Hi Tom My point is that we'd be very foolish to take corporate statements as face-value reflections of corporations' aims and desires: corporate statements very often reflect the precise opposite of their aims and desires. Corporations aren't human, they have no human need to express themselves. If they make statements it is not from some understandable inner impulse to get something off their chest. If not for definite strategic purposes they would make no statements at all. So, when there is an Issue and we find a corporation saying, "whatever you do, don't do X", in a situation where people are up in arms and ready to defenestrate the board of directors and government officials are eager to take up the people's cause, is it not safe to assume that at the very least the corporation has no real fear of X? Chances are it was the corporation who introduced X into the debate, though nobody remembers that; and that X is what the corporation has been after all along. But when people take "whatever you do, don't do X" to be a bona-fide expression of (human) fear, they feel that they are fighting the good fight when they do precisely X, "forcing" the corporation to do what it obviously doesn't want to do, and thus achieving a dear-bought victory: only they don't know the half of how dear-bought. The victories pile up, "the war is within sight of its end", the corporate monster is tamed. It cowers demurely, but for some reason the problem it has caused just keeps getting bigger. Best regards Dawie Coetzee
----- Original Message ---- From: Tom Epp <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: sustainablelorgbiofuel@sustainablelists.org Sent: Tuesday, 30 September, 2008 19:30:34 Subject: Re: [Biofuel] Some Farmers Now Protected Against Monsanto Lawsuits 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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