When the Government is Silenced

[aggle-rithm]

I thought it might be an interesting exercise to list all the times a government agency wanted to tell the people THE TRUTH, but was silenced in one way or another. It kind of throws a curve ball at the whole conspiracy belief system wherein the government is this massive monolithic entity that always wants to keep the "sheeple" in the dark.

The example I recently read about was when the FDA wanted to put a warning label on vitamin supplements saying, effectively, that we get all the vitamins we need from our diet, and only people with serious medical conditions need extra vitamins. This is true, based on scientific research, but it's a highly inconvenient truth because the supplement industry has powerful lobbyists in Washington.

The warning label never came to pass.

Any others?

 

[IDB87]

I thought it might be an interesting exercise to list all the times a government agency wanted to tell the people THE TRUTH but was silenced in one way or another

May be easier to list all the times THE TRUTH got out. Admittedly it'd be a less interesting thread.

 

[kellyb]

I thought it might be an interesting exercise to list all the times a government agency wanted to tell the people THE TRUTH, but was silenced in one way or another. It kind of throws a curve ball at the whole conspiracy belief system wherein the government is this massive monolithic entity that always wants to keep the "sheeple" in the dark.

The example I recently read about was when the FDA wanted to put a warning label on vitamin supplements saying, effectively, that we get all the vitamins we need from our diet, and only people with serious medical conditions need extra vitamins. This is true, based on scientific research, but it's a highly inconvenient truth because the supplement industry has powerful lobbyists in Washington.

The warning label never came to pass.

Any others?

I'm pretty sure that's a bad example, because the CT would think that was actually a victory for the people, because the idea that non-organic, GMO frankenfood has nutritional value is the REAL lie/scam.

 

[FrederickEason]

I'm pretty sure that's a bad example, because the CT would think that was actually a victory for the people, because the idea that non-organic, GMO frankenfood has nutritional value is the REAL lie/scam.

Or they might think it was an attempt to cover up the cure-all powers of vitamin megadoses.

 

[aggle-rithm]

I'm pretty sure that's a bad example, because the CT would think that was actually a victory for the people, because the idea that non-organic, GMO frankenfood has nutritional value is the REAL lie/scam.

So the big-money lobbyists from soulless corporations are on the side of the people? Hooray!

 

[kellyb]

So the big-money lobbyists from soulless corporations are on the side of the people? Hooray!

"Companies that sell vitamins are good because vitamins are healthy.

Monsanto is a soulless multinational corporation that makes most people's food, and Monsanto is evil and out to kill everyone."

That's how these people think. I'm not kidding.

 

[kellyb]

Or they might think it was an attempt to cover up the cure-all powers of vitamin megadoses.

Both.

 

[kellyb]

Also, another thought. Even if you can come up with a different example, they'll turn it around as proof that evil multinational corporations completely control "the government" in every way. "Evil multinationals ARE the government, see? SEE?" they'll cry with glee.

These people can't be reasoned with.

 

[jaydeehess]

Wrt the OP,
There was the climate change paper which was altered by the GWB administration.

 

[1337m4n]

The example I recently read about was when the FDA wanted to put a warning label on vitamin supplements saying, effectively, that we get all the vitamins we need from our diet, and only people with serious medical conditions need extra vitamins. This is true, based on scientific research, but it's a highly inconvenient truth because the supplement industry has powerful lobbyists in Washington.

Huh, I never knew that.

Wait though. What if my diet consists mainly of fast food and Ramen noodles?

 

[Elizabeth I]

Huh, I never knew that.

Wait though. What if my diet consists mainly of fast food and Ramen noodles?

That's okay - it covers the four main food groups: sugar, salt, fat and carbs.

 

[Tiktaalik]

Maybe Theresa Chambers? She was the US Park Police Chief in Washington D.C. who revealed that the agency did not have enough money to adequately protect the Washington monuments and memorials and was subsequently fired.

http://www.honestchief.com/nj/

 

[Smackety]

Well, I work for the government, and there are things almost every week that I wish I could tell the public, but you only get to say something once, so I am waiting for something really juicy to come along, or maybe when I retire.

 

[LSSBB]

A great example for the purposes of the OP is the case of Pat Tillman. Not only was there a government hush campaign, an actual whistleblower, who had to be really high up, revealed the whole deal.

All arguments of "the government would have silenced participants" are dealt a huge blow by the Pat Tillman case, especially from the fact that the case itself was so small a scale. Expand it to a Grand Conspiracy with so many more opportunities for leaks and impossibility of complete control, and all Grand Conspiracies fail.