Monsanto Getting Creepier and Creepier

Great subject, twitchy!! You certainly deserve the way above for all your work!

I'm afraid that tampering with the food supply is a greater threat to our future than most realize. Keep up the good work.

So I guess what Twitchy and others are saying is that if YOU created a better seed with expensive and time consuming research, that you would then only charge for it once and then let your farmer customers use that property in perpetuity - for their own gain and you would just sit there and watch them..??

Intellectual property is just that - property, and it is protected by laws and they do actually apply to you as well, so you may as well engineer, grow and sell some seeds (once, by most peoples arguments here) or buy some Monsanto stock and use your voting power to change the board and force them to change their sales policies and loose tons of revenue so your investment can head down the toilet - yup - uh-huh....

UofCinLA, maybe you think monopolizing the world food markets is a good thing, but if you had bothered to read any of the information I provided before you came rushing into this thread, you would understand that this technology isn't the moden miracle they are billing it to be. Yes great strides have been made in agricultural technology, and yes, genetic modification can be a good thing, but we are talking about the food supply of the entire world being tampered with and monopolized, and controlled by a company I wouldn't trust enough to buy a pair of socks from. The same people that sprayed our boys in Nam down with carcinogens and said it was ok, the same people that brought us the miracle of aspartame... how much do you really know about Monsanto?

UofCinLA, did you have your head under a rock, or are you just to glue to CNN/Fox news to care? Monsanto is suing farmers for saving seeds becuase they just happened to be Monsanto brand seed. The thing is these farmers weren't using the seeds the got there by Cross-Polination, but that is me Re-Hashing what has already been said in this thread already.

Mankind seemed to get along just fine for thousands of years without patenting seed types. Farmers grew crops and used natural cross-pollenation methods to experiment with. If it was successful, everyone benefitted and more could be grown.
As Twitchy says, this is turning into nothing more than corporate global control over our food and will lead to corporate blackmail. I'd like to see some of the farmers whose crops have been contaminated filing lawsuits against Monsanto, but with the political clout they have I doubt it'll happen.

The CPA in Iraq changed the country's patent laws to allow just this sort of corporate takeover and control of farming. The Iraqi people had no say in the matter, it was imposed on them by a foreign power.
The impact of all this is potentially huge with likely global consequences but our media remains quiet on the subject.

how can the legal system let man patent add-ons? i mean, if i design a rear view mirror for a car, do i now own the patent for the whole car? see? 'they' are putting the shaft to us.

seeds blow onto your property, and you save them, and then you go to jail? that is not 'intellectual property'. that is personal property, and monsatan needs to be taken down like the rouge elephant they are.
these corporate DEMONS pull out the underpinnings of human survival, and offer cheap 'plastic' alternatives with a negative billing 'option'? dirt farmers who have never heard of television or the internet are being prosecuted for their 'illegal activity', while the corrupt new world order fat cats dine on elitist organically grown everything.

tomatoes grown in the backyard taste about a hundred times better than hydroponic 'hot house' crap. EVERYTHING natural is better than man-MODIFIED crap.

FU, NWO!!!!

In the future when people can no longer grow their own food because there are no more natural crops to provide seed stock righteous people will march on Monsanto and crucify every money hungry bastard in the place. I will cheer them on madly!!!!!

I'd like to see some of the farmers whose crops have been contaminated filing lawsuits against Monsanto, but with the political clout they have I doubt it'll happen.

www.organicconsumers.org...

www.mindfully.org...

wired-vig.wired.com...

Already happening...

Im going to add my two cents.

I live on a grain farm, im familiar with all the products and seed treatments.

You cant fight monsanto.

Remember that monsanto was a major manucaturer of AGENT ORANGE for spraying in vietnam.



Learn all about the evils of monsanto here
link


Why dont farmers grow something else? Use another product?

Well alot are. Including many of my neighbours. It takes years to be certified organic.

Trust me, using treated seed is not fun. Blue canola seeds? Does that sound natural? I should get some warning labels and read them to you all.

Originally posted by Dulcimer
I should get some warning labels and read them to you all.

Yes, please do! You don't have to type them, you can scan them in if you have OCR or some kind of text recognizing program and post them.

Originally posted by Dulcimer
You cant fight monsanto.

Hi Dulcimer - if you're a farmer then you are probably aware of Percy Schmeiser - the Canadian farmer in Saskatchewan who was sued by Monsanto because they claimed that some of their gm canola seeds blew onto the Schmeiser's land and they were knowingly growing gm canola. It went all the way to the Supreme Court of Canada.

Mr. Schmeiser was on an internet radio program I listened to last week and was highly informative...and I was quite disgusted listening to this poor man.

You're right...Monsanto is about as creepy as it gets.

Excellent work Twitchy!



[edit on 24/5/05 by AlwaysLearning]

Meanwhile, Scientists from the University of Manitoba have released a report indicating, "Under current conditions the release of Roundup Ready wheat in Western Canada would be environmentally unsafe." (Read more...) Despite the landslide of data revealing probable negative impacts on the environment, the economy and human health, the FDA is posed to approve Monsanto's GE wheat. Why? Read on...

Monsanto's Government Ties

A Monsanto official told the New York Times that the corporation should not have to take responsibility for the safety of its food products. "Monsanto should not have to vouchsafe the safety of biotech food," said Phil Angell, Monsanto's director of corporate communications. "Our interest is in selling as much of it as possible. Assuring its safety is the FDA's job."

It would be nice to think the FDA can be trusted with these matters, but think again. Monsanto has succeeded in insuring that government regulatory agencies let Monsanto do as it wishes. Take a look:

Prior to being the Supreme Court Judge who put GW Bush in office,Clarence Thomas was Monsanto's lawyer.

The U.S. Secretary of Agriculture (Anne Veneman) was on the Board of Directors of Monsanto's Calgene Corporation.
The Secretary of Defense (Donald Rumsfeld) was on the Board of Directors of Monsanto's Searle pharmaceuticals.


The U.S. Secretary of Health, Tommy Thompson, received $50,000 in donations from Monsanto during his winning campaign for Wisconsin's governor.

The two congressmen receiving the most donations from Monsanto during the last election were Larry Combest (Chairman of the House Agricultural Committee) and Attorney General John Ashcroft. (Source: Dairy Education Board)



In order for the FDA to determine if Monsanto's growth hormones were safe or not, Monsanto was required to submit a scientific report on that topic. Margaret Miller, one of Monsanto's researchers put the report together. Shortly before the report submission, Miller left Monsanto and was hired by the FDA. Her first job for the FDA was to determine whether or not to approve the report she wrote for Monsanto. In short, Monsanto approved its own report. Assisting Miller was another former Monsanto researcher, Susan Sechen. Deciding whether or not rBGH-derived milk should be labeled fell under the jurisdiction of another FDA official, Michael Taylor, who previously worked as a lawyer for Monsanto.

there's no NWO. what are you talking about?



[edit on 24-5-2005 by billybob]

I'm a farmer and have used Monsanto products. They are not what were advertised as. After the GM products came out, we started asking for the old varieties back when we saw how the new ones performed. The answer that we got was that there is low demand for the old varities so there was a low quantity produced. We farmers have to pay the price for Monsanto learning from their mistakes. They don't care how their products produce as long as they can sell their GM products. They have controll of the production of the nonmodified products so they will sell us what they want us to buy. The price they are charging is way too high and the yields don't necessilary increase.

Originally posted by AlwaysLearning

Originally posted by Dulcimer
You cant fight monsanto.

Hi Dulcimer - if you're a farmer then you are probably aware of Percy Schmeiser - the Canadian farmer in Saskatchewan who was sued by Monsanto because they claimed that some of their gm canola seeds blew onto the Schmeiser's land and they were knowingly growing gm canola. It went all the way to the Supreme Court of Canada.


[edit on 24/5/05 by AlwaysLearning]

Yes, that story is also in my link I posted. Im from the same province, hes about 2 1/2 hours from me.

He is not the only one who has had troubles with monsanto.

www.producer.com... (the western producer) newspaper covers stories such as this quite well. They covered his case.



[edit on 25-5-2005 by Dulcimer]

Monsanto and a number of large agribusiness concerns have been convicted of illegal activities such as price fixing (think vitamins) and the like. This - they consider - is a cost of doing business. Yes, this is for real. All businesses are involved with shady activities but few are as blatant as the agribusiness concerns - petroleum is the same way.

Genetically Modified foods (GM foods) are dangerous. Studies have shown that they cause damage to the GI system in rats and damage the immune system. Research has been stifled showing severe allergic reactions in humans - including plantation workers in the Filipines.

The idea that introducing new proteins from highly allergenic foods into non-allergenic foods is insane. We don't know the markers that cause reactions. We don't understand the immune system all that well. Let's see, I am going to add this fish-only genetic marker to this plant and then release it in the wild. Do they do any research to make sure that there is no chance of a zoonotic disease developing? Or a disease that has never existed before? Don't laugh, it is a real possibility with the reckless nature of the research.

Let's see, I will create a strain of corn that reduces the sperm count in men as a way to provide birth control. (They are really doing this, by the way.) Corn is in practically everthing. Do you think there is the slightest possibility of cross-contamination that would then lead to massive infertility? Or maybe I want to introduce this strain into the crops of folks who are 'undesirable'. (Whoever that may be.)

Monsanto is one of the worst offenders. They are not to be trusted at all. They are a major lobby in preventing real labeling of foodstuffs. You have no idea what you are putting in your body if you don't eat organics - or grow your own.

Monsanto was responsible for this:

www.mindfully.org...

Makes you want to drink milk?

This company is bad news. Nothing but bad news. They are a major factor in the destruction of small family farms in the Central Midwest of the USA. I try very hard not to use their products - but their tentacles are everywhere and you can end up using them without even realizing it.

Regards,

MLO

Great Post Billybob, follow the money guys.
Food is just to damned important to sit back and watch it fall into the same trap as everything else. The broader concept here is that we are letting a coporation that has as bad a record as Hollinger or Halliburton, basicly monopolize, and experiment with the GLOBAL food production. This is a serious concern to to mankind, not to the next GOP or Democratic flubs, but to every person on the earth. Forcing folks to purchase seeds that don't regenerate is bad enough, but Alot of folks think wow, neon mice and blue tomatoes are cool, but what they don't realize is that genetic research is still infantile compared to millions of years of evolution and natural selections. If nature screws up, it is fixed, adapted, or replaced, if we screw up, an already overpopulated species will die off in mass starvation. As paranoid as that sounds, ask yourself this question... What would you eat if the Supermarkets were closed down tommorow? Do you realize what a delicate balance of production and distribution are involved, just say, in a box of wheaties? What happens if BigBadLandStealinCorporateFarms INC. finds out that all the corn they have forced people to buy and sew that year gave people eyeball Cancer? One Year's failed crop of Corn to Farmer Joe is nothing really, there is generally insurance and nobody starves to death, one years failed corn crop to BigBadLandStealinCorporateFarms INC., means no corn for cattle, no corn for wheaties, no corn for you, and people die.

I'm tickled to see so many pissed off farmers here. I was brought up on a small farm of only 52 acres, but I have slung some hay myself, but I have also seen what happened when the big guys started squeezing our neighbors friends out that had larger tracts.
Maybe it is the conspiracy nut in me, but I really think there is something more to this than just wanting that money. I think there is a really dark dark side to the Pharmaceutical Industry, and this grab at the world food production.
It doesn't take long to google around some names and find whose hands are in whose pockets, and with Montsanto in particular, and if you know your history, that list of names is a frightening list indeed.

[edit on 25-5-2005 by twitchy]

I truly think the world needs to become more agriculture aware. It would benefit alot of people if the word was spread on such things.

Our current situation in canada really really sucks.

Border to usa closed because of BSE.

horrible yields all over last year.

Prices now are a joke, selling grain for less than the inputs.
fertilizer and chemicals only go up and up every year, along with fuel.

its pretty hard to make a living when you have such little control on your market. the sad part is alot of people are quitting.

Yes I read all the posts and no my head is not under a rock. Let them duke it out in the courts as I have no idea if a cross-pollinated strain violates anything. Just pointing out that IP laws are not all bad and at some point Monsanto was small and had to find a niche and grow. Many on this board assume that a great idea and growth is a conspiracy in and of itself - I assure you it is not.

Even with the big bad Monsanto's and Microsofts, there of 100's of smaller mom and pops that carve a big chunk into those business. Seminis seeds is one here in the LA area (not too mom and pop as they are a $700M US seed company) and I'm sure some research would find others. A great idea, some access to funding and hard work are opportunities we all have. I don't cry about it because I haven't done it yet, I buy stock and profit with them and if and when the lightbulb comes on I hope to exploit it and grow to a behemoth of a company - no conspiracy, I just want some coin so I can have even more fun and for most CEO's or founders of companies, thats what it's all about at the end of the day....

Do you really believe that Monsanto and the others would let BSE out? I know of 3 people I have known or known by only 1 degree of separation who died of CJD. Hello? I don't know anyone with AIDS. I do know of 3 people - and knew directly one person - that died of CJD.

Granted, maybe it isn't BSE related, maybe it is a variant of CWD. But the big agribusiness interests don't want you to know about that. You see, if the scientists are right about prions then even vegetables can carry the prions into your system.

Why this?

www.beefusa.org... ing3406.aspx

I think that it is odd that they don't want to let companies that want to add it into their price. Tells me that they have something to hide.

Then there is Chronic Wasting Disease:

www.cwd-info.org...

This is just frightening reading. Cows and Deer have a lot of shared diseases. In Michigan, for instance, we have banned deer baiting in Northeastern Michigan due to a tuberculosis epidemic in the deer for fear of the cattle.

Agricultural news is very poorly reported. There was a recent story on NPR about it that I can't find showing that over the last 20 years agricultural reporting has been neglected. These stories are big. They should be known by everyone. Let's list some of the neglected stories:

• Arid Land being Usurped by Industrial Concerns and Suburbs
  
• Chronic Wasting Disease Epidemic Spreading from New York to Colorado
  
• Genetic Modification of Food Seeds
  
• Patenting of Lifeforms (Plants have always been patentable)
  
• Desertification of Farmland
  
• Increases in Foodborne Illness - Salmonella to CJD
  
• Increases in Immunological Disease such as Food Allergy
  
• The 'Miracle' of Limiting Food Sources
  
• Neglecting Our Farming Heritage: Heirloom Seeds? Who Needs 'Em?
  

That is just a very high level overview. Monsanto owns a share of about everything. You can see I have a slant on this.

We are overdue for a book like "The Jungle" in the USA/Canada to help stop this. But I'm not sure such a book would get the publication coverage it would deserve.

Regards,
MLO

Originally posted by Britguy
The CPA in Iraq changed the country's patent laws to allow just this sort of corporate takeover and control of farming. The Iraqi people had no say in the matter, it was imposed on them by a foreign power.

Well seen, this angle. High-level legal-financial shenanigans behind a pretense of law, is the new method of colonization. The russians think differently: our oil? It belongs to us, not to some foreign-controlled outfit. In order for Monsanto to be able to market their terminator seeds, they will need protection under the law, under American trade agreements. On their turn, these trade agreements are given substance by presence of American armies everywhere.