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JUNE - JULY 1998 © REVIEWS His chapter dealing with the East Timorese —_ minimise the impact of regulations on their B oO oO K Ss betrayal by both Liberal and Labor govern- practices. Apart from the media downplay- Reviewed by Ruth Parnell ments in Australia is indicative of how eco- _ing the BSE/CJD threat, PR and legal firms nomic, political and military interests can so counter valid consumer concerns by deni- HIDDEN AGENDAS cynically dismiss and suppress basic human _ grating scientists and activists who have by John Pilger rights. Anyone concerned with the social argued for years for the implementation of Publisher: Vintage, UK, 1998 injustices of the world will despair at complete preventive measures in the US. ISBN: 0-099-74151-2 (687pp p/b) Pilger's revelations, but will be inspired by Rampton and Stauber detail the scientific Price: AUD$19.95; NZD$24.95; those brave enough to resist oppression. discoveries behind BSE, CJD, kuru, scrapie STG£10.50 inc. p&h; NLGF32,90; and other transmissable spongiform diseases CAN$21.95 , a MAD COW USA: Could the and document the trans-Atlantic political, Distributors: Aust/NZ/UK/Can— Random — Nightmare Happen Here? social and economic background of BSE and House; Uk/Europe— NEXUS offices. by Sheldon Rampton and John Stauber unknown in the US and news of the 1979 ohn Pilger is a rare journalist and film- Publisher: Common Courage, USA, 1997 discovery of a TSE-type disease in pigs is maker who is almost as controversial as ISBN: 1-56751-111-2 (246pp h/c) disturbing in terms of the new FDA regula- his subject matter. His latest tour de force, Price: AUD$50.00; NLGf54.90; USD$25 tions. US authorities and the American peo- Hidden Agendas, is titled as such becausehe 4, $5 p&h; o/s airmail, contact publisher ple would be mad to ignore these warnings. asserts it is not enough for journalists to be Distributors: Aust—Cameron Books, ph mere messengers: they need to understand (02) 4758 7676, fax (02) 4758 9047; re hidden agendas behind the messages and Europe—NEXUS office: USA—Common e myths surrounding them. This "information age” he explains, is one Oaget oh aby) £05 0900, 1800 40 ME of the great myths of modern times. With we grea : _ 3207 (toll-free), fax (207) 525 3068. the limits imposed by the mainstream media $ FDA regulations passed in June 1997 t hi t t a truthful pict f eae te osino on in our world. Thi to ban the feeding of rendered sheep what's really going on in our world. Thus, ‘ Hidden Agendas is devoted to "slow and cattle to ruminants have come nearly a news"—the important world events which decade too late, argue the authors of Mad are unreported and under-reported, which Cow USA. Apart from being difficult to are misrepresented, sanitised and trivialised enforce, these regulations are inadequate: by propaganda and censorship. they fail to prohibit cannibalistic feeding Pilger covers a great deal of ground (much _ practices in other animals consumed by of which has been bombed, napalmed and humans, e.g., pigs and chickens, and they Harpe nuked). He looks behind the scenes of UN don't address the problem of BSE-contami- a "peace-keeping" missions and the UK arma- _ hated protein getting into anything from cos- HEAL? ments industry, and at the role of the IMF metics and drugs to garden fertilisers. and World Bank in the globalisation agenda. _ Authors Sheldon Rampton and John He considers the post-Gulf War fate of Iraqi Stauber edit PR Watch, published by the civilians, the plight of Burmese dissidents, Center for Media & Democracy, and they the fight of the Liverpool dockers and life in _ have an informed perspective on lobbying "new" Britain, South Africa and Vietnam. by industry groups and food authorities to SHELDON RRMETOM » OHH STHUBER His chapter dealing with the East Timorese betrayal by both Liberal and Labor govern- ments in Australia is indicative of how eco- nomic, political and military interests can so cynically dismiss and suppress basic human rights. Anyone concerned with the social injustices of the world will despair at Pilger's revelations, but will be inspired by those brave enough to resist oppression. minimise the impact of regulations on their practices. Apart from the media downplay- ing the BSE/CJD threat, PR and legal firms counter valid consumer concerns by deni- grating scientists and activists who have argued for years for the implementation of complete preventive measures in the US. Rampton and Stauber detail the scientific discoveries behind BSE, CJD, kuru, scrapie and other transmissable spongiform diseases and document the trans-Atlantic political, social and economic background of BSE and its link with CJD. Indeed, TSEs are not unknown in the US, and news of the 1979 discovery of a TSE-type disease in pigs is disturbing in terms of the new FDA regula- tions. US authorities and the American peo- ple would be mad to ignore these warnings. coo li de Sack H/GHINAE itn! a HEPPER HEnEY ee 5 4? 4 SHELNOH RAMOTOM + DKK STAUBER NEXUS +73