GMO Labeling, tired of hearing and not hearing what is going on? You are not alone!
As bizarre as it may seem, sometimes it is necessary to read news from France, Russia, or Germany to find out what is happening in the US! In the case of new GMO labeling laws, I found the news on a Russian site.
Mike Pompeo, a Republican from Kansas introduced a bill in April 2014 that would over-ride states ability to require GMO labeling. It’s a Civil War tactic that didn’t go over well then, and has a good chance of not going over well now. It undermines the ability of individual states to make their own decisions that represent the wills of their people. Instead, it gives inalienable power to the federal government to create bias, disproportionate rulings, judgmental decisions, and as in the IRS scandal, the commission of outright fraud.
If passed, the Bill would have the oversight of the US Department of Agriculture in determining whether GMO labeling is accurate and preempts state and local authority’s restrictions. In other words, what you don’t know won’t hurt you – Bill. Why do they care?
The lobbying party is of course – Monsanto. The deceit is that there is “no scientific evidence that GMO’s cause any harm”. In fact, there are volumes of scientific evidence that discredit GMO’s and the necessary Monsanto pesticides that are literally dumped on the crops. Monsanto has created an interesting backing from Republicans and Democrats alike. They cross lines to manipulate an agenda without ethical values.
First, let’s take a closer look at the US Department of Agriculture: Headed by Tom Vilsack, a Republican by name only who openly supports Obama and Hillary? He was appointed the moment Obama took office and was supported by unions including; Corn Refiners Association, American Farm Bureau Federation and the Environmental Defense Fund. He was opposed by Organic farmers amid claims that he was squeezing out the small businesses in favor of large conglomerate farmers. He has also sided with GMO farmers against restrictions concerning overlapping pesticide contamination in water and soil.
It is this same department, the USDA, who is called in to determine if GMO farms are operating according to law – including the lawsuit in Oregon that saw GMO wheat illegally infiltrate organic farms.
In other words, the same US government organization that is tasked with regulating our food and farms, is run by Monsanto.
Corn Refiners Association – well they are all about high fructose corn syrup – which is 90% GMO and has been embattled in lawsuits over it’s claim to being ‘natural’. Opponents point out that lead and radon gas are ‘natural’ too, that does not make them – safe! They are backed by Cargill – heavily into industrial farming and GMO’s.
American Farm Bureau Federation – it opposes GMO labeling, supports industrial farming, and regularly seeks to undermine the Clean Air and Clean Water Environmental Acts. In addition they lobby extensively for greater subsidized crop insurance and have invoked massive power efforts to dictate and control political candidates.
Environmental Defense Fund – is hardly environmental, it advocates and lobbies on behalf of political candidates. Largest funder = Julian Robertson, retired Hedge Fund Manager who invested heavily in Monsanto.
Who are the USDA executives, and US government regulators:
Michael Taylor, a former VP for Monsanto, turned Monsanto lobbyist/lawyer – appointed by Obama as USDA administrator and FDA Deputy Commissioner, approved Monsanto growth hormones for cows.
Margaret Miller, a former Monsanto Chemical Lab Supervisor, wrote a report on hormones’ safety and then took a job at the FDA where she approved her own report.
Islam Siddiqui, a former Monsanto lobbyist, wrote the USDA’s food standards, allowing corporations to label irradiated and genetically engineered foods as “organic.” Appointed by Obama as Agricutlture Trade Representative.
Ramona Romero, the corporate counsel to Dupont, nominated by President Obama to serve as General Counsel for the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Roger Beachy, the former director of the Monsanto-funded Danforth Plant Science Center, appointed by Obama as the Director of the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Rajiv Shah, the former Gates Foundation agricultural-development director served as Obama’s USDA Under Secretary for Research Education and Economics and Chief Scientist, now head of USAID.
Solicitor General Elena Kagan who ruled in an appeal that Monsanto was not guilty in a suit brought by organic farmers in the Roundup Ready alfalfa case, was nominated to the Supreme Court by Obama.
Ramona Romero, corporate counsel to DuPont, was nominated by President Obama to serve as General Counsel for the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Most Recently: It is Monsanto that has been implicated in the Africa Land Grabs. It is Monsanto that has been implicated in the takeover of Ukraine as former President Yanokovich was against GMO’s and current President Poroshenko is a ‘bring em on in!’ major advocate.
Between 1997 and 2014, Monsanto filed 145 lawsuits against farmers – they never lost ONE. The deck is stacked and the victims are not just the farmers, or the organic growers, but all of us, every US citizen, as we helplessly watch our government manipulate, commandeer and force their greed on us at the expense of literal lives.