Monsanto, the TPP and Global Food Dominance

[Natural Citizen]

As the devastating conclusions of these and other researchers awaken people globally to the dangers of Roundup and GMO foods, transnational corporations are working feverishly with the Obama administration to fast-track the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a trade agreement that would strip governments of the power to regulate transnational corporate activities. Negotiations have been kept secret from Congress but not from corporate advisors, 600 of whom have been consulted and know the details.

The Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) has the potential to become the biggest regional Free Trade Agreement in history. . . .

The chief agricultural negotiator for the US is the former Monsanto lobbyist, Islam Siddique. If ratified the TPP would impose punishing regulations that give multinational corporations unprecedented right to demand taxpayer compensation for policies that corporations deem a barrier to their profits.

. . . They are carefully crafting the TPP to insure that citizens of the involved countries have no control over food safety, what they will be eating, where it is grown, the conditions under which food is grown and the use of herbicides and pesticides.

The widespread use of GMO foods and glyphosate herbicides helps explain the anomaly that the US spends over twice as much per capita on healthcare as the average developed country, yet it is rated far down the scale of the world’s healthiest populations. The World Health Organization has ranked the US LAST out of 17 developed nations for overall health.

Sixty to seventy percent of the foods in US supermarkets are now genetically modified. By contrast, in at least 26 other countries—including Switzerland, Australia, Austria, China, India, France, Germany, Hungary, Luxembourg, Greece, Bulgaria, Poland, Italy, Mexico and Russia—GMOs are totally or partially banned; and significant restrictions on GMOs exist in about sixty other countries.

A ban on GMO and glyphosate use might go far toward improving the health of Americans. But the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a global trade agreement for which the Obama Administration has sought Fast Track status, would block that sort of cause-focused approach to the healthcare crisis.

Jeffrey M. Smith, Executive Director of the Institute for Responsible Technology, confirms that US Food and Drug Administration policy allows biotech companies to determine if their own foods are safe. Submission of data is completely voluntary.

He concludes: In the critical arena of food safety research, the biotech industry is without accountability, standards, or peer-review.

They’ve got bad science down to a science.

http://foodfreedomgroup.com/2013/11/29/monsanto-the-tpp-and-global-food-dominance/
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[DamianTV]

Dept of Food

 

[ClydeCoulter]

Interesting, to say the least.

 

[osan]

http://foodfreedomgroup.com/2013/11/29/monsanto-the-tpp-and-global-food-dominance/
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If the wording of the article is sufficiently complete and precise in its reflection of the real meaning of the treaty's substance, then such corporate entities would be able to materially punish individuals for growing their own foods from non-GMO stock because it can readily be argued as negatively impacting their profits. I would imagine that hunting could become effectively illegal based on this, as wel as all foraging. This could spiral out of hand in no time at all. Think of the response one enjoys if some dopey kids tossed hemp seeds out their car window into your front pasture and germination resulted in some nice plants. Potential loss of your property.

Now imagine if the trend with discovery of non-GMO growth goes in the same direction. Imagine a civil forfeiture law applying to all edible substances just as has been with drugs. No charges necessary... only suspicion. Imagine raids on properties where an edible mushroom is discovered, for example. Imagine non-GMO pepper seeds planted as false evidence during such a raid and the property owners dragged off to jail, their children now officially labeled as "abused" and put into the "system", perhaps to be assaulted or even killed.

That last paragraph sounds completely cracked, right? Now, hearken back to the day when "Robocop" was brand new. Many of you will not be old enough to understand what I am about to write, but know you that it is 100% truth. My girlfriend and I went to see it and we both had the same experience of cognitive dissonance. It depicted a world where cops were all powerful and though not portrayed as out of control thugs, they held the same position of power over civilians. The TV commercials were even worse for the dissonant effect because they were SO outrageous. We enjoyed the silly little movie as the mere diversion it was. However, my habit was to wonder whether such over-the-top depictions might ever become reality. Welcome to AmeriKa, 2014. If I now watch Robocop, it depicts a world that is in some respects tame in comparison with what we now experience. The point here is that though my amusing little speculation may sound cracked today, never make the mistake of assuming that it will not become your reality tomorrow. I know it CAN because it HAS. I see nothing in principle to prevent such incremental insanity from becoming our daily bread.

My money leans toward passageof this TPP with little resistance from the American people. Instead of capturing Obama and all the rest, hanging them from their necks until they are all so very dead, meaners are more likely to simply remain on mission at the mall.

Only time will tell, so sit back and watch the fun.

Oh, and such a treaty ultimately has nothing to do with profits. It has everything to do with power. It may also have everything to do with Agenda 21. After all, if the UN is so knotted up about population and that same population is not comporting itself in compliance with the stated goal of shrinking itself, what would the point be in maintaining the policy if someone will not positively act upon it? Think about THAT awhile.

 

[donnay]

The widespread use of GMO foods and glyphosate herbicides helps explain the anomaly that the US spends over twice as much per capita on healthcare as the average developed country, yet it is rated far down the scale of the world’s healthiest populations. The World Health Organization has ranked the US LAST out of 17 developed nations for overall health.

This statistic is what is so disturbing. With all the so-called advances in science and technology our ratings suck. But, of course, the naysayers will say this is a lie or the statistics are false--genetically engineered foods are wonderful and they will feed the world. Just roll up your sleeve and get a vaccine, all will be well.

 

[ClydeCoulter]

Anyone familiar with the TRIPS Agreement, much of the TPP IP section (found here: http://wikileaks.org/tpp/ ) refers to it.

edit: It appears, at least of last August, some countries are resisting certain force on recognizing (although protecting) patents on genetic modification of plants and animals (other than microorganisms), if I read the wikileaks tpp ip document correctly.

 

[Natural Citizen]

Industry powers with access to TPP plans lavish money on Congress

Well... I don't know...it looks like the vultures are circling. Seem to be all shits and giggles too.

Members of the ITAC-15 include representatives from companies like GE, Cisco Systems, Yahoo, Verizon, AT&T, and Johnson & Johnson, and entities such as the Recording Industry Association of America, Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, and the Biotechnology Industry Organization. The ITAC-15 does not include public advocacy organizations, academics or any non-industry experts.

The industry trade advisory system was created and staffed by members of Congress. In fact, the ITAC-15 is made up of several top political spenders that have offered millions of dollars to influential Congress members in recent years, data organized by MapLight shows.

MapLight found that - from Jan. 1, 2003 to Dec. 31, 2012 - the 18 organizations that have representatives on the ITAC-15 gave almost $24 million to current members of Congress in that time period via political action committees, among other avenues that are legally required to be disclosed.
AT&T has given over $8 million to current members of Congress, more than any other ITAC-15 entities.

Republican House Speaker John Boehner has been given $433,350 from ITAC-15 organizations, more than any other individual in Congress.
Congressional Democrats have gotten $11.4 million from the organizations, while Republicans have received $12.6 million.

A handful of Congress members sponsoring legislation that would give the Obama administration more power over the congressional process of approving TPP - barring amendments to the pact, for example - have received a total of $758,295 from the ITAC-15 groups. These members include: Senate Finance Committee Chair Max Baucus ($140,601), Senate Finance Ranking Member Orrin Hatch ($178,850), House Ways and Means Committee Chairman David Camp ($216,250), House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Trade Chairman Devin Nunes ($86,000), and House Rules Committee Chairman Pete Sessions ($136,594).

Meanwhile, a new report released this week showed that US corporations spent $185 million in 2012 alone via nonprofit groups that are not legally required to divulge either their sources of funding or how they spend that money.

“The millions of dollars in corporate expenditures highlighted by the Center for Public Integrity’s research flowed to more than 1,000 politically active nonprofits, from major trade associations such as the U.S. Chamber of Commerce to pro-business alliances such as the Fix the Debt Coalition.”

Ultimately, the pact would give corporate entities much more influence over commerce, elevating “individual foreign firms to equal status with sovereign nations,” consumer rights advocate Public Citizen says on its website.

The rest of the paper here... http://rt.com/usa/congress-tpp-corporate-donations-802/

 

[Natural Citizen]

My money leans toward passageof this TPP with little resistance from the American people. Instead of capturing Obama and all the rest, hanging them from their necks until they are all so very dead, meaners are more likely to simply remain on mission at the mall.

The biggest headache with that observation, osan, is that even around here we see fascism (defined as the merge of corporations and state) sold as some sort of free market phenomenon. Which it isn't. It's unfortunate. Even our representatives establish platforms and positions in a manner which aligns with this particular kind of spin. Heck, I can't even tag this thread with the term "Monsanto". So, yes, we're working with loaded terms of controversy on this subject. The discussion itself is rigged to favor politically acceptable context and terms of controversy.

We have entire countries battling these biotech companies to defend their national sovereignty and farmers going so far as to uproot this stuff yet the only position we get from our elected ones is market speak. Nothing at all regarding the science of it or exactly why it's such an important element of foreign policy. I could go on and on with this. It's just disturbing. Gives me a headache.

But yes....technically it could be said that what you mention could happen.

 

[azxd]

Agenda 21
Everything going as planned.

 

[dinosaur]

Another danger with these engineered crops is lack of diversity. Diseases which could wipe out the crop of an entire country exist for the most common forms of wheat. It is a recipe for famine.

 

[donnay]

Another danger with these engineered crops is lack of diversity. Diseases which could wipe out the crop of an entire country exist for the most common forms of wheat. It is a recipe for famine.

It's a recipe for control--that is what worries me the most.