortionist e-mail from one of the newest organizations to arrive on the

health-freedom scene. In it, these upstarts clumsily demand that the

Federation

put them on the Federation’s Codex delegation or else they will try to take

away our accredited status!

In their own words, here*s the extortion they have threatened us with:

** Dear Scott,

The Natural Solutions Foundation wants to congratulate you for your

appearance on the Gary Null Show concerning NHF*s role at Codex. You styled

National Health Federation as the **Voice of Health Freedom** We welcome many

voices In health freedom and I*ve always supported the good work of NHF,

since even before the 1979 **Appreciation Award** I received from NHF,

which proudly remains on the wall of my office.

I must, however, raise a matter of concern with you regarding NHF*s role

in Codex. According to the 18th Codex Procedural Manual, Rome, 2008, under

the heading **PRINCIPLES CONCERNING THE PARTICIPATION OF INTERNATIONAL

NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS IN THE WORK OF THE CODEX ALIMENTARIUS

COMMISSION** , p. 23, Section 1,

**1. Purpose

The purpose of collaboration with International Non-Governmental

Organizations is to secure for the Codex Alimentarius Commission, expert

information, advice and assistance from International Non-Governmental

Organizations

and to enable organizations which represent important sections of public

opinion and are authorities in their fields of professional and technical

competence to express the views of their members and to play an appropriate

role in ensuring the harmonizing of intersectoral interests among the various

sectoral bodies concerned in a country, regional or global setting.

Arrangements made with such organizations shall be designed to advance the

purposes of the Codex Alimentarius Commission by securing maximum cooperation

from International Non-Governmental Organizations in the execution of its

programme.**

_http://www.codexalimentarius.net/web/procedural_manual.jsp_

(http://www.codexalimentarius.net/web/procedural_manual.jsp)

Thus, in keeping with these principles, we find it disquieting that

although Natural Solutions Foundation attends Codex meetings (and will be at

the

Commission meeting in Rome next month), is clearly a source of expert

information, represents important sections of public option (we are the largest

" net roots " health freedom organization in the world by a several times)

and are authorities in our fields of professional and technical competence,

your organization has not yet seen fit to offer us a seat at the table,

quite literally, as co-observers.

We note that you often do so with other organizations representing far

smaller numbers of constituents.

It would appear, then, that despite a clear mandate from Codex to make

sure that NGOs participate in order to provide accurate representation of

public and professional opinion and perspective, there is a choice to ignore

that responsibility given by Codex when your Observer Status was granted.

As we have pointed out on numerous occasions, Scott, the other side is

well-armed, equipped and fully arrayed. There are too few of us and we have a

huge battlefront to cover. It makes far more sense to collaborate than to

compete and the health freedom presence at Codex could be strengthened

enormously by such collaboration.

Do we have to contest NHF's observer status through the Codex mechanism,

in order to have a seat at the table? I hope not; avoiding that would be to

everyone's benefit. I know we can find the way to be both respectful and

supportive collaborators, despite personal or professional differences among

some involved.

Please contact me to work out the details of NSF participating in the

Health Freedom Seat at Codex, as was directed by Chairman Claude Moshe and as

has yet to be implemented.

Our millions of readers will be happy to learn that you have chosen to

open the floor to THEIR voice as well.

Yours in health and freedom,

Ralph Fucetola, JD

Counsel and Trustee

Natural Solutions Foundation**

 

HERE’S WHY THEY ARE WRONG – ONCE AGAIN

 

 

Besides having insulted us by assuming that we do not already represent

their *millions* (really, millions?) of readers as well at Codex meetings,

Mr. Fucetola reveals his complete ignorance of Codex procedure and facts.

This is one of the reasons why letting NSF join the Federation at the Codex

table would be one of the worst things to do for health freedom.

 

1. The Cited Paragraph Does Not Support NSF’s Demand.

First of all, as any literate person can plainly see, the Codex text

quoted by Mr. Fucetola does not require the National Health Federation – an

official accredited INGO at Codex meetings – to accept NSF on its Codex

delegation. The paragraph talks about how Codex wants to benefit from the

expertise of INGOs. It says nothing that would require an already-accredited

organization to accept a non-accredited organization into its ranks. Even a

6th-grade student on drugs could see that.

And even if it did, why pick on the Federation? Why not pick on a

commercial organization that sells coffee and other products, such as NSF does,

instead? There are several commercial organizations, accredited by Codex,

that share the similarity of commercialism that is the hallmark of NSF. Has

NSF contacted them to extort a seat at the Codex table? Who knows?

2. There Was No Public Demand by the Codex Commission Chairman.

Besides getting the then-Codex Chairman*s name wrong – it is Mosha not

Moshe – Mr. Fucetola then trots out the old line, repeated at

_http://www.healthfreedomusa.org/?p=2931_

(http://www.healthfreedomusa.org/?p=2931) that

basically claims **we were denied *Official Observer* status a couple years

ago on the theory that the *Official Observer* is obligated under the Codex

rules to make a place at the table for us.**

Unfortunately for NSF, the National Health Federation*s then-Vice

Chairman, Paul Anthony Taylor attended the very Codex meeting in question (a

meeting that Mr. Fucetola missed). Mr. Taylor*s report on the meeting can be

found at

_http://www4.dr-rath-foundation.org/THE_FOUNDATION/Events/codex-geneve.html_

(http://www4.dr-rath-foundation.org/THE_FOUNDATION/Events/codex-geneve.html) .

As can be seen, Mr. Taylor*s report makes no mention whatsoever of these

events. The reason for this is very simple: the version of events described

by NSF is mostly fictitious. Yes, NSF*s application for membership was

considered at this meeting. However, this was only done through its momentary

consideration as a very minor agenda item. Indeed, as Mr. Taylor recalled,

the Chairman was about to close the day*s proceedings when he realized that

he hadn*t dealt with it.

As the Committee was about to begin packing up for the day, the Chairman

merely cited the relevant agenda item, referred to the Codex Executive

Committee*s recommendation of a few days earlier (to reject NSF*s application),

and asked if there were any objections to this recommendation. Needless to

say, no objections were expressed. As a result, the entire matter was

dealt with in the virtual blink of an eyelid; and, most importantly, in the

few seconds that it took of the Executive Committee*s time, Mr. Taylor does

not recall the words **Natural Solutions Foundation** having been mentioned

even once. Equally importantly, the official denial of observer status to

NSF had nothing at all to do with **the theory that the *Official Observer*

is obligated under the Codex rules to make a place at the table for us,**

as has been claimed by Mr. Fucetola and NSF in its recent press release./1

3. No other Codex Provision Supports NSF’s Position Either.

NSF’*s recent press release attacking the National Health Federation also

claims that Codex somehow requires NHF to include NSF on its delegation.

Its press release then refers to yet another paragraph in the Codex

Procedural Manual as *support.* Yet, any plain reading of this paragraph in

the

current edition of the Procedural Manual does not support NSF*s position

either./2

What NSF conveniently forgets to tell its readers is that this paragraph

comes in the section on **Information Required of International

Non-Governmental Organizations Requesting *Observer Status* ** (at page 35 of

the

PDF). (emphasis added) This statement (weak though it is anyway) only applies

when more than one organization is applying and requesting observer status

at the same time. As such, given that the Federation already has had

official Observer status for many years now, this statement is essentially

irrelevant and inapplicable.

NSF has been pretending during its few years of existence that it is some

sort of *powerhouse* at these Codex meetings, but the reality is that they

are completely excluded from the meeting room floor (except when they sneak

in), must sit in a separate section reserved for public viewers, the same

as anyone off the street would occupy, and most delegates are oblivious to

their ghostly presence.

BUT, REGARDLESS OF THE RULES, YOU MIGHT ASK, WHY NOT LET NSF BENEFIT FROM

THE FEDERATION*S SEAT AT THE CODEX TABLE?

You mean, even if NSF doesn*t mind using extortion to get what it wants,

the Federation should still give in to the extortion????

Why not? Because it would absolutely destroy the only health-freedom seat

at Codex!

How could the Federation work with NSF*s incredible incompetence and

inability to tell the truth? Here are just a few of the many reasons why we

say

No:

* In March 2005, NSF announced that Codex would take vitamins and

minerals off health-food store shelves in the U.S. by July 31, 2005. When we

pointed out to them in person that this absolutely would not happen and

they would make the health-freedom movement look bad when the removal from

store shelves did not occur, they flatly refused our request to stop making

this announcement. Of course, four years later vitamins and minerals are

still freely found on health-food store shelves in the U.S.

 

* Now, NSF is incorrectly claiming that **Codex will go into global

effect on December 31, 2009.** When that date passes and NS*’s readers

realize they were fooled once again, what date will NSF then select? 2011?

2012? NSF cannot even get their subjects straight since this quoted date

applies to the EU Food Supplements Directive and not to Codex. (See

_http://www4.dr-rath-foundation.org/THE_FOUNDATION/Events/codex-beware.htm_

(http://www4.dr-rath-foundation.org/THE_FOUNDATION/Events/codex-beware.htm) .)

 

* Considering that it paints a picture of itself as an *authority*

on Codex issues, NSF still incorrectly claims that **The CODEX ALIMENTARIUS

Commission meets every two years, always offshore (Rome, Bonn, Paris, etc.)

and never in Smallville, U.S.A.** In fact, the Commission meets every

single year, alternating between the FAO headquarters in Rome, Italy and the

WHO headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland.

 

* In a typical exaggeration and use of tabloid tactics, NSF claimed

(and still claims) that the World Health Organization (WHO) had *severely

chastized* the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC) for not making a

significant contribution to human health in its 42 years of existence. In

fact, a

simple comment was blown out of proportion and effect. Thus, NSF*s claim

that a *Miracle* occurred at the meeting of the Codex Alimentarius

Commission in Rome in July 2005 is false. See, e.g.,

_http://www4.dr-rath-foundation.org/THE_FOUNDATION/Events/codex-miracle.htm_

(http://www4.dr-rath-foundation.org/THE_FOUNDATION/Events/codex-miracle.htm) .

 

* When the Central American Free Trade Agreement – CAFTA – (which

requires the application of Codex standards within the United States) was

hanging by a thread and was even defeated on the House floor for a short

while, NSF helped divert action against the anti-health-freedom bill by

announcing that CAFTA was not a threat to health freedom! NSF did this while

the

handful of true and sincere health-freedom groups fought feverishly

against CAFTA. The International Advocates for Health Freedom has dealt with

this issue at length on its website.

 

* NSF*s falsely claimed again that A *Stunning Victory* for health

freedom had occurred at the May 2006 meeting of the Codex Committee on Food

Labelling (CCFL) in Ottawa, Canada. There was no stunning victory, at

least not to anyone truly familiar with Codex. See, e.g.,

_http://www4.dr-rath-foundation.org/THE_FOUNDATION/Events/codex-ottawa.htm_

(http://www4.dr-rath-foundation.org/THE_FOUNDATION/Events/codex-ottawa.htm) .

 

* At the April-May 2008 meeting of the Codex Committee for Food

Labelling in Ottawa, Canada, NSF was behind the ill-advised South African move

to inject religion into a strongly-secular Codex at the wrong time. The

result was major blowback that resulted in the South African delegate, Mrs.

Antoinette Booyzen, being called on the carpet by her own government,

humiliated, and thereafter side-lined from future Codex meetings. The NHF lost

a valuable Codex ally as a result of NSF*s clumsy, behind-the-scenes

manipulations.

 

* In fact, it can be argued that the NHF had lost Mrs. Booyzen as an

ally even before because once NSF started appearing at Codex meetings,

Mrs. Booyzen unaccountably stopped coordinating her Codex activities with NHF

and began only associating with NSF. Whether this was intentional or not

on the part of NSF is irrelevant because the result was the same: Mrs.

Booyzen strangely stopped working with NHF.

 

* As a self-pronounced **source of expert information** (see

_http://www.healthfreedomusa.org/?p=2931_

(http://www.healthfreedomusa.org/?p=2931)

), NSF*s notion that **Codex Alimentarius sharply restricts or eliminates

most medicinal herbs and limits the conditions that can be treated using

medicinal herbs to a small number of trivial ones** is grossly inaccurate

and patently false./3 Medicinal herbals are not subject to Codex jurisdiction.

 

* And another example of NSF*s flagrant grandstanding without

substance: They boldly announced, **A major newspaper in this [African] country

runs a full page story on the importance of our stand on Codex and health

freedom! We will scan it and share it with you AFTER the Codex meeting. It

urges the country to take care to protect its access to healthy and natural

options! In color, no less!** (See _http://www.healthfreedomusa.org/?p=117_

(http://www.healthfreedomusa.org/?p=117) ) Of course, no scan of any such

African newspaper story has ever either been published on the NSF*s website

or, that we know of, sent out to its rs. What happened to it?

Did their dog eat it? Was it confiscated by U.S. Customs upon their return

home? Was their suitcase lost in transit?/4

 

* NSF is a large resource sinkhole, draining valuable resources away

from other health-freedom organizations. For example, to attend last

year*s Codex meeting in Cape Town, South Africa, NSF was demanding donations of

$33,000. NHF sent its delegate to the exact same meeting for only $3,000!

 

* NSF is shunned by the vast majority of health-freedom

organizations, including the American Association for Health Freedom, Alliance

for

Natural Health, Dr. Rath Health Foundation, International Advocates for Health

Freedom, National Health Freedom Coalition, Fritts Helsevalg, MayDay, and

the National Health Federation, all of whom work together amongst themselves

cooperatively on a variety of different health-freedom issues, showing

thereby that it*s not a *turf war* issue. These organizations will just

simply have nothing to do with NSF.

 

* NSF preys on the unsophisticated and/or naïve health-freedom

activists who are interested enough in health freedom to get taken in by NSF*s

slick jargon or else ask **why can*t we all just work together,** while

those who know better have carefully avoided NSF and realize that you cannot

work with everyone, especially those who continuously put out false or

incorrect information.

 

 

 

 

 

NSF THEN ATTACKS THE FEDERATION IN ITS MOST RECENT PRESS RELEASE

Hiding behind the false belief that by not mentioning the Federation by

name it is somehow not attacking us directly, NSF grandiosely and incorrectly

states in its recent press release that: **You deserve a voice that

represents you at the Codex table. The rules and regulations of Codex demand

that and so do we.** Perhaps thinking that Mr. Fucetola*s extortionist e-mail

was not sufficient, NSF has gone public with its demand.

For the reasons mentioned above, NSF does not have a leg to stand on and –

as usual – misstates the law and exaggerates the facts in its **fast and

loose** claims.

Just as one example, NSF outright lies to its readers when it claims in

its press release that it **initiated the process of a meeting**:

 

**In fact, shortly after the Natural Solutions Foundation was created,

General Bert and I initiated the process that led to a 2005 *Summit Meeting*

of the Health Freedom groups on both sides of the Atlantic in Crystal City

VA. Except for meeting our third Trustee, Ralph Fucetola, his wife Kathy and

Attorney Jim Turner there, the results were pure T' N E: Turf and Ego.**

The truth is that the summit in question (which was attended by Scott Tips

and Paul Taylor, amongst many others) was organized by the American

Association for Health Freedom and the Dr. Rath Health Foundation. The largest

single funding for the summit was provided by the Dr. Rath Health

Foundation. Aside from their persistent demands to be allowed to attend,

Laibow,

Stubblebine, and NSF had no role whatsoever in the organizing of it.

 

How can these persons be trusted? They cannot even tell the truth about

the origins of a simple meeting, but must claim credit for it. Is it any

wonder that knowledgeable health-freedom activists and organizations will

have absolutely nothing to do with them? Again, there are simply some people

and organizations that just cannot be worked with.

DON*T BE FOOLED BY NSF*S CUTE, FUZZY WORD GAMES – THEY

BELIEVE IN EXTORTION AND AREN*T AFRAID TO USE IT!

In other words, NSF is saying that if they cannot benefit from the

National Health Federation*s hard work in having secured and kept an official

seat

at the Codex table, then NSF is going to do its best to take it away from

them. Like a spoiled five year old in pre-school bawling about not having

a toy, they are meanly going to try to destroy it rather than let anyone

else have use of it!!! At the most basic gut level that tells you volumes

about how much NSF really cares about health freedom.

And as for Mr. Fucetola, he is a very different person than NHF president

Scott Tips first met back in 1969, or even the NHF thought it knew thirty

years ago in 1979. It*s high time that he took that *Appreciation* plaque

off his wall and mailed it back to the Federation. After receiving his

clumsy extortionist threats, the Federation demands its return. Ungrateful

extortionists such as Mr. Fucetola do not deserve to display awards of

*appreciation* while biting the hands of those who gave it to them.

The National Health Federation had been in existence for 50 Years before

the NSF suddenly materialized on the health-freedom scene as *instant

experts.* In our opinion, they are a commercial business that spouts

health-freedom slogans to entice donations and sales of products. Earlier this

year

someone created a parody of NSF that made the rounds and can still be viewed

at _http://naturallysolvent.blackapplehost.com/_

(http://naturallysolvent.blackapplehost.com/) , which hilariously spoofs NSF*s

commercial

materialism. Perhaps this parody says it best of all.

So, you be the Judge – Does NSF deserve a seat at the Codex table? A

commercial operation that from the very beginning has never gotten its Codex

facts straight, shunned by every real health-freedom organization that the

Federation works with, and whose idea of advancing health freedom in the

World is to threaten us – a genuine health-freedom organization – with the

loss of our legitimately-gained Codex seat if the Federation does not cave in

to NSF*s extortionist demand, NSF doesn*t even deserve the time of day.

The real health-freedom organizations have worked with us for years on

Codex issues without any problem, and they merit your support. If any good is

to come out of this exchange between the Federation and NSF, at least it

will be your realization that NSF is not among those organizations that

merit support.

---------

1. The relevant report of the Codex Executive Committee, cited above,

can be found at

_http://www.codexalimentarius.net/download/report/661/al2903Ae.pdf_

(http://www.codexalimentarius.net/download/report/661/al2903Ae.pdf)

.. The paragraph dealing with NSF*s application and the reasons for its

rejection can be found on page 15 of the PDF.

 

2. At page 35 of the PDF, it states **If more than one organization

with similar interests is requesting observer status in any field of

activity, such organizations will be encouraged to form themselves into a

federation or association for the purpose of participation. If the formation of

such a single organization is not feasible, the application should explain why

this is so.** (emphasis added)

 

3. In addition to the specific links mentioned above, many of the

points made in this press release are dealt with in great detail in Paul

Anthony Taylor*s **Instant Experts** article. See

_http://www4.dr-rath-foundation.org/THE_FOUNDATION/Events/codex-beware.htm_

(http://www4.dr-rath-foundation.org/THE_FOUNDATION/Events/codex-beware.htm)

See also Paul Taylor*s **A

Modern Major General Exposed?** article, which also contains some

well-researched material and can be found at

_http://www4.dr-rath-foundation.org/THE_FOUNDATION/Events/codex-moderngeneral.ht\

ml_

(http://www4.dr-rath-foundation.org/THE_FOUNDATION/Events/codex-moderngeneral.ht\

ml) .

 

4. Some of NSF*s claims are beyond comment and nothing but pure

sensationalism. For example, NSF says that **Dr. Grossklaus, Chairman of CAC

and anti-nutrition Chairman of the pivotal *Codex Committee on Nutrition and

Foods for Special Dietary Uses* (CCNFSDU), had the delegate from India

bodily removed during a November 2003 CCNFSDU meeting**. The delegate*s crime?

Insisting on discussing the inclusion of CCNFSDU-approved material in baby

formula which could kill 10% of newborns in his country. After the delegate

was forcibly removed, Dr. Grossklaus nonchalantly declared the issue

approved by *consensus.* (See

_http://www.healthfreedomusa.org/aboutcodex/indepth/wto.shtml_

(http://www.healthfreedomusa.org/aboutcodex/indepth/wto.shtml)

..) Yet, NSF did not even attend this 2003 meeting, and, in any case, did

not even bother to form their organization until late 2004 or 2005. For

accurate reports on what actually happened at the meeting by those in

attendance, please see Paul Taylor*s report at

_http://www4.dr-rath-foundation.org/THE_FOUNDATION/Events/bonn2003codex.html_

(http://www4.dr-rath-foundation.org/THE_FOUNDATION/Events/bonn2003codex.html)

and Scott Tips* at

_http://www.thenhf.com/codex_09.htm_ (http://www.thenhf.com/codex_09.htm) .

 

 

********************

 

For further information on Codex, please visit the NHF website (Codex):

_http://www.thenhf.com/codex.html_ (http://www.thenhf.com/codex.html)

NHF Codex Overview (May be used as an article or printed as a handout to

educate on Codex) _http://www.thenhf.com/codex/codex_handout.pdf_

(http://www.thenhf.com/codex/codex_handout.pdf)

As the oldest and best-respected health-freedom group on Capitol Hill, the

NHF continues to be the credible source of objective assessment of, and

proactive actions on, Congressional legislation and FDA matters that have

material impact upon our freedom-of-health choices and access to dietary

supplements and nutritional foods.

********************

 

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(http://www.thenhf.com/press_releases/pr_30_jun_2009.html)

 

National Health Federation: Established in 1955, the National Health

Federation is a consumer-education, health-freedom organization working to

protect individuals' rights to choose to consume healthy food, take supplements

and use alternative therapies without unnecessary government restrictions.

The NHF is the only such organization with recognized observer-delegate

status at Codex meetings. _www.thenhf.com_ (http://www.thenhf.com)

 

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