In the simplest terms, organic
food and a rebirth of farming were winning. Not in absolute numbers but in
a deep and growing shift by the public toward understanding the connection
between their food and their health, between good food and true social
pleasures, between their own involvement in food and the improvement in their
lives in general, between local food and a burgeoning local
economy.
Slow Food was right - limit
your food to what comes from your region and from real farmers, and slow down to
cook it and linger over it with friends and family, and the world begins to
change for the better.
And as we face an unprecedented
economic crisis, and it is hard to be sure what has value, one thing that always
does is food. Which is why the corporations are after absolute control
over it. But what obstacles to a complete lock on food do they face?
All the people in this country who are "banking" on organic farming and
urban gardens and most of all, everyone's deepening pleasure in and increasing
involvement with everything about food.
Farmers markets. Local
farmers. Real milk. Fresh eggs. Vegetable stands.
Those are things we not only
all want, but things we are actively getting involved in, and things we very
much need. And where they are truly good, they are growing.
The international financial
corporations which have wreaked havoc around the world with astounding
nonsensical "solutions" that are destructive of everyone but them, are brothers
to the international agribusiness giants (Monsanto, Cargill, Tysons, ADM, etc.)
which are just as aggressively after their own form of "taking." Just
seeds, animals, water, land.
And
freedom.
Because human beings are by in
large good and by in large incredibly resilient and clever, and left to their
own devices - that is, free - they would handle this gargantuan financial
stupidity the corporations brought us with NAFTA, CAFTA, GATT and all other
globalized schemes (which they hope to eventually top off with CODEX).
How? By being productive in real ways and locally. And farming
is the solid ground under that. Farmers produce something of real value
(something we used to take for granted), and from that base, businesses grow up.
Local markets, local food processors, local seed companies, local tool and
supply companies, local stores ... and an economy based on reality and something
truly good for us, too, begins to grow.
So, look again at what has been
exciting us - Farmers markets. Local farmers. Real milk. Fresh
eggs. Vegetable stands. - and realize that they are not only wonderfully
healthy but fun and naturally community building. And more, they are a
real economy and deeply democratic - and just at a time we need something that
works economically, that supports our democratic rebirth, and that protects food
itself and our easy access to it.
And it is all those things that
threaten the corporations ... which is why we now have these massive "fake food
safety" bills in Congress. Everything is going under thanks to these
fools, and they wish to be there like vultures to make sure that every drop of
blood that can be sucked out of our resources and us, is theirs. To wit,
they must get rid of such good and innocent things and yet truly powerful things
as:
Farmers markets. Local
farmers. Real milk. Fresh eggs. Vegetable stands.
And how will those who
contaminate our country's food with pesticides, hormones, antibiotics and more,
do that? Why, by setting standards for "food safety" that are so
grotesquely and inappropriately and even cruelly applied to a local, independent
farmers and ranchers that there is no way they can manage. Imagine your
being faced with a 100 page IRS form and facing a million dollar a day penalty
for screwing up. That would be in the ball park of the impossible
complexity mixed with threat facing our farmers. Imagine having the
government and corporations deciding every single thing you can do and must do
in your kitchen and backing that up with the threat of 10 years in prison for
screwing up - though you have never made anyone sick, and those corporations
have. Imagine being surveilled 24 hours a day by GPS tracking devices that
feed into ... a corporate data bank, one they have now moved out of the country
so no one here can have legal access to see what is in it.
Imagine the devil himself - or
a whole boardrooms of them, dressed in suits - defining the only safe and
healthy food in this country as dangerous and burdening hard working farmers
with more work then anyone could bear, while his own, their own, food is so
dangerous at this point that in the last 10 years alone, diabetes has gone up
90%.
And how did they get this far
with such a scheme to apply insane industrial standards to every farm in the
country? Through fear of diseases and of outbreaks of food borne
illnesses, both of which they cause themselves.
How it works: Tyson helps
Bill Clinton get into office. Bill Clinton immediately and significantly
lowers contamination standards for poultry as a thank you. And it is such
contaminated waste from transnational poultry factories which is now implicated
as the source of bird flu. Then fortunes on
made on that fear. And then poultry industry uses the crisis they created
to push out small farmers and take
greater control than ever. Their mantra? Biodiversity not only be
damned but be eliminated. And get rid of those damn farmers who protect it
while we're at it.
The bills would require such a
burdensome complexity of rules, inspections, licensing, fees, and penalties for
each farmer who wishes to sell locally - a fruit stand, at a farmers market -
no one could manage it. And THAT is
the point. The whole dirty tricks point. The whole "be in tight
control of everything needed for survival because it'll be worth a fortune"
point.
So, if you like farmers
markets, local farmers, fresh milk, fresh eggs, vegetables stands, and freedom,
let your friends know that it's all on the line right now with those "fake food
safety" bills brought to us with well-planned evil and more of it to come, by
Monsanto, Cargill, Tysons, ADM, etc.
Slow Food reminds us of just
where we need to be (and notice how much would help any local
economy):
Forming and
sustaining seed banks to preserve heirloom
varieties in cooperation with local food
systems;
Developing an "Ark of Taste" for each ecoregion, where local culinary traditions
and foods are celebrated;
Preserving and promoting local
and traditional food products, along with their lore and
preparation;
Organizing small-scale
processing (including facilities for slaughtering and short run
products);
Organizing celebrations of
local cuisine within regions (for example, the Feast of Fields held in some cities
in Canada);
Promoting "taste education;"
Educating consumers about the
risks of fast food;
Educating citizens about the
drawbacks of commercial agribusiness and factory farms;
Educating citizens about the
risks of monoculture and reliance on too few genomes or
varieties;
Developing various political
programs to preserve family
farms;
Lobbying for the inclusion
of organic
farming concerns within agricultural policy;
Lobbying against government
funding of genetic engineering;
Lobbying against the use
of pesticides;
Encouraging ethical buying in local
marketplaces.
But we need to stop these bills
first or we are left with no money from the financial bailout and no food from
the food stealout.
We need millions to be fighting
this. Contact Eli Pariser at MoveOn http://us.mc1104.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=moveon-help@list.moveon..org to
tell him MoveOn is badly needed.
And below, where Oped News
offers a means of writing your local newspaper, take advantage of a chance to
vent.
Take action -- click here to contact
your local newspaper or congress people:
Stop HR
875, HR 814, SR 425, and soon, HR 759
Click here to see the most recent messages sent to congressional reps and local newspapers
I'm
a mother and grandmother. There is no way I can leave my family or anyone else's
children, things as they are now.
| 14 comments |
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Goodbye farmers markets, CSAs, and roadside stands The fact that this very important article had no comments is very
surprising.
We need a War on Monsanto, and their Ilk.
The push by government and these food criminals (Monsanto and their
Ilk) to remove small farms, CSAs, and roadside stands is madness, and
against all sane peoples of this planet.
If you do your homework about GM Food, and the complete lack of
testing to confirm food safety, you would never buy another GM
product.
GM Food is dangerous!
Profit is the only goal of these food criminals.
Where is their morality, their ethics, and care for their families
and friends?
Oppose GM Food, and oppose Codex.
by Rolland Miller (1 articles, 0
quicklinks, 0 diaries, 167 comments) on Tuesday, March 3, 2009 at 2:56:37
PM
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Things are run by maniacs.. That label is a winner. So is this - spermicides in GMO crops.click here
These are the people who wrote these "food safety" bills. They
must have had a lot of fun thinking of cruel ways to treat hard working,
decent people. They are so disconnected from other human beings, and
those who work for them, are so disconnected from what they are doing.
It is astounding.
by Linn Cohen-Cole (69 articles, 1
quicklinks, 1 diaries, 171 comments) on Tuesday, March 3, 2009 at 7:23:41
PM
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Cash for EMPIRE building I find it incredible that most people I talk to about this will not
take off the rose colored glasses. They seem to not be in touch with
reality at all. Unfortunately if nothing is done NOW it will be too
late.
A very frightening part of the bill is the EMPIRE BUILDING
Clause.
Quoted from HR 875
(e) Penalties Paid Into Account- The Administrator--
(1) shall deposit penalties collected under this section in an
account in the Treasury; and
(2) may use the funds in the account, without
further appropriation or fiscal year limitation--
(A) to carry out enforcement activities under the food safety law;
or
(B) to provide assistance to States to inspect retail commercial food
establishments or other food or firms under the jurisdiction of State food
safety programs.
NOTE: Checkout the practical results of Civil Forfeiture in drug enforcement for a view of the future in farming. This is from the FEAR website "Innocent owners who are never charged with a crime still must prove their innocence in complex proceedings. . Under civil asset forfeiture laws, the simple possession of cash, with no drugs or other contraband, can be considered evidence of criminal activity." "Results revealed a concentration on seizing real property with a high value. In addition, real property seizures are preplanned and commonly made under the controversial facilitation statute." EXAMPLES: "When asked why a search warrant would not be served on a suspect
known to have resale quantities of contraband one officer
responded:
"Because that would just give us a bunch of dope and the hassle of having to book him (the suspect). We've got all the dope we need in the property room, just stick to rounding up cases with big money and stay away from warrants." In another case officers were instructed to wait until most of a large shipment was converted into cash." This perversion of law enforcement
priorities was the subject of an empirical study "Efficiency is measured
by the amount of money seized rather than impact on drug trafficking."
, Drug Enforcement's Double-Edged Sword: An Assessment of
Asset Forfeiture Programs described forfeiture
as a "dysfunctional policy" that forces law enforcement agencies to
subordinate justice to profit.
by gail combs (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0
diaries, 37 comments) on Tuesday, March 3, 2009 at 6:44:47
PM
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Gail, I really appreciate the detailed information you keep bringing and have been passing it on.
Thank you for doing the research you are.
by Linn Cohen-Cole (69 articles, 1
quicklinks, 1 diaries, 171 comments) on Tuesday, March 3, 2009 at 7:13:13
PM
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Happy to help Linn,
I am good at research you are good at writing makes a great
team
by gail combs (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0
diaries, 37 comments) on Wednesday, March 4, 2009 at 1:30:36
PM
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new rules Instead
of trying to fight these corporations or play by their rules, why don't we
just get off the grid and barter. It's a very old solution to a lack
of money - we can barter for whatever we want and our best crops will be
safe from corporate patents. If no money is involved, there will be
no taxes and no government regulations. Those of us who are able and
have a little land should grow food, too.
by Don Johnston (0 articles, 0 quicklinks,
0 diaries, 1 comments) on Tuesday, March 3, 2009 at 6:54:21
PM
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Oh, they are way ahead of us on this. Bill C-51 in Canada redefines "sell" to mean "distribute to one, two
or more people, even without consideration" (money). Under that
bill, nutrients are defined as toxins (this is from Codex) and drugs and
natural supplements are all considered "therapeutics agents," giving your
child an herbal tea would become "selling a controlled substance."
There is no way to just walk away from this. We either realize
we are all in this world together and stand up for what is right, or we
each find out on our own that there we couldn't really get away from the
grid they are building. We need farmers and we need to keep the land
they are on from being industrialized. Turning to individual
solutions just fragments the community we belong to and deserve to
have.
Thanks for commenting.
by Linn Cohen-Cole (69 articles, 1
quicklinks, 1 diaries, 171 comments) on Tuesday, March 3, 2009 at 7:09:19
PM
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Sounds Like the "Thorn Corporation" in the movie..."The Omen"...."Twilight Zone"
music plays..de de de de..de de de de...
Book of Revelation, Chapter 18, the merchants of the earth were great
men who Deceived All the Nations of the Earth with their sorceries..that
include advertising/marketing, & politics/law.
De de de de..de de de de..de de de de...
Life is good. What an experience! It's always best to
forgive.
by shadow dancer (0 articles, 0
quicklinks, 0 diaries, 394 comments) on Tuesday, March 3, 2009 at 7:32:27
PM
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Legislative Carpet Bombing The
people in this country are stunned. There is bailout after bailout, war
after war, a power-grab after a money-grab. What is happening is the
equivalent of legislative carpet bombing. This explains the relatively few
people taking a stand on this issue. We are dazed by the multiple assaults
from different directions, with no one in power standing for the people. I
guess we need an approach more comprehensive than dealing with each issue
separately.
by Arktig Sert (0 articles, 0 quicklinks,
0 diaries, 16 comments) on Tuesday, March 3, 2009 at 7:52:12
PM
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silent weapon for quiet wars please
google the above title ,Silent Weapons for Quiet Wars, An Introduction
Programming Manual was uncovered quite by accident
on July 7, 1986 when an employee of Boeing Aircraft Co. purchased a
surplus IBM copier for scrap parts at a sale, and discovered inside
details of a plan, hatched in the embryonic days of the "Cold War" which
called for control of the masses through manipulation of industry,
peoples' pastimes, education and political leanings. It called for a quiet
revolution, putting brother against brother, and diverting the public's
attention from what is really going on.
by marc jag (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0
diaries, 1 comments) on Wednesday, March 4, 2009 at 1:24:40
AM
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Ok has your "hope" , "yes we can" warm fuzzy worn off yet The
fascists played this amazingly well............. they get their stooge in
while suckering people with all this " Hope" bs
by Jeff Harris (0 articles, 0 quicklinks,
0 diaries, 6 comments) on Wednesday, March 4, 2009 at 11:08:40
AM
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It wore off long ago. I
do not know why they think it is desirable to take good viable
economies and bring them to their knees, but that is what is being
done.They are so far removed from human society and human feeling
one wonders if they are truly even human.
by gail combs (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0
diaries, 37 comments) on Wednesday, March 4, 2009 at 1:38:37
PM
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food supply The real reason is, of course, the control of the food supply and
population reduction.
The people doing this are psychopaths. John de Nugent wrote an
article describing psychopaths, which I partially quote from a magazine,
The Barnes Review (http://www.barnesreview.org/), Jan-Feb 2007 issue:
Title of Article - Psychopaths in Power
What is a psychopath? Are psychopaths usually in prison—or are the
vast majority of them moving among us, or lording it over us in society?
Are they one in a million or 40,000 in a million?
Alarming yet enlightening research in the last 15 years has concluded
that full or partial psychopathy may be shockingly widespread— one
American in 25, and far more in leadership positions. The key traits of
the psychopath: he (usually a male) is radically self-centered, slick,
lying, manipulative, ruthless, sadistic, focused and, sometimes, insanely
fearless.
Here is a list of identifiers for psychopathy, compiled from several
authorities. If an individual has at least any four of the below in a very
pronounced form, there are grounds for concern. Many people have a touch
of several of these traits, but few have a majority of them in full
measure. They are: 1) Glib and superficial charm; 2) Grandiose sense of self-worth; narcissism; seeing the self as the center of the universe; feeling “no one else is human, only I”; 3) Focused self-advancement without losing any energy on others except as stepping-stones; 4) No moral taboos or inhibitions as to methods, aiding career success until caught; 5) Need for constant stimulation, action, and new ways to avoid boredom; 6) Lying as an art form to fine-tune and a source of pride; 7) Targeting and manipulation of the gullible;  Enticing people they do not love to naively
love them;9) Skill at faking emotions, including love, sincerity and regret; 10) Doing good work and good deeds solely to advance oneself; 11) Ruthlessness and “stopping at nothing”; 12) Enjoyment of the power to coldly end close relationships; 13) “Getting” others back as a peak experience; 14) Desire for vengeance when spurned; 15) Pleasure in firing or ruining people. In the U.S., where highly profitable firms routinely cut good employees to boost stock values, there are professional terminators who roam the country cutting staff and personally firing them; 16) Abuse and literal torture of living creatures; 17) Humiliating others physically, verbally, emotionally, psychologically or sexually; 18) Denigrating one’s own child or mate; 19) Callousness; lack of empathy and compassion; 20) Shallow or no feelings for others, even mates, children and friends; 21) No ability to feel remorse or undergo inner repentance; 22) Regret solely at being caught, embarrassed or punished; 23) Incomprehension of the angry reactions of those they hurt; 24) Underestimation of their own anger; 25) No sense of responsibility for one’s actions; 26) Parasitical world view: living by scams and not hard work; 27) Contempt for those who “play by the rules”; 28) Criminal talent, energy and innovativeness; 29) Warlike courage far above the norm; 30) Playing on the sympathy of others. To this one might add—in the purely subjective, non-scientific eye of many beholders—a curious dead look in the eyes of a psychopath, and that is the chilling part. Others speak of looking into such eyes and “having a feeling that nothing is there.” by Brian Hawthorne (0 articles, 0
quicklinks, 0 diaries, 1 comments) on Wednesday, March 4, 2009 at 5:10:42
PM
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State power vs. federal power I
wonder if it may be possible to play some states against the federal gov't
on these ag issues. In California in particular, recent legislation has
been signed by our governator to expand farmers' options for direct
marketing (AB 2168) and also to protect them against genetic contamination
from GMO's (AB 541). Taken together with recent news of states seeking
sovereignty from a federal government run amok, there may be a way to use
state power against federal power to preserve and protect these
gains.
by Jim Eldon (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0
diaries, 239 comments) on Wednesday, March 4, 2009 at 5:24:04
PM
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| 14 comments |
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