Illegal to grow your own food in u.s. now ?

[Monica]

Oh, c’mon Monica. What would the death rate be without modern medical treatment?

I never said anything about eliminating modern medical treatment. It definitely has its place: broken bones, gunshot wounds, car accidents, sudden heart attacks, severe burns, etc. I would not be alive today had it not been for interventive trauma care. I am very grateful that it is available for those emergency situations!

Raw almonds, homegrown food and organic raw milk aren’t going to save anyone from trauma induced injuries, heart attack or stroke.

Agreed! There seems to have been a misunderstanding here. I absolutely agree that modern medicine is appropriate for acute trauma conditions. That is where it shines!

However, it is not only woefully inadequate, but actually destructive, for many, if not most, cases of chronic illnesses.

Not to mention the myriad other diseases and afflictions that can strike. What does save you, in this world, is the application of high tech medicine. Even Carla benefited from what is, arguably, the finest medical system on the planet. Not without its serious problems, I’ll grant.

I'm curious upon what you are basing your assessment that the US has the 'finest' medical system on the planet? Assuming you are referring to the US, I would respectfully, but strongly, disagree with you.

Let's look at some statistics:

According to the World Health Organization, the US spends more $$ on healthcare [sic], er, disease management, than all other industrialized nations combined.

So, with all this $$ being spent, one would think we'd be the healthiest nation on the planet, right?

But no. The US ranks #48.

Japan actually ranks #1. They live 6-7 years longer, spend 1/3 as much on healthcare, are much more prevention-oriented, and much healthier.

Even Cuba ranks higher than the US.

By all means, supplement your lifestyle with fresh foods and diet. Get plenty of exercise and meditate. But we all use (and/or will use) contemporary medicine at some point in our lives.

Barring accidents, not necessarily. Many people are now choosing alternative health therapies for serious illnesses like heart disease, diabetes and cancer. There are even health insurance policies that cover only accidents, without covering illnesses. The allopathic approach is not the only option, though it still tries to be a monopoly.

And, barring a debilitating condition that we may have signed onto before we came back to this rock, most of us benefit from modern medicine and preventative procedures.

I agree with what I think you are trying to say, but I would clarify that I don't consider 'modern medicine' ie. allopathic medicine, to be preventative.

That said….there are myriad areas that need change. But the change needed is systemic. And far beyond, I believe, the political manipulations of any country. Its going to take a change in thought patterns species-wide. Not something that can be accomplished in the time any of us have left here. So, unless, something actually happens in 2012…its going to take several more lifetimes of work to bring this about.

You might be surprised! The alternative health industry has grown exponentially in the last couple of decades. If it continues to grow at that rate, the landscape could look drastically different in the next decade. In Japan, for example, at least 25% of their population already engages in preventative healthcare (what would be considered 'alternative' in the US but is normal for them) in a significant way. People are waking up! More and more are realizing that dependency on pharmaceuticals is just causing more drug-induced side effects, causing more drugs to be prescribed, and the cycle continues... Many are now seeking alternatives and being healed, despite being told by the conventional medical system they were incurable.