Thanx Dawi, Can you explain what you mean by "Corporations build nests for themselves thus, provoking the conditions they want by taking a calculatedly vociferous stance AGAINST those conditions."? Tom Epp
On Tue, Sep 30, 2008 at 12:32 AM, Dawie Coetzee <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>wrote: > The role of the villain can work for corporations as well as against them. > If they can be sure they will ALWAYS be regarded as the villain they can > predict the reaction to their actions with a lot of confidence. I believe > this is of central strategic importance to them when it comes to > manipulating government. It ought to be clear by now that large corporations > thrive in a highly-regulated environment. That environment is most > certain when it has popular support, which is best achieved by the illusion > that measures are about limiting corporate abuse when they are in fact about > maintaining corporate privilege. Corporations build nests for themselves > thus, provoking the conditions they want by taking a calculatedly vociferous > stance AGAINST those conditions. > > -Dawie > > > > ----- Original Message ---- > From: Tom Epp <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: sustainablelorgbiofuel@sustainablelists.org > Sent: Monday, 29 September, 2008 19:49:42 > Subject: Re: [Biofuel] Some Farmers Now Protected Against Monsanto Lawsuits > > Why do some companies (like Monsanto) have such disregard for their > reputation? It's so clear that greed drives this corporation, what benefits > can come from this? Walmart acts this way too, and I don't see the > benefits? > It's almost like one day they just stopped caring. I suspect it will be the > downfall of these companies. > Tom Epp > > On Sat, Sep 27, 2008 at 12:54 PM, <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > Some Farmers Now Protected Against Monsanto Lawsuits > > _ > > > http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2008/09/27/some-farmers-no > > w-protected-against-monsanto-lawsuits.aspx?source=nl_ > > ( > > > http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2008/09/27/some-farmers-now-protected-against-mons > > anto-lawsuits.aspx?source=nl) > > > > Farmers with crops that become contaminated by patented genetically > > engineered (GE) seeds or pollen have been the target of harassing > lawsuits > > brought by > > biotech patent holders, especially Monsanto. > > > > But a landmark piece of legislation protecting California's farmers from > > crippling lawsuits has passed through both legislative houses. > > > > AB 541 enacts protections against lawsuits brought against California > > farmers who have not been able to prevent the inevitable drift of GE > > pollen or seed > > onto their land. The bill also establishes a mandatory crop sampling > > protocol to prevent biotech companies investigating alleged violations > > from sampling > > crops without the explicit permission of the farmers who own the land. > > > > Sources: Organic Consumers Association August 31, 2008 > > _ > > http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_14436.cfm_ > > (http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_14436.cfm) > > > > Dr. Mercola's Comments: > > > > Imagine being a farmer who is trying to grow organic, non-genetically > > modified crops. Then imagine those crops being contaminated by a > > neighbor's GM > > crops, whose seeds or pollen have blown over onto your land. Then > imagine > > Monsanto coming in and trying to SUE you for violating the patent > they've > > placed on > > those seeds! > > > > That is outrageous! > > > > Only a desperately evil company like Monsanto would have the unbridled > > greed > > to pull something like that. What is most shocking, though, is that > > Monsanto' > > s practice of targeting farmers for patent infringement is common, and > > well > > planned out. > > > > It is not only the farmers whose crops have been contaminated by > > Monsanto's > > GM seeds that are being investigated, but also farmers accused of saving > > Monsanto's patented seeds to use the next year. Never mind that this is > > the way > > farmers have operated for generations; saving seeds from one year to the > > next > > makes sense financially and environmentally. > > > > Of course Monsanto saw it as a cut in their profits, so they began to > > patent > > their seeds. > > > > Since the 1980s, Monsanto has become the world leader in genetic > > modification of seeds and has won 674 biotechnology patents, more than > any > > other > > company. > > > > But Monsanto is not only patenting their own GMO seeds. They have also > > succeeded in slapping patents on a huge number of crop seeds, patenting > > life forms > > for the first time -- without a vote of the people or Congress. > > > > Farmers who buy Monsanto's Roundup Ready seeds are required to sign an > > agreement promising not to save the seeds or sell them to other farmers > > (What if > > the farmer doesn't sign one? Not to worry, Monsanto has actually > admitted > > to > > forging farmers' signatures on technology agreements if they didn't have > > one > > on file). > > > > The end result of the agreements? Farmers must buy new seeds every year, > > and > > they must buy them from Monsanto. > > > > Monsanto's Seed Police > > > > How would Monsanto know if farmers were reusing their seeds? They've > hired > > an army of private investigators and agents to do just that. It's > > difficult to > > say exactly how extensive this army of "seed police" actually is today, > > but > > as of 2005 Monsanto had 75 employees and a $10 million budget solely to > > investigate and prosecute farmers for patent infringement. > > > > Let's just say, for argument's sake, you were inclined to agree with > > Monsanto about their right to monitor their seeds. They have, after all, > > invested > > millions of dollars into these (typically toxic) genetically modified > > seeds, > > and they need to recover some of that money. Well, can anyone rationally > > say > > that a farmer is responsible for patent infringement if a seed blows > onto > > his > > property? > > > > Of course not. And this is where the bill AB 541 will protect > California's > > farmers from this type of harassment. > > > > I don't believe for one second, though, that Monsanto has any > > justification > > in any of these matters. They are slowly working to take control of the > > entire food supply, and this is not an exaggeration. > > > > Monsanto is considering using what's known as terminator technology on a > > wide-scale basis. These are seeds that have been genetically modified to > " > > self-destruct." In other words, the seeds (and the forthcoming crops) > are > > sterile, > > which means farmers must buy them again each year. > > > > This solves their problem of needing "seed police," but they are > obviously > > looking the other way when it comes to the implications that terminator > > seeds > > could have on the world's food supply: the traits from genetically > > engineered crops can get passed on to other crops. Once the terminator > > seeds are > > released into a region, the trait of seed sterility could be passed to > > other > > non-genetically-engineered crops, making most or all of the seeds in the > > region > > sterile. > > > > If allowed to continue, every farmer in the world could come to rely on > > Monsanto for their seed supply … and this is not a company that you want > > in > > control of your food supply. > > > > Why GM Crops are a Threat to Your Health > > > > There have been no safety studies conducted that prove GM foods are > safe. > > To > > the contrary, dicing and splicing the components of your food supply > into > > never-before-introduced combinations has been found to: > > > > > > -- Cause cancer > > _ > > > http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2007/03/08/warning----gm-food-linked-to-cancer.aspx_ > > ( > > > http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2007/03/08/warning----gm-food-linked-to-cancer.aspx > > ) > > -- Contribute to food allergies > > -- Possibly cause damage to your immune system > > _ > > > http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2005/06/11/gmo-effects.aspx_ > > ( > > > http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2005/06/11/gmo-effects.aspx > > ) > > -- Create super-viruses > > _ > > > http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2003/07/02/gm-crops-part-six.aspx_ > > ( > > > http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2003/07/02/gm-crops-part-six.aspx > > ) > > > > > > Why are these products still on the market (and in the United States, > > making > > up the vast majority -- 75 percent -- of processed foods)? Because > there's > > money to be made with them, and because it's difficult to link health > > problems > > directly to them, in large part because many of the side effects happen > > over > > time. > > > > This is not to say that no links have been made. It's been proven, for > > instance, that bacteria in your gut can take up DNA from GM food, that > GM > > peas > > caused lung damage in mice, and GM potatoes lead to cancer in rats. > > > > Only time will reveal, as Jeffrey Smith, author of Seeds of Deception, > > points out in this excellent video > > _ > > > http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2007/11/06/the-real-reason > > s-you-want-to-avoid-genetically-modified-foods.aspx_ > > ( > > > http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2007/11/06/the-real-reasons-you-want-to-avoid-genet > > ically-modified-foods.aspx) , the extent of the unforeseen and > > surprising > > illnesses caused by GM foods. > > > > How to Protect Your Health, and Support Organic Farmers > > > > First, I urge you to get informed on the issue by watching The Future of > > Food. This in-depth investigation into the disturbing truth behind > > genetically > > modified foods is one of the best documentaries I have ever viewed. It > > will > > help you understand the very real threat that ALL future generations > face > > as a > > result of genetic engineering. > > > > Please do not be shy about forwarding this video to all of your friends > > and > > family, as it is something that everyone should see. > > > > Next, support organic (and local) farmers who do not use Monsanto's GM > > seeds > > by boycotting all GM foods. The GMO food guide > > _ > > > http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2007/09/18/the-gmo-food-guide.aspx_ > > ( > > > http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2007/09/18/the-gmo-food-guide.aspx > ) > > is an > > excellent start to doing this, as you can print it out and take it with > > you > > to the store so you can avoid GM foods like the plague. > > > > > > Related Articles: > > > > > > This Company May Be the Biggest Threat to Your Future Health > > _ > > > http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2008/05/01/this-company-ma > > y-be-the-biggest-threat-to-your-future-health.aspx?source=nl_ > > ( > > > http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2008/05/01/this-company-may-be-the-biggest > > -threat-to-your-future-health.aspx?source=nl) > > > > Genetically Modified Foods -- What to Know Before You Eat Them > > _ > > > http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2007/08/01/genetically-mod > > ified-organisms-are-a-looming-threat.aspx_ > > ( > > > http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2007/08/01/genetically-modified-organisms-are-a-looming-threa > > t.aspx) > > > > Home Depot: Do the Right Thing and Dump Monsanto! > > _ > > > http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2008/09/13/home-depot-do-t > > he-right-thing-and-dump-monsanto.aspx_ > > ( > > > http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2008/09/13/home-depot-do-the-right-thing-and-dump-monsanto.aspx > > ) > > > > (http://www.papercut.biz/emailStripper.htm) > > > > > > > > > > -------------- next part -------------- > > An HTML attachment was scrubbed... > > URL: /pipermail/attachments/20080927/2054baba/attachment.html > > _______________________________________________ > > Biofuel mailing list > > Biofuel@sustainablelists.org > > http://sustainablelists.org/mailman/listinfo/sustainablelorgbiofuel > > > > Biofuel at Journey to Forever: > > http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html > > > > Search the combined Biofuel and Biofuels-biz list archives (70,000 > > messages): > > http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/ > > > -------------- next part -------------- > An HTML attachment was scrubbed... > URL: /pipermail/attachments/20080929/2c828899/attachment.html > _______________________________________________ > Biofuel mailing list > Biofuel@sustainablelists.org > http://sustainablelists.org/mailman/listinfo/sustainablelorgbiofuel > > Biofuel at Journey to Forever: > http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html > > Search the combined Biofuel and Biofuels-biz list archives (70,000 > messages): > http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/ > > > > > -------------- next part -------------- > An HTML attachment was scrubbed... > URL: /pipermail/attachments/20080930/93b7bfb3/attachment.html > _______________________________________________ > Biofuel mailing list > Biofuel@sustainablelists.org > http://sustainablelists.org/mailman/listinfo/sustainablelorgbiofuel > > Biofuel at Journey to Forever: > http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html > > Search the combined Biofuel and Biofuels-biz list archives (70,000 > messages): > http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/ > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... 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