The World According to Monsanto

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Originally Posted by stinkyattic

I don't like the concept of GM. But it is for a VERY specific reason.

It is NOT because I think it is like 'playing God'.
It is also not because I have reason to believe that GM food inherently has health effects on humans- there is no doubt in my mind that food crops CAN be safely modified for human consumption.

It IS because I do not believe it is anyone's right to patent a food crop and exercise the patent rights in such a way that food producers are hurt.
It is also because I don't like the idea of GM pollen getting into the environment, where it can fuck up nearby farming operations. Let's take for example a dude growing a nice plot of yummy heirloom tomatoes. Because I feel like being dramatic like Fox news, let's say that these are the tomatoes from seeds his ancestors stashed in their pockets when they escaped from behind the Iron Curtain. No need to dramatize it, because people ARE very attached to the vegetable varieties that their great great great grandparents handed down. So anyway this farmer has been happily growing these veggies for years and selling them at his roadside stand and canning them for the winter. Now, one year, the farmer upwind from him buys a couple pounds of GM tomato seed and plants an acre of it. June comes, the flowers open, and the pollen spreads over not only his field, but over the field of the heirloom grower (yes, I am aware that tomatoes are insect pollinated). He harvests his uglier tomatoes for seed and soaks the rotting flesh like you're supposed to, strains and dries the seeds, gets his garden turned over, and turns in for the winter.
Next spring he goes to plant his seeds.
His germination rate is HORRIBLE. He wonders if he fucked up, shrugs, and puts out the plants that he's got. He notes some oddball looking plants that give poor fruit, too, but thinks it was his own error.
Another summer goes by and the farmer upwind, delighted with his bumper crop of cardboard supermarket food, puts in an order for anotehr round of seed.
Meanwhile the GM pollen again invades the other guy's garden and once again... he ends up with low germ rates. And weak plants.
WTF! he asks himself, not realizing that he's on the receiving end of a real shit deal whereby his heirloom tomatoes are being pollinated not only by other heirlooms, but also by the GM ones upwind, and any seeds that aren't sterile are either still herilooms or some hybrid with the GM crop. Eventually the %heirloom drops and he's got some crappy plant that just doesn't suit his style or his taste.
Also remember that adding these GM genes to a population does not necessarily give those traits to the population. They may be recessive. They may have some combination of genes that are detrimental to plant health when combined with other genes in wild or heirloom crops. This is all shit that we should probably get ourselves VERY familiar with before we hand over the right to grow healthy food crops solely to anyone who chooses to sell his soul to Monsanto.

Take greed and carelessness out of the equation and GM food might be an option. But IMVHO the plants should be bred to be STERILE and COMPLETELY unable to produce viable seed or pollen, thus interfering with other strains.

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great post.

there is a gene called the terminator gene that is co owned by the usa government. its already being experimented with in open plots throughout america. the scarry thing is will it cross pollinate with the landrace/local farmers.

one of the biggest cases is against percy sch..... up in canada. in 2002 i believe the canada supreme court ruled that percy was in violation of monsantos patent of gm corn and he owed them because monsantos gm crops invaded/corrupted his land.

A lot of junk technology floating around. If a neighbors crop is harmed because of GM in a neighboring plot he should sue the shit out of the neighbor and the seed company.
Here in Washington I've had the opportunity to talk to some farmers in Eastern Wash. And universally I am amazed at there lack of concern for the public safety. Just another sign of the times I guess.

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Originally Posted by killerweed420

If a neighbors crop is harmed because of GM in a neighboring plot he should sue the shit out of the neighbor and the seed company.

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Sue the shit out of neighbor: Doesn't really help anyone in the end, divide and conquer!
Sue the shit out of Monsanto: I still haven't met a farmer who has pockets deep enough to take them on. It's going to take a class action lawsuit, and an event bad enough to warrant one.

The reason so many Indian farmers are committing suicide
each year.
Under bogus "aid" programs Monsanto is driving India's
farmers into destitution by thier lies about the first yields
using thier already immoral GM seed/spawn.

Nothing but what is to be expected by a company that gave us Agent orange and the neurotoxin aspartame.

No wonder Gates and monsanto among others, invested in the
Svalbard island Super Duper Doomsday seed Bank, huh?

One of the things that happened since the US's occupation of Iraq is that. Our forces and mercenary forces have burned out flooded and bulldozed everysingle indigenous farmers crops. Heirloom seeds are outlawed. GMO seeds are the only ones made available. I bet the farmers there are getting special start up deals. Maybe they'll send you a brand new special edition pickup if you buy enough of their seeds. Damn well will if you sell enough.

Our land is fucked up. We got GM corn and Wheat everywhere. Super weeds are coming off the fields and taking over the canyons. The problem is they've been pushing small time farmers out of business since the 1930's. The seed company and the fertilizer company are the same cartel along with the processing and retail distribution. You have to have and farm 2000 acres just to survive. You have to get a godamn loan just to plant your crops. And all the government does is help make it easier to vertically integrate the whole damn food market.

You are being medicated through the food supply. Through the water supply. Through the air. Your medication is not good for you.
It makes you stupid, docile, and weak.

So sue um..............

For what it's worth I have own a 400 acre corn belt farm.
I grow only heirloom corn, not the Monsanto gear. The neighboring farms can sue me if my crop cross pollinates their Monsanto crops. This goes way beyond conspiracy for sure.

BTW, the area farmers around me are not stupid, but greedy.

M.P.