In the first half of the show, Dr. Joel Wallach, discussed the human body's innate ability to heal itself through natural means and supplementation. The mainstream medical system has failed Americans terribly-- according to one report medical doctors kill, injure, or infect 15 million patients annually at hospitals and clinics, he cited. The problem of over-prescribing medications is rampant, and patients with a chronic issue are on the average given 27 different pharmaceutical prescriptions, he continued. "I think insurance has been one of the most terrible things for human health," as with this kind of system, patients don't get second opinions, he added.
Wallach believes that most diseases and medical problems are the result of mineral or dietary deficiencies. One study he cited showed that the ingredients in commercially available baby formulas didn't meet the nutritional needs of growing infants. It takes minerals to maintain the health of connective tissue, and a number of conditions such as peripheral neuropathy (pain in the hands and feet) can be improved with the right supplementation, he said. Wallach also suggested that the real cause of obesity is nutritional deficiencies, rather than poor diet and lack of exercise.
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In the latter half, international journalist and educator Alex Newman, addressed his work with veteran educator Samuel L. Blumenfeld on disturbing trends in public schools, which he claims are dumbing down a generation of American youth. The problems in American education began with the adoption of practices introduced by John Dewey early in the 20th century, which included a whole-word method of teaching reading, Newman stated, adding that Dewey was a progressive who studied teaching in Europe and Russia, and wanted to turn America into a socialist utopia.
The Dewey approach has been incorporated into "Common Core," a set of national standards used in public schools of what each student should know in English and Mathematics at the end of each grade. Such a system impedes innovation and competition, and ends up lowering the quality of education, victimizing both students and teachers, Newman contended. Further, the federal government is collecting data, and forming dossiers on all these students through the Common Core program, he cautioned. Instead of the compromised public school system, Newman advised enrolling kids in private schools, or home schooling them if possible.
News segment guests: Roger Tolces, Richard C. Hoagland