GS,
Here in Canada as in the US, corruption is legalized through institutions like Health Canada (FDA equivalent and FDA rubber stamp), Bank of Canada (Federal Reserve equivalent and FR rubber stamp) etc.
The only difference is that the US agencies make up the corruption first and then the Canadian agencies rewrite the BS and put the Queen's name at the top of the document, so as to justify the government's existence and federal employees jobs here in Ottawa.
Only a corrupt government would prevent a harmless herbal mixture coming from India from smoothly arriving at my doorstep, in one continuous arc. Instead it is warehoused for almost exactly one month in Toronto, while it is verified as being a non-dangerous substance,
every time.
Yet if I pay an extra 20 dollars for a courier company like the Germany courier DHL, it gets straight to my house with no stopping at the jailhose for 30 days.
So GS, the corruption is just at a higher level. I pay an extra 20 dollars, but I pay it to a company who somehow knows the game of corruption a bit better. I have complained to my Member of Parliament about this a number of times and he seems to be powerless to stop it.
So why, you ask, would someone want to prevent or slow me down from getting these herbal mixtures?
The pharmaceutical industry has taken many swipes at the herbal industry as they see it as a major threat. Every couple of years they try to illegalize the purchase of any herbs. They gradually succeed and have worn down people and prevented the promulgation of many things that people find useful because it cuts down on their trafficking of drugs.
So sorry Tyler but the corruption in the Philippines is no different than in first world countries, at least not in Canada and the US.
It is just codified here. Same S*^t different toilet.
A while back I got a Youtube of a guy (Naturopath) in British Columbia (Canadian province) who had his civil rights suspended while Health Canada broke in forced his family to remain in the living room all day (12 hours) while they searched for herbs. Nobody could make this stuff up. Except the folks at Big Pharma.
PART 1 - Naturopathic Doctor Raided by Health Canada and RCMP