The Dangers of “Big Tofu”? (and the weirdest and worst of the Right Wing in DMI Year In Review)

Elana Levin

The Dangers of “Big Tofu”? (and the weirdest and worst of the Right Wing in DMI Year In Review)

Last week the blogs were been buzzing - or rather guffawing over a piece by a rightwing columnist claiming that consuming soy makes babies gay. (Clearly, somebody needs to visit soy-loving Asia and read up on some basic science and gender studies texts but what do you expect). This great video by the folks at Politics TV does a smart and hilarious send-up of the "debate".
Seriously loony, right? Well the Eye on the Right section of DMI's Year In Review reveals a better connected but just as nutty attack on all things soy authored by rightwing think tank, The Competitive Enterprise Institute.

In their report called "Put a Stop to 'Big Tofu" the think tank wrote "More powerful than Big Business or Big Oil is Big Tofu, which is exerting its coercive influence on the American diet." It should be no surprise that the CEI defends big oil - going so far as to even deny global warming - because their funding comes from Texaco and Amoco.

Another rightwing think tank featured in the Year In Review, The American Enterprise Institute, which is currently making headlines with their support for escalation in Iraq has been the source of all kinds of really bad ideas. Because dismateling the civil justice system isn't enough for these champions of the richthey also authored a book called "The Wal-Mart Revolution: How Big-Box Stores Benefit Consumers, Workers, and the Economy" he argues that because Wal-Marts goods are so cheep people get to buy more of them and consumption makes them happy. Oh, I get it, never mind that a Wal-Mart "associate" can't go to the dentist, he can afford lots of chocolate made in a sweatshop and some consumer electronics so that makes everything ok.

There's a lot more right-wing nuttiness to be boggled over - dangerous policy ideas you really should know about - and they are written up in our Year In Review. Its not all depressing/scary/tragically hilarious, we also have some serious wins and rays of hope. In fact you'll be hearing more about the YIR's list of "8 People Advancing Progressive Public Policy in 2006" here on the blog very soon.