Do Governments make up facts to create markets?

[bomekked]

ie pay scientists to say vegetables are good for us

[Pinotage]

They certainly did in WWII.

 

We had a surplus of carrots and the Ministry of Food promoted them by saying they aided eyesight in the dark (of which there was a lot because of wartime blackout.)

 

They used as an example a night fighter pilot who was having a lot of success shooting down Nazi planes in the dark.

 

They paraded poor Group Captain John Cunningham and said his success was due to the vast amount of carrots he ate. His nickname 'Cats Eyes' Cunningham lasted till his death this year.

 

The carrot story not only encouraged the public to eat this healthy root vegetable, but also disguised the true reason for his fughting success which was his night fighter was one of the first equipped with the still secret radar.

 

Strangely, recent scientific research indicates that carrots do help improve night sight......

[xyzzyplugh]

And Popeye was invented to get us eating Spinach?