A new low for our country... Support breast feeding intiative and we'll withdraw military aid

U.S. officials threatened Ecuador with punitive trade measures after the country introduced an international resolution that encouraged breastfeeding during a global health conference, according to The New York Times. The threats reportedly occurred in May at the U.N.-affiliated World Health Assembly in Geneva.

The Times says baby food industry lobbyists attended the meetings but health advocates said they saw no direct evidence that they influenced the Americans' threats.

When U.S. efforts to water down the measure failed, the delegates reportedly threatened Ecuadorian delegates with retaliatory trade measures and said the U.S. would withdraw military aid unless the country withdrew the measure. The strong-arm tactics worked, and Ecuador dropped its support of the resolution.

But the Russian delegation eventually stepped in and introduced the measure without any threats from the American officials, the Times reports.

WhiteBoyHatcher wrote:Can someone spell this one out for me? What, other than being inherently evil, is prompting one to oppose this?

WhiteBoyHatcher wrote:Can someone spell this one out for me? What, other than being inherently evil, is prompting one to oppose this?

As with much media coverage of the Trump administration, The New York Times' extremely negative story elided crucial facts, was based on anonymous sources, and contained false information.

The United States suggested a shorter and more streamlined resolution that encouraged promoting exclusive breastfeeding as well as global initiatives to encourage breastfeeding in hospitals. Delegates from around the world debated for a few days, culminating with all member states in the room reaching consensus on a final draft. On a video available on the World Health Organization web site, the involved parties openly discuss how they reached consensus, emphasize the importance of reaching consensus, and then applaud the passage of the consensus document. The public discussion and applause of the process is a far cry from the “stunned” “shock” alleged in media reports.

The U.S. delegation doesn’t agree with a public health policy of keeping information away from women who are feeding their children. But that doesn’t mean that they oppose exclusive breastfeeding or its encouragement. Describing radical anti-formula efforts as “encouragement of breastfeeding,” as media reports did, is extremely tendentious.

“The Trump Administration believes it’s a public health priority that women and their families have all the information to decide how to appropriately deliver nutrition to their children, whether it is via breastfeeding or other methods,” an HHS spokesman said.

The agency pointed out that the United States has a long history of supporting breastfeeding and breastfeeding programs, and is the largest bilateral donor of foreign assistance programs in this area. Exclusive breastfeeding rates have doubled across 20 of countries where these programs have focused between 1990 and 2014, they say. The U.S. also supports complementary feeding programs and accurate description of the same as a matter of long-standing policy. The original resolution would have made that policy goal difficult, officials said.

kingstonlake wrote:Yes, when it comes to the health of children, "streamlining" is always the best route. Lol. Thanks for the the link to the federalist Goose. Is there a reason you didn't just copy the link?

LooseGoose wrote:

kingstonlake wrote:Yes, when it comes to the health of children, "streamlining" is always the best route. Lol. Thanks for the the link to the federalist Goose. Is there a reason you didn't just copy the link?

What? I provided a link and now you want to know why I didn't copy it? And as usual for you and others when you don't like the information you attack the source. You mention the "Federalist" as if that's a disqualifier....did you watch the video? Do you think the Federalist forged that? Jeezus and you guys love to call me nuts.

LooseGoose wrote:

kingstonlake wrote:Yes, when it comes to the health of children, "streamlining" is always the best route. Lol. Thanks for the the link to the federalist Goose. Is there a reason you didn't just copy the link?

What? I provided a link and now you want to know why I didn't copy it? And as usual for you and others when you don't like the information you attack the source. You mention the "Federalist" as if that's a disqualifier....did you watch the video? Do you think the Federalist forged that? Jeezus and you guys love to call me nuts.