Comments on: Picking on the little guy

By: Evelyn

Evelyn — Mon, 13 May 2013 15:33:02 +0000

"Scientists Discover Bt Toxins Found In Monsanto Crops Damage Red Blood Cells" - HERE

By: James E.

James E. — Wed, 08 May 2013 06:29:37 +0000

Phil, there is a wife (five decades) who hogs the CA King bed and makes me and Mr. Fred sleep on the edge like a bunk in a submarine. Life is tough.

By: Phil Veerkamp

Phil Veerkamp — Wed, 08 May 2013 06:14:06 +0000

Colonel, Write your epistles in WORD. Copy/paste into MD forms. The MD is ALWAYS killing good stuff. Is there a Missus Colonel? Does Fred sleep between you two?

By: James E.

James E. — Wed, 08 May 2013 06:06:25 +0000

Phil, I wrote this extensive letter about the size of our government with the conclusion in many areas it’s too small. I hit send and it disappeared. Obviously a plot by the MtDemocrat to
hide the Truth (with a large T) of the need for a larger government. Oh well, what the hay I’m going to bed and cuddle Mr. Fred. For those of you new to this site, Mr. Fred is my pup who has been sick so he gets extra love and cuddling.

By: Phil Veerkamp

Phil Veerkamp — Wed, 08 May 2013 06:00:45 +0000

Colonel, I like to keep it simple.

By: James E.

James E. — Wed, 08 May 2013 05:57:43 +0000

Phil, excellent advice on the roundup.

By: Phil Veerkamp

Phil Veerkamp — Wed, 08 May 2013 03:11:36 +0000

don’t drink roundup

By: Evelyn

Evelyn — Wed, 08 May 2013 02:43:46 +0000

"Roundup herbicide causes smorgasbord of fatal diseases, new study concludes" - HERE - When CYP enzymes are blocked from functioning as intended, in other words, a condition known as gut dysbiosis can result, which in turn can lead to inflammatory bowel disease and other chronic gastrointestinal disorders. Such disorders, as you may already know, are often linked to autism spectrum disorders and various other brain conditions.

By: francescaduchamp@att.net

francescaduchamp@att.net — Wed, 08 May 2013 01:04:14 +0000

The seed emergency: The threat to food and democracy
Patenting seeds has led to a farming and food crisis – and huge profits for US biotechnology corporations.http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2012/02/201224152439941847.html.

By: Evelyn

Evelyn — Tue, 07 May 2013 23:34:49 +0000

"European Commission to criminalize nearly all seeds and plants not registered with government" - HERE - As you might suspect, this move is the "final solution" of Monsanto, DuPont and other seed-domination corporations who have long admitted their goal is the complete domination of all seeds and crops grown on the planet. By criminalizing the private growing of vegetables -- thereby turning gardeners into criminals -- EU bureaucrats can finally hand over full control of the food supply to powerful corporations like Monsanto.

By: Evelyn

Evelyn — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 16:16:26 +0000

"Action Alert: We Have 1 Week Or Less to Stop Genetically Engineered Foods and Destruction of the Separation of Powers" - HERE - If the United States Department of Agriculture – which suffered “regulatory capture” by the big food companies decades ago – approves a genetically modified food without any testing, a court can enjoin (i.e. halt) production of that food until testing occurs. Yet the Monsanto Rider would strip the courts of power, and would allow GMO crops to be planted and put in our food … no matter what a judge has ruled.

By: Evelyn

Evelyn — Sun, 24 Feb 2013 16:02:14 +0000

"Monsanto drags over 400 U.S. farmers to court over GM seed patents: When will Big Ag's corrupt reign end?" - HERE - For the record, farmers have, for centuries, harvested seeds from the current years' crop so they could plant again next year; Monsanto and the others have, in essence, made that time-tested practice illegal with a product that, according to reports, is not living up to advertised standards of resistance.

By: Evelyn

Evelyn — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 23:36:32 +0000

...... or, better yet: HERE

By: Evelyn

Evelyn — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 23:35:06 +0000

Surprise!!! HEAR

By: Phil Veerkamp

Phil Veerkamp — Sun, 17 Feb 2013 02:29:21 +0000

LINK - No-till farming Herbicides make possible “no-till farming”. Monsanto (among others) produce herbicides. Monsanto creates herbicide resistant soy beans. Herbicide usage creates resistant weeds. Super weeds end no-till farming and accelerate soil erosion etc, etc . . . back to the future!

By: Phil Veerkamp

Phil Veerkamp — Sun, 17 Feb 2013 00:54:24 +0000

LINK - another level of complexity for MONSANTO and THE FARMERJust as the heavy use of antibiotics contributed to the rise of drug-resistant supergerms, American farmers’ near-ubiquitous use of the weedkiller Roundup has led to the rapid growth of tenacious new superweeds. - “We’re back to where we were 20 years ago,” said Mr. Anderson, who will plow about one-third of his 3,000 acres of soybean fields this spring, more than he has in years. “We’re trying to find out what works.” - Farm experts say that such efforts could lead to higher food prices, lower crop yields, rising farm costs and more pollution of land and water. - “It is the single largest threat to production agriculture that we have ever seen,” said Andrew Wargo III, the president of the Arkansas Association of Conservation Districts. - The first resistant species to pose a serious threat to agriculture was spotted in a Delaware soybean field in 2000. Since then, the problem has spread, with 10 resistant species in at least 22 states infesting millions of acres, predominantly soybeans, cotton and corn. - The superweeds could temper American agriculture’s enthusiasm for some genetically modified crops. Soybeans, corn and cotton that are engineered to survive spraying with Roundup have become standard in American fields. However, if Roundup doesn’t kill the weeds, farmers have little incentive to spend the extra money for the special seeds. - Roundup — originally made by Monsanto but now also sold by others under the generic name glyphosate — has been little short of a miracle chemical for farmers. It kills a broad spectrum of weeds, is easy and safe to work with, and breaks down quickly, reducing its environmental impact.

By: Evelyn

Evelyn — Sat, 16 Feb 2013 21:51:38 +0000

"Monsanto Keeps on Moving Toward A Lock on the World’s Food System" - HERE - Arguments are scheduled to begin next week before the U.S. Supreme Court about whether an Indiana farmer is right when he claims that the seeds he planted should not be considered under the control of Monsanto, the giant transnational chemical and seed monopoly, through its patenting of the seeds. Monsanto typically enters a farmer’s land ... and takes samples ... and then has the samples DNA-tested for their patented genes. If any appear, they sue the farmer and, since farmers are notoriously outgunned, legally and financially, they end up settling for an undisclosed amount with the company.

By: Phil Veerkamp

Phil Veerkamp — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 04:11:06 +0000

RE: February 14, 2013 – 6:51 pm comment Insert “potable” and the February 14, 2013 – 6:00 pm comment remains TRUE.

By: Phil Veerkamp

Phil Veerkamp — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 04:00:43 +0000

Evelyn, my exchange with you was not, “about how outside forces can cripple a country’s ability to provide for its own.” That is the detour you created in response to my effective rebuttal of your “GMO/Monsanto/patented seed/Paul Bremer’s Order 81 misinformation. The Iraq war(s) are not germane to Vernon Hugh Bowman’s challenge of Monsanto.

By: Evelyn

Evelyn — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 03:01:25 +0000

The exchange about how outside forces can cripple a country’s ability to provide for its own could continue to the point of exhausting everyone. Apologies for straying from Monsanto and GMO. I await the outcome of Vernon Hugh Bowman’s tangle with the Big Boys.

By: Evelyn

Evelyn — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 02:53:18 +0000

IRAQ: RIVER TIGRIS BECOMING A GRAVEYARD OF BODIES - HERE - BAGHDAD, 8 May 2007: The River Tigris has long been a symbol of prosperity in Iraq but since the US-led invasion in 2003, this amazing watercourse has turned into a graveyard of bodies. … The river was one of the main sources of water, food, transport and recreation for the local population but after four years of war and pollution, it has been transformed into a stagnant sewer, according to environmentalists.

By: Evelyn

Evelyn — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 02:51:34 +0000

HOW THE US DELIBERATELY DESTROYED IRAQ’S WATER SUPPLY - HERE

By: Phil Veerkamp

Phil Veerkamp — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 02:00:50 +0000

Evelyn, “What happened along the way that reduced Iraq, considered by the West to be the cradle of civilization, to a state of abject dependency” certainly is a worthy area of investigation. The Biblical wars of annihilation can be instructive. But the ravages of the Hittites the $hittites and the Fittites (sorry) are not on Bush’s or Monsanto’s CV. The cradle of civilization became a blasphemous $hithole long before Bush and Monsanto came along. It seems that you are attempting to nudge this exchange away from your February 13, 2013 – 8:29AM assertion (incorrect, expired, nullified by subsequent events) that Paul Bremer’s infamous Order 81 constrains and tethers Iraqi agriculture. It does not. Iraq’s agriculture has been in the toilet for DECADES – preceding Saddam even. Iraq has successfully evaded and continues to evade the “green revolution”. BUSH DID NOT BLOW UP IRAQ’S RESERVOIRS AND IRRIGATION SYSTEMS. Iraq is free to NOT use GMOs or other advances in agriculture. Obama has left them. They are “free.” (insert sarcasm here)

By: Phil Veerkamp

Phil Veerkamp — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 01:59:35 +0000

Evelyn, “What happened along the way that reduced Iraq, considered by the West to be the cradle of civilization, to a state of abject dependency” certainly is a worthy area of investigation. The Biblical wars of annihilation can be instructive. But the ravages of the Hittites the Shittites and the Fittites (sorry) are not on Bush’s or Monsanto’s CV. The cradle of civilization became a blasphemous $hithole long before Bush and Monsanto came along. It seems that you are attempting to nudge this exchange away from your February 13, 2013 – 8:29AM assertion (incorrect, expired, nullified by subsequent events) that Paul Bremer’s infamous Order 81 constrains and tethers Iraqi agriculture. It does not. Iraq’s agriculture has been in the toilet for DECADES – preceding Saddam even. Iraq has successfully evaded and continues to evade the “green revolution”. BUSH DID NOT BLOW UP IRAQ’S RESERVOIRS AND IRRIGATION SYSTEMS. Iraq is free to NOT use GMOs or other advances in agriculture. Obama has left them. They are “free.” (insert sarcasm here)

By: Anthony

Anthony — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 00:14:22 +0000

Ironic isn’t it. We are told by some people that government is the problem, and corporations are the answer to our problems.

But as we see, when a corporation is the problem, government (in this case, the court system and the laws passed by the legislative branch) is the only solution available to the ordinary citizen. Government and labor unions are the mechanisms through which the average American can counter the power and influence of major corporations. Concern about big government, with no corresponding concern about big corporations is a fool’s errand.

By: Evelyn

Evelyn — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 23:41:38 +0000

Presumably there’s no need to study the fall of the Roman Empire = Ancient History. Buy only today’s New York Times, or watch your favorite cable channel.

By: Evelyn

Evelyn — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 23:35:18 +0000

Did you read the article? I’m perfectly aware of its publication date. Not a forecast, but rather HISTORY. What happened along the way that reduced Iraq, considered by the West to be the cradle of civilization, to a state of abject dependency?

By: Phil Veerkamp

Phil Veerkamp — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 23:01:57 +0000

Evelyn, why do you continue to point to obsolete, nullified forecasts on Iraq? I mean, if yesterday's weather forecast called for rain today would you insist that today's sunny skies are wrong?LINK - Published on Tuesday, October 22, 2002 - - 'The only way they will take Iraq is if they empty it of people' remarked a Jordanian, 'and that is why they will use nuclear weapons - to empty it . . . It is, they say, about a country said to be 'swimming on a sea of oil.'

By: Evelyn

Evelyn — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 19:02:23 +0000

. . . THIS

By: Evelyn

Evelyn — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 19:00:14 +0000

'Mesopotamia' (Land between the rivers) - HERE

By: Phil Veerkamp

Phil Veerkamp — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 07:01:36 +0000

LINK - Pre-U.N. Sanctions (1980-89) - During Saddam Hussein's early years in power (1979-1990) the state attempted to foster private sector control and investment in Iraq's agriculture. Surging oil revenues were used to acquire Western technology and to lavish extensive government subsidies on the sector. Area and production expanded through the 1980s for cereals, vegetables, and fruit. However, cereal yields stagnated due to poor production practices and limited varietal development. In addition, the Iran-Iraq War diverted labor and other resources away from agriculture. Population growth continued to outpace agricultural production, increasing the importance of trade. Despite Government efforts at stimulating agricultural production, cereal and poultry imports as a share of domestic consumption nearly doubled to 69 and 48 percent, respectively, during the 1980s. By 1989 Iraq was importing over $2.5 billion in agricultural commodities annually including 78 percent of its cereals and nearly 100 percent of its vegetable oils and sugar.

By: Phil Veerkamp

Phil Veerkamp — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 06:55:11 +0000

All the more reason for Iraq to tell Monsanto to go to hell.

By: Evelyn

Evelyn — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 06:39:24 +0000

. . . and from the last posted article, Iraq suffered the equivalent of seven (7) Hiroshimas. (Iraq's land mass is about the same as California's.) A UN team called the devastation: “near-apocalyptic.”

By: Phil Veerkamp

Phil Veerkamp — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 06:33:33 +0000

RE: In war, that which is destroyed is not so readily restored – I recall that Germany and Japan (with “SOFA”) did quite well. Iraq, minus SOFA may not fare so well

By: Phil Veerkamp

Phil Veerkamp — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 06:29:31 +0000

James, sorry. Evelyn started it.

By: James E.

James E. — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 06:15:49 +0000

Phil, please don’t talk about Bush — you’re scaring me.

By: Evelyn

Evelyn — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 06:15:42 +0000

OFF

By: Evelyn

Evelyn — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 06:14:26 +0000

In war, that which is destroyed is not so readily restored. From THIS. (January 17, 2013) : ‘Eric Hoskins, a Canadian doctor and coordinator of a Harvard study team on Iraq, reported that the allied bombardment: “… effectively terminated everything vital to human survival in Iraq – electricity, water, sewage systems, agriculture, industry and health care. Food warehouses, hospitals and markets were bombed …”

By: Phil Veerkamp

Phil Veerkamp — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 05:55:51 +0000

I think that this is the original - LINK - Coastal Post Online - MARIN COUNTY'S NEWS MONTHLY - FREE PRESS - But I suspect that "all things Bush" will forever rise zombie-like to frighten the children . . . the new boogie man.

By: Phil Veerkamp

Phil Veerkamp — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 05:40:24 +0000

Evelyn, you again point to a time in Iraq that has come and gone. Order 81 is nullified. The material you have reposted is from LINK - By Daniel Stone -Coastal Post, August 2006 Obama has undone Bush’s “dastardly deed”. The Iraqi farmers are now free to tell Monsanto to . . . pound sand.

By: Evelyn

Evelyn — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 05:19:23 +0000

Thanks to the American military conquest of Iraq and the installation of an American Big Agra corporate executive as the region’s agricultural overlord, Iraqi farming has collapsed, and industrially farmed GMOs have replaced the small farms that once supplied all of the nation’s food needs. A once self-sufficient land has been reduced to a food importer, relying on imports, mainly for the U.S., to replace the food it once grew for itself. - HERE

By: Phil Veerkamp

Phil Veerkamp — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 02:59:50 +0000

RE: CPA administrator Paul Bremer’s infamous Order 81 issued before he departed Iraq in June 2004 To the extent that “Order 81″ was EVER enforced in Iraq during the period that the U.S. had any substantial influence over Iraq’s farmers (probably never) it is now virtually certain that “Order 81″ is nullified in the absence of a status of forces agreement. To those Iraqis who “threw down” with us and drove out Al-Qaida in Iraq – good luck. Feel free to pursue a minimal recovery your bad bet by planting Monsanto freely!

By: Evelyn

Evelyn — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 23:39:38 +0000

re Monsanto, let me whisper ever so softly: D*ck you-know-who (aspartame)

By: REW

REW — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 23:19:28 +0000

1. Allowing a corporation to genetically alter a living organism is questionable.
2. Allowing the untested GMO to be used as a food source is criminal.
3. Giving a corporation the patent on a life form is insane. Particularly since it is apparent they cannot control it.

By: Cheryl

Cheryl — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 17:58:45 +0000

Monsanto produced DDT, PCB, Agent Orange and Roundup, all poisons. Then they produced aspartame which produced health problems. Coincedence they own big pharma companies? Make you sick then sell you some pills. Now they want us to plant their genetically engineered seeds while controlling their use. I don’t think so.

By: Evelyn

Evelyn — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 17:37:27 +0000

Speaking of Monsanto, the story of how, after TWICE being banned by the FDA (health problems such as cancer, leukemia, headaches, seizures, fibromyalgia & epilepsy), aspartame became legal - HERE

By: Cheryl

Cheryl — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 17:22:01 +0000

I think we can all agree, we are rooting for the farmer. Especially if you have ever done research on Monsanto.

By: Evelyn

Evelyn — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 16:29:22 +0000

What goes around comes around. Does anyone recall -- or even know about -- CPA administrator Paul Bremer's infamous Order 81 issued before he departed Iraq in June 2004? - HERE ********** Good luck to farmer Bowman. Monsanto can't afford to lose this one. I'd bet they'll win, but don't want to spook Bowman's chances.

By: Paddy O'furniture

Paddy O'furniture — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 16:08:19 +0000

James, I’m actually in agreement with you on this one. Scary…

By: James E.

James E. — Tue, 12 Feb 2013 01:36:17 +0000

Interesting concept — buy our seed and we get to control it forever as we have patent rights? Hmmm.
Does this exist with any other product? Cannot think of one. Lots of products we buy have patents held by the manufacturers? What makes seeds unique? Talk about corporate overreach. I’m going with Phil on this one — an astounding win by the farmer based on a finding that once a sale of seeds occurs, title for the seeds passes to the purchaser who can plant them, not plant them or do anything with them. Given that, which side has unlimited legal resources? The farmer better have pro bono legal help all the way to the Supreme Court. The fight of the big against the little. Corporation versus a little person.
David versus Goliath. Well, David did it, so here’s hoping the farmer can do it too.